THE HORSE 355 



Thus the term white-foot is applied to the white 

 marking sometimes found just above the hoof. A 

 white spot in the middle of the forehead is called a 

 blaze if it is round, a star if angular. 



"The horse's mode of progress is called its gait, 

 and may be either natural or artificial, depending on 

 whether the animal is untrained or trained. The 

 natural gaits are the walk, the trot, and the gallop. 

 In the walk the legs move in what may be termed a 

 diagonal sequence, as follows: the right fore leg, 

 the left hind leg, the left fore leg, the right hind leg. 

 If the horse is well formed the hind foot steps ex- 

 actly into the track left by the fore foot on the 

 same side. 



"In the trot the feet are lifted and put down two 

 by two in diagonal pairs, the right fore foot with the 

 left hind foot, and the left fore foot with the right 

 hind foot. This gait is more rapid than the pre- 

 ceding, but is also harder for the rider as well as 

 for the horse, because of the shock sustained when 

 two feet strike the ground at the same time. 



"The gallop is of several kinds, the simplest and 

 swiftest consisting of a succession of forward 

 bounds. The two fore feet are lifted at the same 

 time, then the two hind feet, which push the animal 

 with a sudden spring. That is the racer's gait. 



1 1 Among the artificial gaits I will mention the 

 amble, in which the legs move in pairs on the same 

 side, the two left at the same time, then the two right, 

 alternately. The horse thus maintains a sort of 

 oscillation, furnishing a gentle and easy motion for 



