552 - THE EXTERIOR OF THE HORSE. 



The disassociation of the beats of the second contact gives rise to 

 very short tripedal bases, a posterior (3) and an anterior (5). As to the 

 augmentation of the speed, it is the consequence of a greater duration 

 of the phase of projection. 



Effort of the Members in the Gallop. — A glance of the eye 

 upon the notations suffices to demonstrate the inequality of the effort 

 of the members in this gait. 



So far, we have found their work identical in the amble, the trot, 

 and the walk, in consequence of the regular alternation of the members 

 of each biped, anterior or posterior. The canter alone, a combination 

 of the trot and the gallop, has presented an exception, in which this 

 alternation is faulty in one of the bipeds. 



In the gallop this is doubly marked, for it exists in both bipeds. 

 In the fore as well as in the hind, one of its members is obliged to sup- 

 port the weight of the body alone for a longer or shorter time. It is 

 easy to perceive that this augmentation of work relates only to the 

 diagonal biped whose contacts are disassociated : the right Avhen the 

 horse gallops upon the right; the left in the contrary case. 



Besides, each extremity of this biped does not overcome equal 

 resistances ; the posterior, on which the body falls, evidently has to 

 sustain more than the anterior, which only supports it before the phase 

 of projection. 



It follows from these proofs that the gallop imposes a considerable 

 increase of fatigue upon the diagonal biped whose beats are disassociated, 

 and in particular upon the posterior member which is one of its con- 

 stituent parts. 



Hence a well-understood management of the horse at this gait 

 demands that the rider take the precaution to alternate from time 

 to time the play of the two bipeds in order to assist his mount in the 

 equal distribution upon the members of the efforts which he must 

 make. 



Association of the Members and Attitudes of the Body 

 during the Evolution of a Complete Step. — In Figs. 243 and 

 the succeeding seven we will represent the eight successive phases of a 

 stride of the full gallop indicated by the notation of Fig. 242. These 

 diagrams are tiie true reproduction of eight instantaneous photographs 

 chosen from the twenty proofs of the;beautiful (collection of M. Ottomar 

 Anschiitz. The order, succession, and nature of the -beats, and the 

 diverse bases of support, can be followed there by simply consulting 

 the ex]ilanatory reading })laced below each one. 



What augments the importance of these figures, particularly for 



