CHAPTER IX 



ON THE LOCOMOTIVE ACTION IN THE VARIOUS PACES 



NATURAL AND ACQUIRED PACES DISTRIBUTION OF WEIGHT ATTITUDE ASSUMED IN 

 STANDING MODE OF PROGRESSION THE WALK THE TROT THE CANTER THE H VND 

 GALLOP THE GALLOP THE AMBLE THE PACES OF THE MANEGE LEAPING OR 

 JUMPING. 



NATURAL AND ACQUIRED PACES 



IN A STATE OP NATURE it is probable that the horse only possesses two 

 paces, namely, the walk and the gallop ; but when he is the produce of a 

 domesticated sire and dam, even before he is handled, he will generally 

 show a slight tendency to trot, and sometimes to amble, rack, or pace, if 

 any of his progenitors have been remarkable for these artificial modes of 

 progression. In this country, however, it may be assumed that the horse, 

 without being taught, walks, trots, and gallops, more or less perfectly, 

 according to his formation and temperament. 



DISTRIBUTION OF WEIGHT 



EXCEPT IN THE GALLOP AND CANTER, in the fast trot, and in leaping, 

 the weight of the horse is borne by two or more of the legs, and we shall 

 find that in consequence of the projection forwards of the head and neck, 

 the larger moiety is sustained by the fore-leg (or legs) than by the hind. 

 This can easily be demonstrated in the act of standing ; but the same rule 

 which applies to that position will also serve for any other. 



It is important to the horsemaster to ascertain the circumstances which 

 will change these proportions, because he finds practically that, in road 

 work, the fore-legs wear out faster than the hind, and consequently any 

 means by which the weight on them can be reduced will be a gain to him 

 in a pecuniary point of view. M. Baucher placed a horse with his fore 

 and hind-legs on separate weighing machines, and found that a hack mare 

 when left to assume her own attitude, weighed on the fore scales 210 

 kilogrammes, while her hind-quarters drew only 174, the total weight of 

 the animal being 384 kilogrammes, each of which is equal to 2 Ibs. 2 ozs. 

 4 drs. 16 grs. avoirdupois. By depressing the head so as to bring the 

 nose to a level with the chest, eight additional kilogrammes were added to- 

 the front scales, while the raising of that part to the height of the withers. 



141 



