Help wanted on a Horse's Action

[who?me?]

When discussing Kingsbarns after his victory in the Racing Post Trophy, commentators were talking about his "heavy action" and how he hit the ground hard. Can anyone give me some advice as to what to look for when watching horses run as to the different ways in which they run? It's obviously another factor to take into account when thinking about whether a horse will run well or not according to the conditions.

[fintron]

Re: Help wanted on a Horse's Action Horses that travel best on heavy ground tend to rotate their legs in more of a rounded action, whereas those with a faster ground action then to throw their legs out, in more a quicker, straighter action. If you want a good example of a rounded action, have a look at Rathlin (owned by Gigginstown) who ran in the Powers Gold Cup behind Flemenstar at Fiaryhouse (8th April) last year. He front ran for a lot of the way and the ground, which was good, was probably a bit too quick for him. Look at his front legs and how rounded the motion is, probably easiest to see (given the camera angle) when they jump the flight with the Ladbrokes sponsor (infront of the crowds/stand) a short while into the clip....he'd much prefer slower ground.