THE PRIMER. 39 



In the rapid gallop the horse is so stretched 

 out that the legs come to the ground with such 

 intervals that the pace is of four beats. In the 

 ordinary slow gallop, in hand, the second planted 

 hind-foot and its opposite fore-foot come to the 

 ground at about the same time, and we have 

 the three-tempo gallop. In the shortened or 

 school gallop, the horse is so closely united and 

 sustained that there is an interval between each 

 footfall, and we have another example of a pace 

 of four beats. The canter is a disunited pace 

 of low momentum, in which a fore-foot is brought 

 to the ground in each stride before the second 

 hind-foot is planted, and we have still another 

 example of a pace of four beats. 



As a rule, the horse goes into the gallop by 

 taking the weight upon the forehand, by then 

 carrying a hind-leg under the mass to support 

 the weight, and by then planting the other hind- 

 leg ; and from that time it is in some form of 

 the gallop.^ In other words, the gallop results 



1 From a halt, or walk, a slow languid trot or a rapid trot, the horse 

 usually takes the weight upon the fore-leg, from which it will (in the gallop) 

 go into air in each stride, and then carries the diagonally disposed hind -leg 

 under the centre of gravity, from which moment it is in some form of the 

 gallop. From the passage, the Spanish trot, or a very high united trot, the 

 horse sotnetitnes takes the weight upon a fore-leg that has been dividing the 

 weight with its diagonally disposed hind-leg, carries the other hind-leg under 

 the mass, and from it goes into the gallop, that is, it j>iay take gallop right 

 from the left fore-leg, gallop left from the right fore-leg. 



