THE GALLOP 155 



disturbed, and the horse jerks himself and his rider in a disagreeable 

 manner, which is another reason why the change of legs should not be 

 encouraged. 



There is a great variation in the length of the stride, and in the 

 rounding or bending upwards of the foot under the knee. Sometimes 

 even in a fast gallop the distance between the prints of the same feet will 

 be no more than sixteen feet, while in others it will measure twenty-four, 



twenty-five, or even twenty-six feet. The first is too short for any race- 

 horse ; but a moderately short stride enables the horse to get off with a 

 quicker start, and to ascend and descend hills better than a very long one. 

 Where, however, a distance of level ground is to be covered a long stride 

 tells, and a horse possessing it has a great advantage over one whose gallop 

 is short, however quick and smart it may be. For this long stride theru 

 must be length of limb, especially of the two bones meeting at the stifle 

 joint ; and this is the perfection of the form of the race-horse, as I have 

 already described at page 104. 



THE AMBLE 



The amble is an artificial pace which few horses adopt except under com 

 pulsion, although we are told by such high authorities as Barrier and 

 Gobaux, that colts are sometimes met with which amble at first and learn to 

 trot subsequently, when they have become older and stronger. On the same 

 authority we are assured that ambling is again resorted to by old animals or 

 those whose legs have suffered severe wear. 



It is a two-time pace, consisting in alternate progressive movement of 

 the right and left pair of legs. 



In the fast amble, which in America is called " pacing," there is between 



