GAITS. 1 7 



same horse, augmented by a quarter of its head, namely, 

 being 2! heads length. 



It is highly important to indicate to artists the limit 

 of the separation which can be given to the lateral 

 members. Observations during several consecutive 

 years in Normandy, authorise me to recommend the 

 draughtsman never to allow the complete step to be 

 greater than 2! heads, that is to say, only slightly in excess 

 of the length of the animal, or even equivalent to that 

 length. 



In addition, with reference to the walk, when the 

 raising of the anterior member is too slow, the shoe is 

 collided by the toe of the posterior foot setting down, 

 and produces an unpleasant noise called forging. 



A horse can also hit itself when the canon, instead 

 of prolonging the radius in a straight line, makes with 

 it an angle which closes inwards and brings the two feet 

 of the animal into greater proximity. When the angle is 

 inversely situated, the feet lose time by describing an 

 outward curve. In this case the animal strikes twice. 



With short superior rays, a horse makes a small step, 

 but with high action. When it suffers in the shoulder, it 

 makes it very low and describes an exterior curve, which 

 is called mowing (faucker). It is said that a limb razes 

 the ground when, the superior rays being long, the hoofs 

 rise but slightly above the ground, making an elongated 

 step, and are liable to stumble. 



A horse has speed when the movement is easy and 

 rapid. To set well up is to vigorously lift the extremities. 

 This upward animation is detrimental to speed, and wastes 

 the force in absolute loss to the locomotion. This is the 

 opposite to razing the grotmd, the defect of which, carried 

 to an extreme, is to cause stumbling and falls. 



In the amble, the body being only laterally supported, 

 necessitates the prompt attainment to the appui of the 

 supporting side ; the progress is therefore quick, and the 

 feet very near the ground — in fact razing it. 



A horse rocks itself when its body inclines laterally at 

 each step during progression in a manner the more 

 apparent because of the width of the breast and croup, 

 and because the tracks are in pairs apart from the medial 

 plane. 



c 



