THE IMPROVED ART OF FARRIERY. 315 



much less labour than he would under other circum- 

 stances. 



In the action of the walk, the horse moves his legs 

 separately : that is to say, one after the other. Thus, 

 if he begins with the right he first raises the right oj 

 off hind leg, and advances it under his body ; but be- 

 fore the foot reaches the ground, the right or near 

 fore-foot, is raised and advc^nced, in order to make 

 room for the hind-foot ; which, in middhng and slow 

 walkers, alights upon the mark of the fore-foot ; but 

 in good and fast walkers oversteps it considerably, as 

 has been just observed. As soon as the near fore-foot 

 alights upon the ground, the off or left hind-foot is 

 raised ; the left or near fore-foot then rises to make 

 room for the near hind-foot, in the same way as on 

 the other side. 



The walk, therefore, consists of a separate and suc- 

 cessive action of all the four legs, beginning with a 

 hind-leg ; and in proof of this, the same remark will be 

 found in an old author, '' Borelli de Motu Ani- 

 maUura." 



TROITING 



Is a quicker action than that of walking ; for here the 

 horse covers his legs at two intervals of time instead 

 of at four, as observed in the last section. 



A fore-leg and a hind- leg are moved simultaneously, 

 but on opposite sides : as thus, when the near or left 

 fore-leg leaves the ground, the off or right hind-leg 

 is elevated at the same moment ; and when these two 

 come down, the others are moved in the same manner. 



