WhcLt is a Rack ? 31 



for a lazy feeling day, or for hot weather, any- 

 where, it is the acme of comfort. Or it is, indeed, 

 a useful gait in winter, when it is too cold for a 

 clipped horse to walk and your nag has yet not 

 stretched his legs enough to want to go at sharper 

 speed. It must, however, be acknowledged that 

 it is very rare that a horse will rack perfectly as 

 well as trot. He is apt to get the gaits mixed. 



A rack is half way between a pace and a trot. 

 In the pace, the two feet of each side move and 

 come down together; in the trot, the two alter- 

 nate feet do so. In the running walk, or in the 

 single-foot, each hind foot follows its leader at the 

 half interval, no two feet coming to the ground 

 together, but in regular succession, so as to pro- 

 duce just twice as many foot-falls as a trot or a 

 pace. Hence the one, two, three, four, patter of 

 the horse gives to the ear the impression of very 

 great rapidity, when really moving at only half 

 the apparent speed. The result of the step is a 

 swaying, easy back, which you can sit with as 

 much ease as a walk. Rackers will go a six mile 

 gait, single-footers much faster. I once owned a 

 single-footing mare, who came from Alexander's 

 farm and was sired by Norman, who could single- 

 foot a full mile in three minutes. As a rule, the 

 speed is not much more than half that rate. And 

 either a rack or single-foot is apt to spoil the 

 square trot ; or if you break a horse to trot, you 



