474 THE EXTERIOR OF THE HORSE. 



High-strained, when the members are greatly flexed without .passing 

 over much distance. 



Repeated, if the movements follow each other with excessive 

 rapidity, with or without the production of speed. 



Hard, when they fatigue the rider by the violence of their reactions. 



Easy, in reverse conditions. 



Light, if the percussion of the feet upon the soil produces little 

 sound. 



Heavy, if these percussions are violent and resounding. 



Strong, rapid, when the locomotory action is quick, easy, energetic, 

 high, extended, and rhythmical. 



Free, when it is accomplished without undue effort. 



Regular, when the evolution of the members and their mode of 

 association obey, for each gait, the principles of scientific analysis or 

 of experience. 



Uniform, when the speed is uniform in consequence of the equal 

 length of the steps. 



General Considerations relative to the Play of the 

 Members during the Gaits. We recognize : 



The beat, the sound produced by a foot or a biped when coming 

 in contact with the soil. 



The time, the period between two successive beats. 



The contact, the time during which a member or a biped remains 

 in contact with the soil. Example, first, second contact of the gallop. 



The imprint, the trace left upon the ground after the contact by 

 the foot which is rising. 



The track, the succession of imprints indicating the character and 

 direction of the gait of the horse. 



The trail is rectilinear, if the progression takes place in a straight 

 line ; curvilinear, when it describes a curve ; transverse, if the horse 

 moves sideways to the right or to the left ; single or double, according 

 as the imprints of the hind-feet are or are not superposed upon those 

 of the fore-feet. 



When the imprints of the hind-feet are superposed on those of 

 the fore-feet (se juge), which many horsemen, notably the school of 

 Raabe, term the normal gait, the horse is said to " cover" his steps, to 

 "check" his steps (sejuger, se couvrir). 1 When the hind imprints fall 

 short of the fore, which, according to this school, is an unduly short 

 gait, he is said to "ill-check" or "ill-cover" himself (se decouvrir, se 



* 



* E. Ban-oil, L'art questre, p. 19, Paris, 1887. 



