THE GALLOP. 133 
artists, To give the idea of high speed the hind legs are thrust backward 
and the fore legs forward in a most unnatural position, which if it could 
be assumed in reality would inevitably lead to a fall, and most probably 
to a broken back. It is somewhat difficult to obtain a good view of a 
horse at his best pace, without watching him through a race-glass at a 
distance of a quarter of a mile at least, for if the eye is nearer to him than 
this the passage of the body by it is so quick that no analysis can be made 
of the position of the several parts. But at the above distance it may be 
readily seen that the horse never assumes the attitude in which he is 
generally represented, of which an example is given at the beginning of 
this article. When the hind legs are thrust backwards, the fore feet are 
raised and more or less curled up under the knees, as it is manifest must 
be the case to enable them to be brought forward without raising the 
body from the ground. In the next act, as the hind feet are brought 
under the body the fore legs are thrust straight before it; and so which- 
ever period is chosen for the representation, the complete extension so 
generally adopted must be inaccurate. It may be said that this is meant 
to represent the moment when all the feet are in the air, and theoretically 
it is possible that there may be a time when all the feet are extended ; 
because, as in the fast gallop the stride is twenty-four feet long, while the 
horse only measures sixteen from foot to foot, it follows that he must pass 
through eight fect without touching the ground, and during that time, as 
o: necessity his legs must move faster than his body, the fore legs may 
change their position from the curled up one described above to the 
extended one represented by all painters as proper to the gallop. Obser- 
vation alone can therefore settle this question; but, as I before remarked, a 
race-glass at a distance of a quarter of a mile enables a careful observer to 
satisfy himself that our received ideas of the extended gallop are incorrect. 
Nevertheless, if a proper interpretation is given, the eye at once rebels, 
CORRECT VIEW OF THH GALLOP. 
and on examination of such a figure as we here give, founded on perfectly 
correct principles, the mind refuses its assent to the idea of great pace, 
which is that which is desired to be given. These facts are well known 
