74 THE STOCK owner's ADVISER. 



distance forward, then following in succession the left fore and 

 the right fore foot at a distance from each other sometimes equal 

 to the height of the animal. The consecutive foundations of sup- 

 port are — first, the left hind foot; second, both hind feet; third, 

 the right hind foot; fourth, the right hind and the left fore 

 feet; fifth, the left fore foot; sixth, both fore feet; seventh, 

 the right fore foot from which the animal will spring into 

 the air, in which phase (the only one of a galloj) when the 

 animal is entirely off the ground) all the legs are flexed un- 

 der the body. The first foot to strike the ground will be the 

 hind foot diagonal to that from which the spring was effected. 

 This movement, the gallop, has in all ages been employed by 

 artists to convey the impression of great speed, although, curi- 

 ously enough, the phase in which the horse has been almost 

 invariably depicted is one which is impractible during uniform 

 progressive motion, and conveys no such impression to the care- 

 ful observer. 



CANTER. 



• In the canter the feet are landed on the ground in the same 

 consecutive order as in the walk, but not with the same compara- 

 tive intervals of time. Assuming that in the canter the notation 

 is begun after a propulsion through the air with a final thrust of 

 the left fore foot, the landing will take place on the right hind 

 foot, followed in order by the right fore, the left hind, and the 

 left fore from which a succeeding thrust off the ground will be 

 effected. The consecutive supporting feet are — first, the right 

 hind foot ; second, the right hind and right fore feet ; third, both 

 hind and ri^ht fore feet; fourth, the left hind and right fore 

 feet; fifth, the left hind and both fore feet; sixth, the left hind 

 and left fore feet; seventh, the left fore foot alone, from which 

 the animal leaves the ground. The canter is usually regarded as 

 a slow gallop, probably from the facility with which a change 

 from one gait to the other can be effected; an important differ- 

 ence will^ however, be observed. 



