Lincoln County times. (Jerome, Idaho) 1911-1919, 1917-07-05
HORSES IN ACTION
Advisable to Examine Animal
Carefully for Lameness.
OBSERVE THE VARIOUS CATS
Perfection in Walking Is Characterized
by Feet Being Brought UP Quick
ly-Trotting Must Be With
out Wabbling.

prepared by the United States Depart
ment OF Agricultural
Lameness due to variety of causes
and Of various forms, some not nj first
apparent should be carefully looked
for when examining Il horse in action.
When lameness is present only at GER
tain times. ii is known as intermittent
lnmeness. consequently ii is advisable
TO examine Il horse on several different
occasions. In cold lamcness the ami
mai will 20 sound after he is warmed
up. while in warm lamoness the i'm
pcdimont does not manifest itself I'M
I'll after considerable exercise. Finch
ing when the horse turns sharply indi-
Gates shoulder lameness. The various
gaitS should he observed from the
front. side. and rear. in order that the
desirable features and defects may not
be overlooked.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. in this gait Is
characterized 10y the feet being
brought up quickly from the ground,
by their being carried in Il straight
line. by lengthy stride. and by the
cycle being completed quickly. All of
these aid in producing Il rapid walk,
which is great asset to horses used
! for any purpose. The defects of gait
which may well be noted while the
horse is walking are interfering. wing
ing. tooing in or tocing out, and spraw-
ling.
Trot.-This gait must be square
that Is. II must be without any ten
dency To wabhle, shuttle, or mix gaits.
and the hind feet should. follow in line
with the forcfeet. In the roadster and
trotting race horse speed is highly
valued while in the park saddle horse
n fair degree of nicely balanced knee
and hook action is demanded. The
highest priced factor of the harness
horse expresses itself ut the trot In
extreme knee and hook action. Even
in the draft horse square, open. we'll
balanced trot with pronounced knee
and hook action adds many dollars &c
his selling price. The common defects
of the trot are interfering. forging
dwelling. hopping. and knee actor
without proportionate amount o
hook action or vice versa. Lamenes'
may be detected in the trot when i
may not be apparent in other gaits
An abundance or lack of energy an'
ambition is apparent during trottini
by the general department and car
riage.
Pace.-The pacing gait is more o
less common in harness horses. AM
II is useful as fast road gait OF
smooth thoroughfarcs. The charnt
terisric movements Of the limbs in TIL
roit consist i'm the feet on the sam
side of the body striking the groun
simultaneously. The principal defect
of the pace are cross-iiring ana hi
ting the knees.
| Easy Gaits.-pantation horses an
| fye-gaited saddle horses have gait
| thot are easy on the rider as well Il
| ON the horse. Such gaits are desire
| nrincipally for long rides and al
| knoyyn rs slow pace, fox or dog tro
| and running walk. Any one of thcl
| may constitute one of the gaitS OF
| fve-gaited horse. while the faster cas-
| gnit demanded i'm such Il horse is I'll
| rack or singIcfoot. This is INTERN
/ dinte between the trOt and pace, u
feet hitting the ground one Mt Il tim
producing Il gait easy on the ride
Int firing to the horse.
canter-The cnnter, classed ms
| saddle gait, may he described as
| modified. collected. and very slow 81
| Ion. II should he graceful, easy, M
handIly performed.
Wind.-To test the wind have q
horse ridden at a very fast gallo
] stopping him abruptly so that you mi