30 SEATS AND SADDLES. 



connection of those in motion. When it comes to the 

 turn of the near hind foot at a, and the off fore one at 

 hj to move up to their next position at c d, the line 

 a b becomes a dotted one, a} b^, from the moment this 

 pair of legs leaves the ground, the near fore and off 

 hind legs at c and b becoming the supporters ; and so 

 on alternately. But the dotted lines, in coming up 

 successively to the position of the full ones, intersect 

 the latter at various points of their length : the diagram 

 shows them at the moment each successive step is half 

 completed, the intersection of the two showing where 

 the perpendicular from the centre of gravity falls. And 

 this intersection — consequently, too, the weight to be 

 supported — is always travelling towards the fore leg that 

 happens to be on the ground, and therefore the centre 

 of gravity vibrates alternately from right to left, and 

 vice versa, in trotting and walking. 



In cantering and galloping the case is different-; 

 the two legs at the same side are advanced simultane^^ 

 ously, the other two i;emaining behind. Still, suppos- 

 ing the animal to be in equilibrium, we observe the 

 following to occur (see fig. 2, B) : the horse "leads" 

 here with the two off feet — that is, canters on the 

 right hand, the two near ones remaining behind so 

 long as he remains on this hand ; there is, therefore, 

 not the same alternate vibration of the centre of grav- 

 ity from right to left, and vice versa, as in trotting and 

 walking, for it is alw^ays the same pair of feet, more- 

 over, just as in trotting the diagonal ones, that mainly 

 support the w^eight. In the diagram we see that the off 

 hind and near fore legs, connected by the full lines, 

 are both placed close under the centre of gravity in 

 the succession of bounds, as shown at b, c, d, e, f, g, 



