ANTIQUITY AND HISTORY OF THE PACING HORSE. 155 



greater speed becomes a succession of bounds, the propelling foot 

 leaving the ground before the advanced foot strikes it. This i& 

 running, the highest rate of speed attainable, and in every revo- 

 lution, for a space, the whole body is in the air. In the action 

 of the horse, with four legs, we find greater complication, which 

 I will try to make clear. 



First, all horses walk, all horses pace or trot, and all horses 

 gallop. The walk is easily analyzed, for it is slow and the move- 

 ment of each limb can be followed by the eye. Each foot makes 

 its own stroke upon the ground, and we count one, two, three, 

 four in the revolution. 



Second, at the gallop, which is a succession of leaps, each 

 limb, as shown by the instantaneous photograph, performs its 

 own function, whether in rising from the ground, flying through 

 the air, or in striking the ground again. There is harmony in 

 all, but there is no unity in any two or more of them, and when 

 they strike the ground again you hear the impacts, one, two, 

 three, four, in a cluster. The conventional drawing of the run- 

 ning horse in action is impossible in nature, and a wretched car- 

 icature of the action as it is. As in the walk, so in the run, we 

 count four impacts in the revolution. 



Third, at the pace the horse advances the two feet, on the 

 same side, at the same time, and when they reach the ground 

 again there is but one impact; then the two feet on the other side 

 are advanced and strike in the same way. Thus, the rhythm of 

 the action strikes the ear as that of the movement of an animal 

 with two feet instead of four. In this there can be no mechani- 

 cal mistake, for in the revolution of the four-legged pacing horse- 

 we count one, two, and in the revolution of the two-legged man 

 we count one, two. The conclusion, therefore, seems to be in- 

 evitable that the two legs on the same side of the pacing horse 

 act in perfect unison in performing the functions of one leg. At 

 the trot the horse advances the two diagonal feet at the same 

 time, and when they reach the ground again there is but one im- 

 pact; then the two other diagonal feet are advanced and strike 

 in the same way. Thus, the rhythm of the action strikes the 

 ear as that of the movement of an animal with two feet instead 

 of four. In this there can be no mechanical mistake, for in the 

 revolution of the four-legged trotting horse we count one, two, 

 and in the revolution of the two-legged man we count one, two. 

 The conclusion, therefore, seems to be inevitable that the two- 



