Gaining Break. A break made purposely, or one by 

 which the horse making it gains in space on his contending 

 horse ; one by which the horse loses nothing in space in mak' 

 ing it, and yet gains something by change of muscular action. 

 When a horse breaks in a heat the driver is required to at once 

 pull him to the gait prescribed for the race, but should the 

 horse gain by this action, twice the distance so gained is taken 

 from him, by the judges, at the finish. 



Gait. The manner of walking or stepping ; motion ; the 

 name given to the diverse modes in which progression is accom- 

 plished by the play of the locomotory members, or legs. The 

 gaits are: 1, natural; 2, acquired. The former are the w^alk, 

 trot, gallop, and at times the pace (amble), and the running 

 walk ; the latter are the amble, broken amble, running walk 

 and racing gallop. Different names are often given to these 

 various motions, as the rack for the pace ; and some are known 

 by other terms in local sections, as the fox-trot for the running 

 walk, which is common in some of the Southern States. Accord- 

 ing to the forms which they assume the gaits may be described 

 as : Beautiful — when they are energetic, regular, extended, har- 

 monious, elegant. Defective — when they produce weakness and 

 require great exertion. Diagonal — when the members in 

 executing them move or succeed one another as diagonal bipeds, 

 as the trot, the walk, the gallop. Easy — when they satisfy and 

 accommodate the rider by their graceful motion. Free — when 

 the motion is accomplished without undue effort. Hard — 

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

 Heavy — if the percussions of the feet are violent and resound- 

 ing. High-strained — when the members are greatly flexed with- 

 out passing over much distance. Lateral — when they evolve 

 themselves by lateral instead of diagonal bipeds, as in ambling, 

 racking. Light — if the percussion of the feet upon the earth 

 produces little sound. Long, elongated — when their strides are 

 as extensive as possible. Loiv — when the displacements of the 

 body from the earth are slight. Reacting — when they are not 

 only high but impress the center of gravity with strong, verti- 

 cal displacements which separate the body from the ground at 

 each step. Regular — when, for each gait, the evolution of the 

 members and their manner of association obey the principles 



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