HINTS ON HORSES 



53 



A horse places his hind feet almost exactly 

 on to the footprints of his fore feet. If going 

 lazily, the hind feet do not reach to the 

 fore-foot prints (Fig. 31): if over-exerting 

 himself, he generally goes wide behind, and 

 places his hind feet beyond and outside the 

 fore-foot prints. If walking, a horse has not 

 got up much impetus, and each pace is 

 only about half his length. As he increases 

 his speed he gets up momentum and his 

 paces increase until he is no longer able to 

 progress at a walk, and breaks into a trot. 

 Similarly from a trot he gradually extends to 

 a gallop, until at his utmost speed he is ex- 

 tended to his full. 



At this pace his fore feet extend to a point 

 perpendicularly below his nose, but they do 

 not project beyond this line. 



At a trot and bridled in, a horse throws his 

 fore feet out beyond this line. 



A canter is a much more artificial pace 

 (Fig. 32). A horse is made to canter with 

 sometimes one leg leading and sometimes the 

 other. On a circle the horse is made to lead 

 with the inside leg. The head is meanwhile 

 drawn to the outer side, and the horse is 

 urged with the outer leg. 



