137 



LECTURE XII. 



THE PACES. 



Lexicographers derive our English word pace from the French 

 pas, which we translate step : the French making use of the 

 word allure for pace, a derivative from aller, and literally signi- 

 fying going or gait. Pace with us has a double signification : it 

 may mean either a horse's mode of going, or the rate at which he 

 moves. When we say a horse's paces are good, we leave it 

 doubtful whether we mean that his action is good, or his speed is 

 good, or that both are so ; but when we say a horse has but two 

 paces, it is very well understood that he is wanting either in his 

 walk or trot or gallop ; and this last is the sense in which we use 

 the word pace here. 



In a state of nature the horse is said to have but three paces or 

 different actions or modes of going — walk, trot, and gallop, all 

 others being viewed as artificial, in contradistinction to these three, 

 which are called his natural paces : the canter, the amble, and any 

 other pace a horse may be taught to go, consequently, come into 

 the latter class. This division, however, is not quite in accord- 

 ance with truth. Though we may admit the amble to be alto- 

 gether an artificial pace, assuredly we have all occasionally seen 

 foals cantering after their dams. Therefore, the canter must be in 

 part natural, at least, strictly speaking, can be regarded only so far 

 as artificial that it is not, like the others, always to be observed in 

 the natural state, or that horses are to be found that never naturally 

 canter, or who are exceedingly difficult to be made to canter, and 

 with every pains that can be taken with them, can never be made 

 to do so with any degree of grace or perfection. Notwithstanding 

 these objections, however, we deem it more consonant with ob- 

 servation and practice to regard the canter as an artificial pace. 



Let us first consider 



