^11 THE LEADING LEG. 



of Miss Letty, painted by F. C. Turner ; Industry, A. Cooper, Royal 

 Academician, and Atilla, C. Hancock the artist, tlie horses represent- 

 ed as galloping fast. All are after the stereotyped model, and if one 

 fore foot was brought to the ground, with the leg perpendicular, they 

 would be nearly in accordance with truth. But it is also just as sure 

 that artists will stick to the old ideals for some time to come. 



The pastern of the leg which supports the body is bent to a hori- 

 zontal position, and in the next picture, number nine, the other fore 

 foot is on the point of striking. This is the " leading leg ;" the one 

 from which the last bound was made, and when it reaches the ground 

 the two imprints will mark the length of the stride. It requires two 

 more representations, however, to give the full understanding. In 

 number nine the body has been carried over the sup})orting leg until 

 the foot is under the saddle, both hind feet are elevated to about the 

 same height, and the croup is within two inches of the upper hori- 

 zontal line. In number ten the left fore foot sustains the weight, 

 having very nearly the same position as the right fore leg in number 

 eight, but in place of the extension of the other fore leg, it has a 

 backward inclination, the knee bended so that the back tendon is on 

 the line which is twelve inches from the ground, the heel being above 

 that line. The hind feet have become separated, though the hocks 

 are near together, and the croup is a trifle higher than in the pre- 

 ceding picture. This is the position from which the cut of the last 

 efibrt was made. 



The last of the series I hold to be the most important of any. 

 The eleven pictures give more than one stride, and consequentl}' 

 every portion of it is delineated. In number one the nose of the 

 mare is marked by the line between seven and eight ; in number 

 eleven the line between seventeen and eighteen strikes her eye. 

 This would give two hundred and seventy-eight inches to cover the 

 stride of two hundred and sixty-five. More than this, the eleven 

 cameras embrace a space of over five Jiundred inches, the horse being 

 the centre figure in each picture. As was stated before, the toe of 

 the left fore foot, in number one, was sliglitly in advance of the line 

 between five and six, and in ten it is found on the line between 

 fifteen and sixteen. In number eleven the foot is in the same place, 



