Just Observing

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ItalianStallion

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Hello,

I don't want to sound stupid and I've never really been brought up around horses but just want to learn more about them. Recentley just been looking at how they run and noticed some horse's tend to flick their cannon bone, a sharp powerful flick, is there anything behind this or am i talking nonsence?

Sorry if i am
 
ItalianStallion said:
Hello,

I don't want to sound stupid and I've never really been brought up around horses but just want to learn more about them. Recentley just been looking at how they run and noticed some horse's tend to flick their cannon bone, a sharp powerful flick, is there anything behind this or am i talking nonsence?

Sorry if i am
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Not a problem IS. Shadow Leader will probably be able to explain in more depth, but horses, like people, each have slightly different builds and proportions, which affects the way that they move. So you get horses who have a smoother action - what you seem to be describing - which is known as "daisy-cutting", whereas other horses raise their knees higher in what is called a "rounded action". Faster ground horses tend to "daisy cut" while the rounder-actioned horses tend to handle softer ground better.

Watch horses when they walk, too and you will see that some just slop along while others are much more active with head, neck and hindquarters all visibly more mobile, with the hind hooves almost covering the print of the forefeet as the horse moves on. Good walkers are often worth taking note of as it is a general indication of their movement at the faster paces, particularly the gallop, and when jumping. Call Equiname was one such and One Man another that spring to mind.

As you "get your eye in" more when watching horses move through a race, you will also begin to get some idea of the going as well, just by the way they are moving - much more reliable than a Clerk's description!

Just a few general pointers, I'm sure others here will be able to give you more in-depth answers.
 
I really dont know what you mean with "flicking the cannon-bone" , but good answer and worth noting that virtually every very good horse is a good walker. unfortunatly not every good walker is a good horse.
 
I think Stallion refers to the way that some horses flick out a leg when running - some very pronouncedly so. Some very good horses do this - Attraction was one. Although considered a drawback by purists, it doesn't always signify any loss of effectiveness when running, although it sometimes does. You just have to get to know the horses in question.

Horses have all sorts of odd quirks, some of which are judged to be indicative of a lack of resolution - a high head carriage, esp at the business end of a race, is considered to be one, and flicking or swishing the tail esp when shown the whip is another. But they are not ALWAYS evidence of a poor attitude; it depends on the individual horse. There was one very good filly a few years ago who used to swirl her tail round and round in circles as she reached the run in - it didn't slow her down and she won quite a few!
 
Headstrong said:
There was one very good filly a few years ago who used to swirl her tail round and round in circles as she reached the run in - it didn't slow her down and she won quite a few!
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Would that have been Mistinguett, Headstrong?
 
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