The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1866-05-12

DlE. uSfUg iDOub sGCh0 Vi DHFltN
meal, and adding about six score to the
weight of his pig. This, on his garden
of one-eighth of an acre, would be 4S
score per acre on the consumption of Is
to 26 quarters of barley per acre."
-
Form and Action Of Saddle Horses.
When a horseman sits on good road
ster, he need not take the trouble to pick
his way when riding down a rough
country lane or over broken ground. be-
cause the forefoot of a clever saddle
horse. be the pace, walk, trot or canter,
are always well forward and fall fatty
and evenly on the ground: and when i'm
action the fore legs are sufficient but
not too much bent. the action coming
direct from the shoulders. But the most
agreeable feature experienced in riding
perfect saddle horses is, the ease and
elasticity with which they move in ali
their PAGES, thereby sparing the rider
any feeling of fatigue. Not only is the
number of hacks and hunters very limit
ed, but those we have-except few in
the hands of masters of hounds and men,
bers of hunts--are too apt at an early
age to display some of the infirmities to
which their race are now so subject, in
the shape of curbs. splints, and spavins,
consequent upon the hurry the breeders
are in to bring them into the market be-
foIe they arrive at a proper working age.
Thousands of capital saddle horses are
annually sacrificed from this very cause
| attribute the downward tendency of
our breed of saddle horses, to the rage
for speed, which is now so prominent a
feature on the English turf, but when
we take into consideration what long
considered and careful selection on our
turf has effected, when the sole object
was speed, we may reasonably anticipate
as important and beneficial results from
equally judicious selection, when our
object is to produce horses possessing
that fine union of qualities so essential
to good saddle horses.
There are few people who know what
constitutes good shoulders in hOrse-a
good many asserting that they should be
fine, meaning by this, lean at the withers.
1t is, however, certain that the shoulders
of young horse intended to carry
weight can hardly be too thick at that
place, provided they are not too thick at
the points or the lower ends, while in
tOpo WCA1 U0CA oAu kC0t NIX
a good space between the end Of the
name and the pomel Of the saddle
There is certain cross-b0ne which con-
meets the lower end of the shoulder
blades with the horses fore-legs which
very materially affects his action. When
this is too long it throws the fore-legs too
much back, causing the horse 10 stand
over like cart horse and such an ami
NAL, besides being unpleasant to ride,
when at all tired, is very likely to come
down. am here stating what is well
known to good judges, but write for
the many. | would also observe that
the form of shoulders here recommend
only contribute to good action, they
alone do not secure it. Good hind-leg
action is as important as good action in
the fore-legs. The hook joints should
bend well, when in action, bringing the
hind feet well forward, but without stri-
king the fore feet commonly called over
reaching.
1t is common practice to pay little
attention to the action of the hind legs,
so long as the horse possesses what is
termed '1fine knee-up action ;" but all SUI
perior horses, of whatever breed, are
eIninently characterized by good hind
leg action: for be the shoulders ever so
good, unless the action of the hind-legs
is also good, the horse is uneasy to ride,
because the action of the two sets of legs
are not properly balanced, and, no mat
ter how accomplished the rider may be,
it is with difficulty he can accommodate
his seat to the action of such horse
Such horse is unsafe to ride, and his
30 ~
SO +; but if the action of the hind or fore
legs be properly balanced, the rider feels
his horse firm under him, and that he
cannot very well come down. Indeed,
in this case he seems to be riding
up hill, while under opposite circumstan-
ces, he seems to be riding down hill
One important point which 1 consider
has been gained by the breeding of hOrs-
es for speed is, the great length between
the hip-hOne and the hook, as exhibited
in the greyhound and although the pos
session of this point is not so absolutely
necessary, vet |, for one, should be in
clined to give its possessor the prefer
ence for hunter of the present day, for
the horse either is, or ought to be, capa-
BILE of great speed. But our hunter had
not formerly this shape, and did not so
much require it. There is, however,
one objection against any excessive
length between hip and hook, which is,
that it frequently causes over-reach, a
most disagreeable infirrnity for either
hunter OF roadster. A horses hips
should be wide, 10 carry weight, and his
loins highly muscular, but the lower
ends of his shoulders should be light
His chest cannot be too full, but it may
be too wide for speed, as well as for
ton, very unpleasant to the rider.
Great depth7o the chest is powerful
recommendation and the ribs before the
girths cannot be too long, but the back
ribs (when much speed is required)
should be rather short. For very fine
action, the shoulder-blades must be long,
while they cannot be SO without inclin-
ing well back. If horse so formed has
good hind-leg action, he will be very
valuable as an active weight-carrying
cob, because this form of shoulders is,
regret to say, now rarely to be found
among our saddle horses, as in the major
ity of them that come within the pale Of
a moderate price, the girths are contin-
ually slipping forward, causing the rider
to sit on the horses withers rather than
on his back: and this is one cause of
horses falling down, as the weight of the
rider pressing on the top Of their shoul-
ders seriously interferes with their free
action, and when they make q slight
stumble it is next to impossible to recOv-
or their feet. The best height for horses
intended as hacks is about fifteen