RIDING AND TRAINING. 167 



was at first overpowered by the increased impulse, 

 and which has had the time taken by the movement 

 of the three other legs to recover from its disorder. 

 But the pace is no longer the trot ; the balance has 

 been lost, and the regularity of the diagonal move- 

 ment cannot at once be restored ; and as the 

 momentum carries the horse over the last-planted 

 fore-leg the mass goes into the air, and the diagonal 

 hind-leg, that was carried under the centre of 

 gravity at the time the forehand was overpowered, 

 is ready to receive the weight, and the horse is in 

 the gallop. 



The horse may keep the trot as long as the fore- 

 legs are able to move with the hind-legs. But the 

 latter are the more vigorous, and, if speed or any 

 other circumstance demands it, there is a point when 

 the hind-quarters throw the weight so strongly upon 

 the forehand, that the balance between the extremi- 

 ties is lost, and the forehand is fixed ; then the hind- 

 leg that is acting with the fore-leg which has received 

 the weight is carried under the centre of gravity and 

 planted, and from that moment the horse is in the 

 gallop. As long as this increased vigour from the 

 hind-quarters is continued the pace must be the 

 gallop ; for then the fore-legs are not called upon to 

 act with the stronger hind-legs, but after them ; so 

 that the leading fore-leg is given the time from 



