20 



Gait of the American Trotter and Pacer 



more, must the action of the legs be like that of a pendulum swinging 

 backward as far as forward, and thus bring about the regularity and 

 rhythm of hoof-beats and the harmony of extensions (see Figs. 15 

 and 1 6.) 



To illustrate the above principles, which ought to constitute the 

 perfect gait of the trotter and the pacer, let us look at Fig. 16. Here is 

 the profile view of a horse at rest in an ideal attitude, namely, where 

 the legs stand perpendicularly under the body of the subject. 



Vertical lines from the heels H' and H of both fore and hind 

 (Fig. 16) will constitute the pendulums of legs at rest, having their 



FIG. 16 



M ti T N M' H F H' 



A B C D B F, articulation of fore part. L P O R S T, articulation of hind part. 

 P, P', origin or pivot of motion. P' M', P' N', extensions of fore legs. 

 P M, P N, extensions of hind legs. G, approximate location of center of 

 gravity. 



respective pivots of motion P' and P in the shoulder articulation and 

 in the buttock joint as given in Fig. 16. Such a vertical line runs 

 down the middle of fore legs and passes along front line of cannon 

 bone of hind legs. A further test of the correct attitude of hind legs 

 is a vertical line dropped from end of buttock, and this line will coin- 

 cide with oack outline of hind cannon tone. P' M' and P' N', as well 

 as P M and P N, exemplify the even extension of legs as they stride 

 over ground. Fig. 16 is meant to show an ideal attitude with ideal 



