THE SHOW HORSE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20740, 6 December 1930, Page 22

THE SHOW HORSE.

POINTS FOR ATTENTION. RIGHT AND WRONG WAYS. ABSENCE OF "ACTION." The action of a horse is either natural or artificial, or a little of both. If a horso has no action to commence with, ho is scarcely worth taking a great deal of trouble over, for it is a rare occurence for such an animal to imbibe a faculty for using his legs if ho is bereft by Nature of any ideas upon the subject. In short, what action i 3 there is capable of being improved upon, but what does not exist is extremely hard to create.

A writer in tho Irish Farmers' Gazette, remarks that regarding the question of action from another point of viow, ib is notoriuos that contributory negligence on the part of an owner or a groom may speedily and effectually reduce this virtue to a minimum. Just as the schoolboy will soon forget the lessons that he has learned, so will the horse discontinue the practice of picking up his feet or bending his knees if the methods for doing so are not frequently impressed upon his memory. Schooling Necessary.

A long journey or two, followed by a period of relaxation from work, and succeeded again by a spell of hard work, will soon effect a transformation in tho action of tho finest goer, and consequently it is incumbent upon those who have charge of good movers to see that their charges aro not neglected in tho matter of tho necessary schooling. The methods adopted, whether they Ito a judicious alteration in the weight of the shoes, or exercising in deep strawyards, or over bales, must of course, be left to the discretion of the person responsible for the wcllbeing of tho horso who, it may incidently bo suggested will probably find a great deal moro trouble before him in regulating tho back action than that in tho front.

This difficulty may not possibly bo recognised by those who have little practical experience of the trials associated with the schooling of horses. To speak generally, all exhibition animals can go a bit in front, but quite a large proportion omit to tuck their hocks under them, and are consequently disposed to leave their back limbs behind them when fairly extended. A Serious Fault. This is, of course, a serious fault in any breed, for it must bo obvious that tho propelling power of tho hocks and gaskins must materially affect tho fire and dash of a horse, to say nothing of the smoothness and regularity of his action. All horses, in fact, should be good movers behind, from tho heavy cart horse that has to shift great loads, and tho hunter whoso back and charters and hind limbs enable him to rise at his fences beneath a welter weight, to the hackney who presents but a sorry appearance when he proceeds around tho ring, all go in front but trailing his back legs behind him as though ho were ashamed of moving them so badly. Yet a judicious course of schooling, if properly administered, would effect a great improvement in the caso of many. a show horso.

So far as galloping is concerned, it is the low, creeping style of action, the sort of movement that is not considered dashing enough by the uninitiated, that finds favour amongst men who use their horses and desire them to reserve their strength. A high, flashy action not only tires the horse, but wastes'time, and is therefore not, so popular amongst owners as the other. In the case of trotters, when speed is not always so important a factor in tho selection of an _ animal as is style and an imposing action, it is, of course, most necessary that a winner should know the way to bend his knees; but there is a right and a wrong way of carrying out this movement.