THE SADDLE BREEDS Of HORSES 129 



in contradistinction to the gallop, and the American saddle 

 horse seems almost to do it naturally. 



144. The slow gait may be any one of three, that is, 

 (1) the running- walk ; (2) the fox-trot; (3) the stepping- 

 pace. 



(1) The running-walk. This is the intermediate de- 

 velopment between the flat-footed walk and the rack. The 

 motion, rhythm and recovery are identically the same. It 

 is a " single-foot," just as are the flat-footed walk and the 

 rack. But the tempo is greater than in the walk, and less 

 than in the rack. It is much the most graceful of the slow 

 gaits, and the easiest on both horse and rider. At this 

 gait a horse can cover mile after mile, up and down hill, 

 without distressing either himself or his rider. A speed 

 of six to eight miles an hour is not unusual, and occasionally 

 a " running- walker " is found that can do nine miles or 

 better. Not all members of this breed can be taught to 

 go the running-walk well, and for that reason it has been 

 decreed that either the fox-trot or the stepping-pace may 

 be accepted as a substitute. 



(2) The fox-trot. This may be best designated as a 

 mongrel gait. It is not so graceful nor so easy as either 

 the running- walk or the stepping-pace. At this gait, the 

 horse goes a jog-trot in front and paces behind. 



(3) The stepping-pace is nearly as graceful a gait as the 

 running-walk, and when well done is quite as easy on the 

 rider and only slightly harder on the horse. It is not 

 the side-swiping pace of the harness horse. At this gait 

 the horse is going the running-walk with his fore-feet and 

 pacing with his hind-feet. 



145. The rack. This gait is the highest development 

 of the flat-footed walk. It is nothing but the flat-footed 

 walk developed to high speed. The rhythm and motion 



