GAITS OF THE SADDLER 93 



artificial gaits and can be kept up all day. It has 

 four to six miles an hour rate, and is the utility gait 

 of the general saddle-horse, and all are supposed to 

 have it. A loose rein is always used, and the horse is 

 apt to carry his head low. 



The running walk is also a modification of the trot; 

 but in this case the head is carried higher, 'and the 

 hind foot touches the ground just in advance of the 

 diagonal forefoot, breaking the concussion. A closer rein 

 is held than with the fox trot, and the pace is faster, 

 even up to a three -minute gait, before the horse is 

 forced out of it. It is a more showy gait than the 

 fcx trot and gives a horse more of a climbing action 

 in front. The feet take the ground in the same order 

 as a walk, and it is a "walk on a run," if such a thing 

 is possible. 



The rack is a modified pace in which the hind foot 

 touches the ground before the leading fore foot. It 

 has a wide range of speed, from four miles an hour 

 to a three -minute gait. It is suited to the side-saddle 

 and is a favorite with ladies. Gentlemen do not like 

 it so well as the fox trot, though it makes a good 

 business gait. The rack is not an all-day gait. It is 

 more readily taken to by horses with a pacing ten- 

 dency. 



The singlefoot is intermediate between a trot and 

 a pace. Each foot moves independently of either of 

 the others ,. x and the same interval of time elapses 

 between each footfall. It is usually not less than ten 

 miles per hour, up to a three -minute gait. It is the 

 smoothest of all gaits, because that part of the body 



