Cheraw gazette and Pee Dee farmer. [volume] (Cheraw S.C.) 1838-1839, 1839-05-03


other animals. They ought, in the first
place to stand well, otherwise the motions
are either unsafe or awkward, and there is
an unnatural strain on some part or other.
The prime pal powef Of progression resides
in the hinder extremites but for safety, and
the conveyance of the speed acquired by
the propulsion Of the hinder exremities, we
must depend upon the well.sloped, clean and
muscular shoulder, the strong and lengthy
arm. the powerful shank with firm tendons,
the well.set fellock, and sound foot;
without these the progression is de6cien!
and weak.
The most common defects in the forma.
ton of the fore.legs are, that either the toes
turn too much out or too much in. Ifturned
out, the foot comes IN contact with the op.
iposlte leg, and bruises it the pasterns are,
atthe same time. generally seo long, render.
ing the Strain great upon the tendons, and
rendering them liable TO disease; the
action is almost invariably low, and the ami.
mails consequently unsafe; tho feet also,
accommodating themselves to the position
and form of tho limb, become very liable to
various diseases.
Ifthe toes be turned inwards, the animal
is awkward in his action, and is continually
stumbling; he is also liable to splints and in
juries of the fellock. To insure accurate
moioa, the fore feet should stand, in front
view, parallel with the sides of the animals
body.
The feet should be sound fat ones, with
low heels, are to be carefully avoided. But
even where the hoof looks sound, if groggy-
ness exist, the animals are by no means
desirable 10 breed from.
For safety, pleasure, liberty of action, We
look 10 the tore extremities but for :he
power Of action, our'atenlion must be prin.
cipally direcie to the posterior extremities
of the horse. / would not as some are in.
clned 20 do, deny that tho anterior extremi.
ties are concerned in progression, for, if
we cast our eye abroad upon the face of
nature, we are at once struck with the won.
derfui accommodations to particular cir.
cumsiances in individual cases. In one, the
anterior extremities are almost entirely laid
aside as useless VIII le in others We find
thatthey are the principal organs Of motion;
but in others, again, more especially the
horse, combined and Simultaneous action
is required. We find the kangaroo, on the
one hand, hopping at an immense rate, upon
its hind legs with the assistance Of its tail,
CARRYING rs aands m IT'S pouches, winch are
only used to support the head while feeding
upon the ground but We observe the came
leopard, on the contrary. raised with his fore
legs to height which enables him to nip
the buds from the trees of The forest, his
hind legs nearly as short in proportion Us
the lore ones Of the kangaroo. But when
the fore extremities are to be the organs of
motion, they are in one case found bearing
The eagle to the chambers Of light, and in
the other forming oars, by which the mon.
sters Of the ocean are enabled to plunge
through the mazes Of the fathomless deep.
But although we have seen that, in par.
,icu!ar circumstances, either the anterior or
posterior ex,remites may become the Or
gans Of motion. and that in The horse all are
required, still we must recollect that for
power and rapidly Of motion we must have,
in this animal we'll formed hind legs. In
connection with these, strength of loins and
length of quarters are of,he greatest import.
ance but there is variety in the form of
the quarters which must be looked to in
reference to the produce, because for gal
loping, a form of The quarter, and indeed,
.hs whole leg, are required, which differ
from that best suited, or usually formed for
,roting. For gal!oping, the lengthy hori.
zontal or finely turned quarter, with lengthy
thigh, are best adap;ed for speed; while for
,rot,ing there is greater degree of sloping
in the quarter. which is less pleasing to tho
eye than the galloping quarter, and rotund
muscularity we'll observed in all fast trotters.
In all, however, this musculariiy indicates
great strength and action, more especially
il it is observed on viewing the animal from
behind. that there is u fine arch, from haunch
to haunch, over his quarters, and that there
is such swelling out Of the muscles Of his
thighs, that when measured across there
would be a greater breadth than in his
launches. The limbs should then gradually
approximate each other, tapering with the
Jiminution of the swell Of the muscles as
they send off their tendons, until they reach
the hooks. TO this point the eye Of the
breeder must be scrupulously directed. be-
cause there is no point OF more importance
in regard to action, and none so liable TO
disease the diseases, too, depending upon
the formation Of the part.
Unless the hook is we'll formed, there can.
no. be durability and ifthere is sometimes
speed with badly formed hook, it is never
for long run. The most common defect
which at present exists is liability to curbs,
such being denominaled curby hooks; these
,ra coon. on taking a side view, bv the