The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1917-09-07
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 WabbIing.

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ment of Agriculture)
Lameness due to variety Of causes
and Of various forms, some not at first
apparent, should be carefully looked
for when examining horse In action.
When lameness Is present only at GER
tain times, 1t Is known as intermittent
lameness, consequently 1t Is advisable
to examine horse on several different
occasions. In cold lameness the AMI
NAL will 60 sound after he Is warmed
up, while In warm lameness the i'm
pediment does not manifest itself un-
til after considerable exercise. Finch
Ing when the horse turns sharply indi-
Gates shoulder lameness. The various
gaits should be 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 by the feet being
brought up quickly from the ground,
by their being carried in a straight
line, by lengthy stride, and by the
cycle being completed quickly. All Of
these aid In producing rapid walk,
which is a 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, toeing in or toeing out, and spraw-
ling. ....
Trot--This gait must be square
that is, 1t must be without any ten
dency to wabble, shuttle, or mix gaits,
and the hind feet should follow In line
with the forefeet In the roadster and
trotting race horse speed Is highly
valued, while in the park saddle horse
a fair degree of nicely balanced knee
and hook action is demanded. The
highest priced factor of the harness
horse expresses itself at the trot In
extreme knee and hook action. Ever
In the draft horse square, open, well
balanced trot with pronounced KNEE
and hook action adds many dollars t.
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 |
may not be apparent in other gaits
An abundance or lack of energy AM
ambition is apparent during trottinl
by the general department and car
riage.
Pace.-The pacing gait is more o
less common In harness horses, an,
1t is useful as a fast road gait o.
smooth thoroughfares. The charat
teristic movements of the limbs in thi
gait consist In the feet on the sam
side of the body striking the groun
simultaneously The principal defect
of the pace are cross-flrlng and hi
ting the knees.
Easy Galts.--Plantation horses an
tive-gaited saddle horses have gait
that are easy on the rider as well
on the horse. Such gaits are desire
nr,ne,pally for long rides and al
known as slow pace, fox or dog tro
and running walk. ANY one of the
may constitute one of the galts Of
Nve.yolted horse while the faster eas
ga,t demanded in such horse Is IL
rack or slnplefoot This is Intern
dlots between the trot and pace, Il
foot hitting The ground one at tim
nrodncing n gait easy on the ride
mi t,rinS 10 the horse.