84 THE HORSE 



of the muscles is more smooth and free, thus conduc- 

 ing to increased speed. This greater freedom and 

 harmony of muscular action is probably an important 

 factor. The pacer also has an advantage in the sim- 

 ultaneous planting of both feet on the same side, for 

 the reason that he can make the freest possible stride 

 without fear of the hind foot catching the front one. 

 A great danger to a trotting -horse in racing is the 

 cutting of his quarters by treading on them with the 

 hind foot, and the horse knows it. When the animal 

 is propelling his body forward at the rate of more 

 than forty feet to the second, the interval between 

 the raising of the fore foot and the following move- 

 ment of the hind foot is but the flash of an eye. A 

 man when running very swiftly instinctively exercises 

 his utmost alertness to guard against a fall. Is it not 

 reasonable to believe that a trotter when going twice 

 as fast may also feel the necessity from his more 

 complicated gait of modifying his speed in a degree, 

 for self protection! These observations are not based 

 on the ideas expressed by other writers, but it is 

 believed they give the most rational way of account- 

 ing for the difference in speed between the pacer and 

 the trotter. 



It may be thought by some that the pacer may 

 ultimately become popular as a driver when, by 

 reason of the country being older, our highways will 

 be improved. This is very unlikely to occur, as in 

 European countries having the finest possible roads 

 he is practically unknown. 



Within the last ten years has become quite prev- 



