iv.j MECHANICAL AID OF THE RIDER. 59 



four from under him. In truth, his hind legs are 

 under him when his fore legs are from under him, and his 

 fore legs are under him when his hind legs are from 

 under him; his hind feet pass over where his fore feet 

 rested, so that from footprint to footprint he clears very 

 little space. In fact, owing to what is called leading with 

 one leg, the line between his two fore feet and the line 

 hetween his two hind feet are hy no means at right angles 

 to the line of his direction ; so that the greatest distance 



from footprint to footprint is not nearly half his stroke. 



* 

 The leap differs from the gallop not only in the greater 



space of ground cleared hy the feet, hut in the greater 

 space of time for which the feet quit the ground ; this last 

 difference is of more importance than might he 

 imagined. 



Antaeus was not peculiar in his dependence for strength steeple- 

 chases un- 

 on contact with his mother earth. In leaping, neither fair on the 



horse. 



man nor horse can draw breath while in the air, that 

 is, from the time the feet leave the ground till they 

 again touch it. But quick breathing (the creber anhelitus) 



