THE HORSE IN MOTION 



59 



liis head and perhaps flopping his ears. This is a business 

 gait, in wliieh six or seven miles an hour is easily covered. 

 The, horse will journey from sixty to seventy-five miles a 

 day at the running walk without severe fatigue to him- 

 self or his rider. 



The fox trot is a slow, short trot, similar to the run- 

 ning walk, but characterized by the hind legs assuming 

 a pacing movement. It is said to be a "loose-jointed" 

 motion not found in other gaits. Some horses adjust 

 themselves to this gait more easily than to the running 

 walk, which it resembles in being an easy, all day busi- 

 ness gait. 



The jump, while a process of locomotion, is not a gait. 

 This movement consists in the raising of the fore feet, 

 and bringing the hind feet well under the body towards 

 the center of gravity. This is followed by a powerful 



Fig. 29.' 



'As the horse comes down, the front feet hit the ground first.' 

 (Courtesy Rider and Driver.) 



