" JOGGING." xxiii 



of Newcastle desciibed, is entii-ely difterent from that which will 

 cai'ry a horse a mile in 2:20 ; though, of course, there are points of 

 similarity. How to perfect that slow natural movement into the 

 flying trot is the important question, and foi'tunately Mr. Muybiidge 

 has given a series of eight pictures representing the same hoi-se, Abe 

 Edgington, "jogging" at an 8-minute gait. Figures 3 and 6 of that 

 series show very plainly the danger of injury at even this slow rate, 

 and explain why young horses endeavor to avoid the trouble by 

 "hitching," etc., at the outset of their education. 



In No. 3 the left hind foot is on the point of striking the ground 

 directly under the right fore foot, the toe of which so nearly touches 

 the coronet that there ife no separation visible. In No. 6 the other 

 hind foot is coming down, and the left fore foot has the toe still 

 resting, with the bottom of the shoe verfical, and in close proximity 

 to the wall of the hind foot. These two figures are the nearest ap- 

 proach to the feet being all off the ground, and there is very little 

 elevation of the hind feet di^i'ing any part of the stride. The fore 

 foot, at its highest position, is only a little over twelve inches from 

 the ground, and the forward motion is obtained with very little 

 bending of the knee in comparison with that which marks the faster 

 pace. There is also a great lack of energy, as the body is in the air 

 for so short a pei-iod that a few inches measure the space, and the 

 hind foot is slightly, if at all, advanced beyond the imprint of the 

 fore. The stride is about eleven feet, so that it is evident that the 

 gi*eat acceleration of the speed is due more to the rapidity of action 

 than to the ground covered. " Jogging " is an expressive charactei*- 

 ization of this gait, as it calls into service only a small portion of the 

 muscular force of the animal. This is the gi-oundwork, however, to 

 build the supei-structure upon ; and the slow gait must be studied in 

 order to discover what is necessary to perfect it into the faster. The 

 student will perceive that the greatest troul)le is in the dilatoriness 

 of the front feet ; and without the photographs he will discover that 

 the hind feet are brought into close proximity with the fore. IMany 

 horses " forge," strike the toe of the hind shoe against the web of the 

 front, and in spite of the art of the shoeing smith or the skill of the 

 equestrian, persist in the habit. Something may be effected by 



