Record of the Tracks on the Ground 55 



two correlated legs, that is, the two which move together, such as 

 the near fore and off hind and the off fore and the near hind. It 

 should be assumed as an axiom, or a proposition unnecessary to 

 prove and sufficiently evident, that these distances must be the same 

 in the square trot. For, to insure regularity of action in the trot as 

 well as in the pace the distances of feet moving and landing on ground 

 together cannot help being alike on both sides. If they were not the 

 gait would approach single-footing. 



These distances are computed by deducting the measurement of 

 one hind foot from that of its correlated fore or the diagonal fore 

 which moves with that hind. In Fig. 36 we have, for instance, o h = 

 15:65, to be taken from n f = 19-30 or 19.30 15.65 = 3.65 ft. 

 Again, n h = 25.70 to be taken from o f ' = 28.75 or 2 &-75 2 5-7 

 = 3.05, and so on, always deducting the figure of one hind from that 

 of its diagonal fore on the opposite side on the line below it. 



There are, in consequence, two columns, and adding these we 

 obtain, after dividing with 20 and getting the average on each side, a 

 difference of 0.17 ft. or 2.04 inches between the sides. This means 

 that the distance between near fore and off hind is 2.04 inches greater 

 than the distance between the off fore and near hind. This is easy 

 to prove by figures of previous table where it was shown that extension 

 of off fore over near fore was 0.03 of a foot and that of near hind over 

 off hind was 0.1975 of a foot. This would present the matter as in 

 Fig. 39, though the difference here does not quite agree with dif- 

 ference found in Fig. 37, which showed it to be 0.1675 of a foot, or 

 just 2 inches instead of 2.04 inches. It is not often that these calcula- 

 tions show a difference, but owing to the greater activity of hind, due. 

 to probable increase of speed during trial, such a small difference in 

 averages is apt to arise. 



There is one more consideration about these measurements which 

 concerns the relations between fore and hind legs, and that is the so- 

 called "overstep" or distance that hind foot is placed ahead of fore 

 foot on each side. Such calculation is only of importance to find 

 out the relative over-reach of hind and backward pointing of fore 

 feet. With increase of speed the overstep increases in distance, for 



