GAITS. 



35 



the croup in order to accomplish an act which causes an 

 inversion of the habitual play of the members. Many- 

 horses, weak in the loins and hocks, or saddle-backed, 

 refuse, defending themselves or escaping by forcible self- 

 projection in a lateral direction. 



The trails of backing are less separate than in the walk 

 and never cover each other, even when the retrograde 

 movement is very quick. 



A horse rears for the purpose of attack or defence : 

 it is an action in position, an unnatural posture which 

 becomes dangerous, more especially if the animal uses it 

 to throw its rider. In 

 this case, it often happens 

 that ithas notsufficiently 

 calculated its spring and 

 so it throws itself back- 

 wards or falls on its side. 



In rearing (fig. 19), 

 the horse has a tendencv 



J 



to throw the centre of 



gravity on the posterior. 



With this aim, it rapidly 



throws back both head 



and neck at the same 



time as it firmly brings 



its inferior members ^S- x 9- 



under the body. 



The anterior members raising the anterior for the 

 energetic execution of the ascensional motion aided by 

 the muscles of the hind-quarters, have a tendency to im- 

 part horizon tality to the femur between the coxal and the 

 tibia which become almost perpendicular to it. 



Long animals, and those heavy in front, rear with 

 more difficulty than those which obey with facility the 

 effort produced by the muscles of the abdominary members 

 to bring the anterior portion in equilibrium upon them 

 by the straightening of the vertebral column. 



Arab horses and hunters are generally vigorous and 

 often rear. They also lift themselves easily for leaping. 



The kick (fig. 20) is, like the rear, a defence for the 

 horse. The preparation for it is instinctive and subordi- 

 nated to its nature ; it is a rapid projection of the posterior 



