630 A MANUAL OF VETERINARY PHYSIOLOGY 



The Gallop. 



Muybridge points out that all animals do not gallop alike — 

 that is to say, by means of identical leg movements' — nor, in the 

 case of the dog, does the same animal always gallop in the same 

 way. There are two distinct gallops described by Muybridge : 

 one he calls the transverse, the other the rotatory gallop. In 



Fig. 209, A, the scheme of 

 ** "a transverse gallop is 



shown ; in B that of a 

 rotatory gallop. The horse 

 always employs the trans- 

 verse, while the dog and 

 many other animals use 

 the rotatory gallop. 



To understand the gallop 



it is essential to remember 



that the propulsion or 



Fig. 209.-SCHEME of the Gallop. spring is done by one fore- 



A, Transverse gallop ; the legs move in the * e &' an d> as m the canter, 



order of the numbers. B, Rotatory gallop, the body alights On One 



hind-leg, which is always 

 the diagonal one to the propeller. The body, having alighted, a step 

 is made with its hind-legs, then a step with the fore-legs, from 

 which it is again propelled. As in the case of the canter, there are 

 two steps and a spring in the stride. There are seven different 

 positions assumed by the legs during the gallop, which may be 

 seen in Fig. 210. Beginning with the body in the air, as in (1) 



1 2 3 4 5 6/5 



Fig. 210. — Notation of the Gallop. 



the animal alights on one hind-leg (2) , in this case the near, as the 

 leading leg was the off. This receiving leg is thrust well forward 

 under the body, in great contrast to the canter, and for a 

 minute period the animal is standing on one leg ; the opposite 

 hind-leg then makes a step and comes to the ground (3) : the 

 body is now momentarily on two hind-legs. The fore-legs have 



