XXll A COMPROMISE GAIT. 



two feet in front of the other fore foot, so that it must have moA'ed 

 rapidly during this short period ; and this motion, if I am not greatly 

 in error, has a bearing on the qiiestion of the effects of weight, which, 

 however, will come in more appropriately hereafter. The hind foot 

 is advanced imtil it is parallel with the other hind foot, and elevated 

 some distance, so that the hock of that leg shows above. 



The next figure is nearly a duplicate of No. 3 on the card, the only 

 difference being that scarcely half of the stride has been made. By 

 actual measurement from between the prints of the left fore foot the 

 stride was 18|^ feet — 222 inches. The eye of the horse was on the 

 line between 10 and 11 in No. 3, and in figure No. 8 it is on the line 

 between 15 and 16, five spaces, equal to 105 inches. Six inches 

 further would give an exact duplicate. 



A lesson from this is gained. In No. 3 the right fore and left 

 hind feet wei*e together ; in No. 8 they are at least six inches apart, 

 showing that at this portion of the stride the hind foot is in rapid 

 motion forwards, outside of the general progi*ession, while the fore 

 foot is moving slowly^ that movement being principally upwards. 



I desire to call particular attention to this fact, that when the fore 

 foot first leaves the ground it is elevated more slowly than the hind 

 advances, not giving room for the hind foot and leg to get in a proj)er 

 position ; and in some cases it is so ddatory that the front part of the 

 hind foot, and the shoe or sole of the front are brought in contact ; a 

 blow on the horn causes pain, or the coronet is wounded. Tf the 

 hind foot is carried wide enough to escape, the ankle shin or hock 

 receives the injury, and in either case the animal endeavors to remedy 

 the trouble by a change in the action. Unfortunately it has not 

 progressed far enoiigh to understand that this can be accomplished 

 by quickening the motion of the fore feet ; and knowing that a run 

 or canter does not entail the injury, the thoughts are first directed to 

 relief in that way. But from having been punished for forsaking 

 the trot, a compromise is tried, and "running behind," "single foot- 

 ing," etc., is resorted to. Before entering into this portion of the 

 argument, it may be as well to review the trotting action as exempli- 

 fied by a horse which can show that action properly, and is fast 

 enough to display the peculiarities. The slow trot, such as the Duke 



