34S A Manual of Veterinary Physiology. 



The points of importance to observe in the gallop are : 

 that the heel of the foot comes to the ground first, that the 

 hind-legs break the shock of the falling bod) T , and that the 

 fore-legs share in propelling the body as much as the hind. 

 The latter is a truth which was never anticipated until 

 Mr. Muybridge published the results of his labours. 



In examining the track of a galloping horse it is remark- 

 able to observe what a very straight line the hoof-marks 

 leave, showing that each foot is brought well under the 

 centre of the bod}\ 



When a horse gallops, no matter how fast the pace, the 

 fore-feet never extend beyond a vertical dropped from the 

 muzzle. 



In the Jump (Fig. 4-5) the horse rises to it by the pro- 

 pulsion upwards which the fore-legs give to the body (1) ; 

 both hind-legs now being fixed on the ground, he gives 

 the propulsion through these to his bod}-, the hocks at 

 the same time being greatly flexed to enable the feet to 

 clear the obstacle (2). In alighting on the other side he 

 does so through the medium of both fore-legs, one follow- 

 ing the other (-S) : instantaneous photography appears to 

 disprove the theory that in the jump a horse alights on 

 the hind-legs. 



In Rearing the hind-legs are brought well under the body, 

 the head and neck thrown up, and the propelling power of 

 the fore-legs directs the bod} T upwards, where it is sustained 

 by the muscles of the back and loins. So long as the 

 centre of gravity falls within the base formed by the hind- 

 feet, the body is in a position of stable equilibrium ; but if 

 it passes outside this base, the horse comes down on to the 

 point of both hocks, and may either roll over on his side or 

 go directly backwards. If the latter, the first part of the 

 body to strike the ground is the occiput. In this way I 

 have met with many fractures of the base of the skull 

 through aontre cov. />, and also a fracture of the dentata from 

 direct violence. 



In Kicking with both hind-legs the head is depressed, 

 and a powerful action of tin' muscles of the quarter and 



