THE TROT. 



lOI 



the time during which the animal is completely off the 

 ground at any particular pace, or when jumping. 



Natural paces are those which the horse adopts of his 

 own accord, without any teaching of man ; artificial paces, 

 those which he performs only after special training. 



Time (as apphed to the rhythm of a pace) is the number 

 of separate steps in each stride of that pace. Thus, the 

 amble, in which the right pair and left pair move alter- 



.i^^^^A 



V\g. 64. — Beginning of left diagonal. 



Fig, 65. — End of left diagona'. 



Kig. 66. — Beginning of right diagonal. Fig. 67. — End of right diagonal. 



Ordinary Trot. 



nately, is a pace of two time ; and the walk, in which 

 each limb moves separately, is a pace of four time. 



To prevent any chance of confusion, I shall limit, in 

 this chapter, the meaning of the word pace to particular 

 and distinct methods of progression, and shall not use it 

 as a synonym for the word speed, or for the word amble, 

 as Americans do. 



The Trot. — We may select the trot to begin with, as 

 it is the simplest of all ordinary paces. Although it is 

 essentially a natural pace, some horses which have been 



