HORSE-BACK RIDING. 25 



to acquire a fresh impulse, which throws the weight 

 of the body on the left fore-foot and continues the 

 movement by means of the right hind-foot. There 

 are, therefore, but two measures or beats in the trot. 



The rider receives at each movement rude shak- 

 ings, which cause him often to rise in the saddle, and 

 the violence of these varies singularly according to 

 the nature of the ground, the habit one has of this 

 mode of riding, and specially of the quality of the 

 horse himself. 



The gallop is a succession of leaps. The horse first 

 raises the fore-part of his body, but his fore-feet do 

 not both leave the ground at the same time. We 

 will suppose the horse starts with the right leg, the 

 left follows immediately, and he rests entirely on the 

 hind-legs, which, bent like a bow, make a sudden 

 spring. The body is thrown forward, and all four of 

 the feet are off of the ground, but the shock falls on 

 the two fore-feet, lessened by the manner in which 

 they are placed upon the ground ; the left one, which 

 quitted the ground last, being replaced first, the 

 right following immediately, but a little in advance 

 to support the left, and to divide the shock. During 

 this time the two hind-feet are brought forward just 

 under the centre of gravity and near the fore-feet, 

 with the right foot a little in advance of the left ; 

 there is, therefore, a moment when the four feet touch 

 the ground. However, we observed that the hind- 

 feet do not both quit the ground at the same mo- 



