A well-formed horse ought to have good action. This does not always follow. But good conformation without good action is a kind of disappointing fraud. The best action is that which is natural to the horse. We expect this in families and in types. But training can modify the action of a horse, indeed, change it entirely as when a pacer is converted into a trotter. With pacers, however, I am not concerned as I presume that this book is written for gentlemen. There can be no good action which is not straight. In the walk, the trot and the gallop a horse must move his feet and legs in parallel lines. The horse that does that naturally can be taught the other things that may not come to him by nature—high stepping, for instance. When a horse moves always without paddling or any other lateral motion, he is a very fit subject for cultivation. He can be taught to go daintily and gracefully as our grandmothers walked through the _minuet de la couer_. Throwing the feet far out in front or lunging, as it is called, is a very ugly trick and can be remedied in the shoeing, I am told. I believe this to be true, but I have never tried it. A horse with this inclination always seemed to me badly bred—Hambletonian, for instance—and I have not recently bothered with such. Paddling also can often be corrected by shoeing. General rules cannot be laid down as to these things. Each horse has his individuality. He must be so studied. When an owner brings general knowledge and acute intelligence to this study he can determine in a little while what is best to be done in each case. In the great majority of cases the best plan is to sell the horse that seems unpromising, but as no horse is ever entirely satisfactory some of them must be retained and educated by training, a training dominated by gentleness, courage, firmness and patience—but most of all patience. THE END INDEX ABDUL AZEEZ, SULTAN OF TURKEY, 31 ABD-EL-KADER, 18, 23 ABDALLAH, 116, 128 ABRAHAM, 18, 19 ABDALLAH, XV, 175 ABDUL HAMID II, 146 ACTION AND CONFORMATION, 272 AGRICULTURAL DEPARTMENT, 111 ALASKER TURK, 25 ALEXANDER, ROBERT A., 54, 55 ALIX, 132 ALEXANDER’S ABDALLAH, 171 AMAZONIA, 116 AMERICAN STUD BOOK, 41 ANDREW JACKSON, 86, 104, 136 ANCIENT SCULPTURES, 6, 7 ANDERSON, EDWARD L., 6, 235, 250 ANDALUSIAN (JACK), 198 ARMENIA, 6, 20 ARAB AND BARB, vi, vii, 14, 15 ARISTIDES, 70 ARION, 134 ASIA, 6 AUTOMOBILES AND ELECTRIC TRAMWAYS, iv AXTELL, 134 BARBARY, 13, 14 BARRS, 183, 184 BASSETT, HARRY, 66, 67 BATTELL, COL. JOSEPH, 80, 85, 107 BERBER BARBS, 13 BELLFOUNDER, (IMPORTED), 117, 119 BELLE MEAD FARM, 70 BEND OR, 70 BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, 10 BELMONT, AUGUST, 55 BEACON COURSE (HOBOKEN), 105 BETSEY HARRISON, 152, 153 BEN BRUSH, 74 BLACK HAWK, 88, 90, 106 BLUE GRASS, 148, 221 BLUNT, WILFRID, 33 BLACK DOUGLAS, 112, 139 BONHEUR, ROSA, 179 BOSTON BLUE, 131