68 Gait of the American Trotter and Pacer 



hind goes far out (4.13 in.) and preserves a much more reasonable 

 toeing out (5.16). 



In Fig. 48 is given a section of actual distances and positions of 

 feet according to the averages found. The hind feet are respectively 

 4.13 in. (n h) and 0.71 in. (oh) from the median line M N at O. Hav- 

 ing found the average distances of fore to be negative quantities, we 

 know that such distances from median line are on opposite sides, or 

 4.34 in. for off and 1.60 in. for near fore. The mare proves to be 

 a line trotter of an inverted order, hind feet apparently following their 

 diagonal mates, but is by no means a real line trotter and is, moreover, 

 a trotter of a wide and open gait. 



Regarding the observations of break-over, or slide or concussion, 

 the fore show a slight break-over at outside toe, hardly worth noting 

 on table ; but the hind show that compensating activity which two legs, 

 unequal in extension, generally manifest. It will be noted that while 

 off hind strikes outside heel and has hardly any mark at toe, the near 

 hind shows the extra effort at toe, which marks propulsion of a greater 

 degree. We therefore note that near hind makes an extra effort to 

 carry along the off hind, which, by some reason or other, fails to ex- 

 tend forward sufficiently and shows no effort of propulsion at toe. 



Lou Dillon in gait was a freak, for without that crossing over to 

 the extent of nearly 6 inches of space between the fore (from frog to 

 frog) and the slight outward action and reach of hind feet, she could 

 not have cleared her feet as remarkably as she did. Let me illustrate 

 this by Fig. 49, where the feet are represented as found on ground. 

 These are the feet of one (near) side, which in the trotter move al- 

 ways against and away from each other. (See Fig. 22, etc.) It is 

 the same on off side, of course. Now, there is a moment when these 

 feet of the same side are either as close together as possible or cross 

 each other, as in speedy cutting, according to conformation and gait. 

 In this instance, however, such or any interference seems almost im- 

 possible, or rather improbable, because of the directions of those fore 

 and hind feet on each side. 



Fig. 49 shows such possible interference at F A after near fore 

 just left its track (dark print) and near hind is just about to land on 



