MODERN FAIIRIER. 217 



' With all horses that walk firm, fast, and well, 

 the hind-foot oversteps the mark of the fore-foot by 

 some inches ; and this arises from tlie animal being 

 able to use his hind-quarters with freedom, and to 

 advance his hind-legs well under his body, by which 

 the fore-legs are greatly relieved ; as the hind-legs, 

 in that case, take more of the weight of the body 

 than they would do when dragged after the animal : 

 the hind-legs therefore should stand perpendicular 

 under the round bone, which is tlie connecting joint 

 of the thigh and leg with the body. In that case, 

 their flexion and extension will be even and uni- 

 form, and the animal will move with much less 

 labour than he would under other circumstances. 

 In the action of the walk, the horse moves his legs 

 separately ; that is to say, one after the other. Thus, 

 if he begins with the right, he first raises the right 

 or off hind-leg, and advances it under his body ; 

 but, before the foot reaches the ground, the right, 

 or off fore-foot, is raised and advanced, in order to 

 make room for the hind-foot, which, in middling 

 and slow walkers, alights upon the mark of the 

 fore-foot ; but, in good and fast walkers, oversteps 

 it considerably, as has been just observed. As soon 

 as the off fore-foot alights upon the ground, the near, 

 or left hind-foot, is raised; the left, or near fore- 

 foot, then rises to make room for the near hind-foot, 

 in the same v/ay as on the other side. 



* The walk, therefore, consists of a separate and 

 successive action of all the four legs, beginning with 

 a hind-leg ; and in proof of this, the same remark 

 will be found in an old author, " Borelli de niotu 

 anhnalium ;" who, speaking of the walk, says, " itici- 

 piit gi'essus pecle posiico" He begins the walk with 

 a hind-leg ; and this, though it appears unaccounta- 

 ble at a first view, is, nevertheless the fact ; because, 

 if the hind-leg were not first advanced, before the 

 fore-leg began its action, there would be no support 

 for the body whilst the fore-leg was suspended in 

 10 2 E 



