54: Eadiceard Muyhridge [Marcli 13, 



The left fore foot being brought to the ground, the body is supported 

 by the laterals ; the right hind foot is, however, quickly lowered, and 

 performs its share of support. The left hind foot is then raised, and 

 the right hind and left fore legs assume the weight, the former being 

 nearly vertical, and the latter inclined well back, the right fore foot is 

 thrust well forward, and is just about to strike the ground ; when it 

 does, three feet again share the support, they being the two fore and 

 the right hind. The left fore foot now leaves the ground, and we 

 again find the support furnished by the laterals, the right instead of, 

 as before, the left. 



The right hind foot is raised when the right fore leg becomes 

 vertical ; this latter, which now sustains the entire weight, gives the 

 final effort of propulsion, and the body is hurled into the air. 



The descent of the left hind foot completes the stride, and the 

 consecutive movements are repeated. 



In stride No. 7 we learn that during the canter the support of the 

 body is derived from 



1. The left hind foot. 



2. The left hind and left fore feet — laterals. 



3. Both hind and the left fore feet. 



4. The right hind and left fore feet — diagonals. 



5. The ricjht hind and both fore feet. 



6. The right hind and right fore feet — laterals. 



7. The right fore foot alone, on which he leaves the ground. 



TJie Gallop or Bun. 



This movement has in all ages been employed by artists to convey 

 the impression of rapid motion, although, curiously enough, the atti- 

 tude in which the horse has been almost invariably depicted is one 

 which is impracticable during uniform progressive motion. 



When during a rapid gallop, with a stride of 20 feet, a horse after 

 his flight through the air lands on his left hind foot, the right hind 

 will be suspended over it at an elevation of 12 or 15 inches, and 

 several inches to the rear of and above it the sole of the right fore 

 foot will be turned up almost horizontally, the left fore leg is flexed 

 with the foot under the breast at a height of 18 or 20 inches. 



The right hind foot strikes the ground some 36 inches in advance 

 of the left hind, each as they land being forward of the centre of 

 gravity. 



The body is now thrust forward, and while the right hind pastern 

 is still almost horizontal, the left hind foot leaves the ground. At this 

 time the left fore leg is perfectly straight, the foot, with the toe much 

 higher than the heel, is thrust forward to a point almost vertical with 

 the nose, and at an elevation of about 12 inches the right fore knee is 

 bent at right angles, and the foot suspended under the breast at several 

 inches greater elevation than the left fore foot. 



The left fore foot now strikes the ground, 96 inches in advance of 

 the spot which the right hind foot is on the point of leaving, and for 



