562 THE EXTERIOR OF THE HORSE. 



attains its maximum when the body is entirely in the air. The phase 

 of projection in the gallop is therefore quite real. 



Conformation. The horse which is destined to the service of the 

 gallop should be easily guided by the hand ; he should have a long and 

 supple neck, short back and loins, muscular croup and thigh, high 

 withers, long shoulders, muscular leg and forearm, wide and strong 

 hocks and fetlocks, flexible pasterns, strong body and strong limbs, 

 spacious chest, should be nimble, easy, and sure on the feet, docile, 

 and well dressed. 



Uses. The gallop which we have examined, also called the hunt- 

 ing gallop (galop de chasse), is particularly adapted for the saddle, the 

 riding-school, long journeys, races, cavalry manoeuvres, etc. 



The Slow Gallop with Four Times. 



M. Lenoble du Teil 1 has clearly established the variations which 

 are produced in the order of the contacts according to the conditions 

 of the equilibrium of the galloping-horse. The beats of the second 

 contact, primitively synchronous, become more or less separated, so as 

 to emit four distinct sounds during a complete step. 



This disunion, however, can manifest itself in two different ways : 

 A. In horses characterized as being upon their shoulders (whose 

 weight is thrown upon the anterior quarters), such as those of the race- 

 course, the circus, and the trained saddle-horse, the anterior biped 

 hastens its contacts. Their beats succeed each other as follows, sup- 

 posing that they gallop upon the right : 



1st beat : posterior left. 

 2d beat : anterior left. 



3d beat : posterior right. 

 4th beat : anterior right. 



The gait, in such cases, is but slow and quite rhythmical. 



B. In horses designated as being upon their haunches, closely 

 gathered up in consequence of an exaggerated rassembler (members 

 under the body), the order of placing the feet becomes, on the con- 

 trary, as follows : 



1st beat : posterior left. 

 2d beat : posterior right. 



3d beat : anterior left. 

 4th beat : anterior right. 



This is the gallop with four times of ancient horsemanship, but 

 completely rejected to-day. It implied one foot always on the ground, 



i Lenoble du Teil, Le galop et la course, p. 12, Argentan, 1880. Id., Revue des haras, Aout 15, 



