LANDING OVER A JUMP. 139 



well adapted to support shock, like that of landing over a 

 fence. Besides, if a horse, which, like all other animals, is 

 obliged to "take off" from his hind legs, were, also, to land 

 on them, he would lose all the advantage which the forward 

 reach of his fore legs gives him. 



In the well executed leap, the fact of the horse landing on 

 one fore leg and then on the other, lengthens the base of sup- 

 port, and thus increases the stability. The hind legs coming 

 down in the same manner enables the horse to at once 

 take up the gallop, which is in four periods, without loss of 

 time {see Fig, 151). The safest way for a man, on the 

 contrary, to alight is on both feet kept together, with the 

 knees somewhat flexed [see Fig. 26), in order to break the 

 shock of concussion ; for his body is placed vertically, and not 

 horizontally, as is the case with the horse. In drawing any 

 comparison of this kind, we must remember that our legs 

 are attached to the trunk by bony union, at our hip joints, and 

 not, as in the fore legs of the horse, by muscles which act as 

 springs in nullifying any injurious effect from the force of 

 impact with the ground. Again, in the horse, although the 

 knees must be kept straight, on landing, in order to insure 

 stability ; the fetlock, elbow and shoulder joints act as springs. 

 As man is a plantigrade animal (one that walks on his hocks ; 

 see p. 32), he must utilise the "play" of the knee-joints, 

 with which to break the force of concussion, when he lands 

 on the ground with any great force. If, in such a case, 

 the knees be kept straight, the shock will fall in its entirety 

 on the pelvis, at the hip joints, and may be transmitted with 

 very serious effect to the spinal cord. Men who practise 

 hurdle-racing on foot, alight on one foot, and then bound 

 off on to the other; as their great object is to lose no 



