MODERN FARRIER. . 221 



brought under the body ; and though it may be 

 prevented, in some degree, by good riding, yet it is 

 never thoroughly got rid of, and will always recur 

 when the animal is tired by hard labour. 



*ln some instances, where a horse is pressed in 

 the trot, he gets into a shuffling pace, between a 

 trot and a gallop ; that is, he either gallops with his 

 fore-legs, and trots with his hind-legs, or else vice 

 versa ; in either case it is a very unpleasant action, 

 and greatly retards the speed.' 



Trotting on hard roads, and particularly in frosty 

 weather, is extremely injurious to the legs and feet. 

 Sometimes the concussion is so great as to occasion 

 violent inflammation, producing what is eaWed/bun- 

 der, or a sinking of the coffin bones. 



119. The Canter. 



The canter is a pace peculiarly pleasant to the 

 rider, and much easier to the horse than the trot, 

 because the action is divided into three motions. 

 Thus, if the horse leads with the off fore-leg, the 

 feet will come to the ground in the following order 

 of succession : namely, first, the near hind-leg ; next, 

 the off hind-leg, and the near fore-leg together ; and, 

 lastly, the off fore-leg. But, during this alternation, 

 there is a period when three feet are on the ground 

 at once; for instance, two hind-feet and the near 

 fore-foot will be on the gi'ound just prior to the 

 moment when the off fore-foot alights, which hav- 

 ing taken place, the near hind-foot rises from the 

 ground, leaving the other three ; viz. two fore-feet 

 and the off hind-foot stationary. 



In the canter, the horse moves somewhat ob- 

 liquely, by advancing one shoulder more than the 

 other, in conformity with the leading leg. Thus, if 

 he leads with the right fore-leg, the right hind-leg 

 must follow, and be advanced more under the body 

 than the left hind-leg. By this position, the feet 

 describe a rhomboidal quadrangle, which gives a 



