St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-03-14
AMONG The HORSES.
Conformation Considered in
It's Relation to a Desir-
able Gait.
Some Notable Examples and
Suggestions Offered on
the Subject.
Force Of Heredity and the
Profits Of Our Horse
Breeders.
framing Colts--The Walking
Gait--Hints, Hits and
Etehings.

To afford some idea how the relative
Inference in the length of the forearm
md cannon IN the forelegs of noted
rioters affects their gaits, some exam
pies of these might prove profitable,
rays writer in the New York Sports
ran. They are from careful measure
nents taken by MIR. Helm. George
Wilkes had a forearm of 20 inches and
/ cannon of 1917. He was neither con-
Ipicuous for much knee acUon nor for
little. He was a medium model in this
respect. Gov. Spragne was 81 forearm
md II cannon. Florida was II and 81.
He had a very fine movement of the
knee, not excessive either way. Volun-
!eer was 81 and III. Hambletonian had
2013 and 1115. An increase of knee &C
ton over the others would he looked for
in his action. The Pilots had long CAN
mons and short forearms, and they were
correspondence high knee actors.
it would be difficult to ascertain eX-
actly, when the variation is SO slight,
as in the instance of the noted horses
named, the mean relative proportions.
Natural instinct or other circumstances
and causes are liable to modify the
gaits at all times and govern their
movements and fleXions. But it is
probable that the proper average is
nearly Appropriated in the best trot-
tiers. Among other things long practice
Will at last cause horse to change his
gait. Different rates of speed also re-
qure different applications of action.
Many well known trotters have been
observed to change their way Of going
while in process of speed formation.
Thus Lady Thorne was always termed
daisy CUTTER in her early history,
while later on she developed consider
able roll of the knee. Many horses have
one method of fleXion for one rate of
speed and quite another for different
one. Some horses will founder and
lumber along at a moderate gait, yet
when aroused display surprisingly
agile and beautiful movement.
in the rear beverages, as means of
support and attachment for the muscles,
R long hip is as necessary i'll the trOtterS
as in the galloper. 1t would appear that
relatively short tlbia, or the leg eX-
tending from the Stifle to the hook, like
that of the forearm, would increase the
hook action, just as the short forearm
Increased the knee action. A CORE
spondingly long femur or WhirlbOne
should also have powerful influence
in drawing the hook upward in the re-
coil. When the hinder cannonS are long
the fold of the hook should be poticea-
bic. Combined with long cannonS, short
tibi2 and long whirlbones, complete
rear or upward backward stroke should
seem inevitable. According to Mr..
Helms measurement in this and the
foregoing examples, George Wilkes had
a thigh. OF tibia, of but % inches.
Horses long from stitle to hook and
short in the cannon would appear to be
adapted to trailing their hooks low be-
hind and increased tleXion at the recov-
cry, thus appearing to draw up their
fetlockS at a sharp angle and far for
ward. Maud S is long from stifle to
hook and short in the rear cannons.
She appears to present in outward con- 4
formation an extraordinarily perfect
leverage.
The abnormal shapes often seen in
many of the best trotters and PAGERS, so
far from being advantageous to them,
have rather caused the animal to desert
the gallop for gait more in conformity
with his structure. A closer study of
the proportions of the horse affecting
these results would be of value perhaps
by not only determining the character
of a horses gait and application made
thereby, but should assist largely in
selecting for mating individuals
whose offspring would present the
desired characteristics. This might
result in the gain of many years over
selection for inherited trotting AT
least it might in the more early acquire
ment of perfect trotting type. 1t is fair
to suppose that as the twig is bent so will
the tree be inclined; that as the horse is
formed, so will his gait be characterized.
Much might be gained by the iudicious
breeding of diverse forms of trotting-
bred horses possessing very superior
breeding but presenting outwardly
characteristics of form not adapted to
trotting. By mating these with animals
of equal breeding and superior confor-
nation III those parts lacking in the
other, the produce might be perfected
in structure equal to the best. As the
breeding is there, there ought to be no
reason why the more perfected structure
should not be as perfectlng in speed. 1t
is a point worth considering in breeding
the trOtter whether many trotting-br ed
horses are not failures, simply because
they have su CHI diversified beverages as
to seriously impair their conformation,
adaptability and natural Inclination for
the trOtting gait.