160 Training the Saddle Horse 



left forefoot and right hind foot (Fig. 35). When 

 the movement is quickened the horse does not at 

 once change his gait, but extends his strides and 

 makes them more uniform, until further extension 

 becomes difficult, when he will break into a trot. 



The trot. — In the common trot the footfalls 

 mark two sharp beats, and the horse moves from one 

 pair of diagonally disposed legs to the other pair. 

 In the common and long trot there is a short interval 

 between each step when all four feet are free from 

 the ground. During the short trot, however, one 

 pair of diagonal legs is on the ground all the time. 

 The trot depends simply upon the united action of a 

 foreleg and a diagonal hind leg, hence the weight is 

 borne by the diagonally disposed legs alternately 

 (Fig. 36) . The trot is not as fast a gait as some others, 

 but it is one in which the average horse is capable of 

 traveling farther in a day's journey with less fatigue 

 than any other, on account of the diagonal pairs of 

 legs being used as weight bearers and propellers. 

 This diagonal movement makes the gait a rough one 

 for saddle work. If the movement is hurried, the 

 horse extends himself until further extension becomes 

 difficult, when he will break into a gallop or canter. 



The canter. — In common usage there are three 

 words describing this gait, according to its speed — 

 the canter, the gallop or lope, and the run. When 

 the horse is going fast it is called a run; when going 

 at a moderate speed it is called a gallop or lope, and 



