48 Gait of the American Trotter and Pacer 



these calculations by means of the twelve divisions to the foot, or actual 

 inches, it would complicate matters and take more time. Decimal frac- 

 tions of the foot are easily reduced to inches by multiplying by the 

 figure 12; and one-half of a tenth of a foot would read: 0.05 ft. 



In all measurements so taken and in all distances so recorded the 

 reader should bear in mind that such distances are always taken 

 parallel to the motion of the horse, even though they are referred to 

 as diagonal distances in some instances, in order to designate the 

 points in question. 



Fig. 34 would ordinarily present two pages in an ordinary note 

 book so prepared as indicated. We have to remember two things in 

 recording these measurements, namely, the distinction between fore 

 and hind and near and off side. The rest can be done at any other time 

 and place. In the trot the hind is ahead of the fore foot, these two 

 being together on each side ; and in the pace the fore precedes the hind 

 on each side, as given in Figs. 32 and 33. 



I present to the reader the gait of Lou Dillon 1 158^, which, 

 through kindness of Mr. Budd Doble, I had a chance to take when the 

 mare was under his excellent care at San Jose, Cal., in 1905. She was 

 trotting well at the trial and was going at a 2 :n clip on the back stretch 

 where the ground had been prepared for her. 



The page in Fig. 34 is divided into two main columns for fore 

 and hind measurements and since tracks occur two on one side, the near 

 and off side alternate in the columns. These are marked "n" and "o" 

 en left side. Auxiliary columns for strides are given to start calcula- 

 tions. The strides are easily computed by deducting a previous near 

 fore measurement from a following near fore, or an off fore from an 

 off fore ; and in the same manner the hind feet. 



There are three more requirements in the analysis of the gait 

 when thus established by a continuous measurement of tracks, and 

 these are: 



(1) The distances between each pair of correlated feet, or the 

 pair that move diagonally together, 



(2) The extension or distance of one foot to the other (of either 

 fore or hind) ; that is, the distance from near to off and from off to 

 near and so on ; and 



