NATURAL HISTORY. U5 



and at length the right fore foot, which rests last, 

 shews the fourth time. 



Horses usually gallop on the right foot, in the- 

 same manner as they cany the fore right leg in walk- 

 ing and trotting. They also throw up the dirt in gal- 

 loping with the right fore leg, which is more advanced 

 than the left. The right hind leg which follows im- 

 mediately the right fore one, is more advanced than 

 the left hind leg, the whole time that the horse con- 

 tinues to gallop. Hence the left leg which supports 

 all the weight, and which forces forwards the others, 

 is more tired ; for this reason it would be right to ex- 

 ercise horses in galloping alternately on the left foot, 

 as well as on the right ; and they would consequentlj 

 bear much longer this violent motion. 



In walking, the legs of the horse are lifted up onlj 

 a small height, and the feet almost scrape the ground. 

 In trotting they are raised higher, and the feet are en- 

 tirely free from the ground. In galloping, the legi 

 are lifted up still higher, and the feet seem to rebound 

 from the earth. The walk, to be good, should be 

 quick, easy, light, and sure. The trot should be firm, 

 quick, and equally sustained. In this place, the horse 

 should carry his head high, and his back straight; 

 for, if the haunches rise and fall alternately at each 

 trot he takes, if the. crupper moves up and down, and 

 the horse rocks himself, he trots ill. If he throws 

 out his fore legs, it is another fault : the fore legs 

 should tread in a line with the hind ones, which should 

 always efface their tracks. When one of the hind 

 legs is thrown forwards, if the fore leg of the same 

 side remain in its place too long, the motion become* 

 more uneasy and difficult from this resistance. For 

 this reason the interval between the two times f the 



Vol. I. S 



