THE HORSE 25 



you out riding are horses used? (People often ride 

 on their backs.) Did you ever ride horseback? Did 

 the horse walk when you were on its back? In what 

 other ways do riding horses sometimes move along ? 

 (Sometimes trot, or pace, or gallop.) How do the 

 horses' feet move in trotting ? Children observe that 

 the right fore foot and the left hind foot move 

 forward together. How do the horse's feet move in 

 pacing? Children see that the two right feet are 

 raised at the same time, then the two left feet. 

 How do horses gallop ? Children notice that the 

 fore feet are lifted together, then the hind feet. 

 Can you tell whether a horse is walking, trotting, 

 pacing, or galloping, without seeing it at all? (Yes, 

 sometimes, by hearing the sound of its feet as they 

 come down on the ground.) What is it about the 

 foot that makes this noise ? (Its hard hoof or its 

 shoe.) What is this hoof? (The horse's toe nail.) 

 Of what shape is the horse's hoof ? Does it go all 

 the way around the toe? Picture its shape on the 

 board. Where is the hoof the broadest? Where 

 narrowest ? If this hoof is the horse's nail, on what 

 does a horse stand ? (On its toe nail.) What kind 

 of toe nails must these be that they may hold up the 

 heavy body of the horse and may stand being brought 



