THE TROT. 87 



space of time, between the several bounds which arc made by the 

 two feet of opposite sides as they touch the ground in succession. 

 The jog trot seems to come naturally to the horse when he is first 

 mounted; and, as long as he is fresh and fiery, the colt will main- 

 tain this pace, unless he is permitted to exceed it. He will prefer 

 it to the walk for a long time ; and it is only by good hands, com- 

 bined with patience, that a spirited colt can be made to walk ; for 

 he can generally jog quite as slowly, and often much more so. 

 Farmers are very apt to accustom their young horses to the jog 

 trot, because they find by experience that it does not injure their 

 legs or feet ; but to a rider unaccustomed to this pace it is by no 

 means an easy one. In the true trot, as exemplified below, the 

 feet are on the ground a comparatively short space of time, the 

 body being carried so rapidly forward that they are moved off 

 almost, as soon as they are deposited on it. By examining this out- 

 liue, it will be seen that the position of the fore and hind limbs of 

 the two opposite sides exactly corresponds, and this will be the 

 case, whatever may be the period of the action in which the ob- 

 servation is made. As in the walk, each step may be divided into 

 three acts ; but I see no advantage in thus attempting to separate 

 or analyze what must be considered in its totality, if it is to be re- 

 garded with any advantage to the observer. In the flying trot, 

 which is well shown in the portrait of Flora Temple, at page 489, 

 all the legs are for a very short period of time off the ground, as is 

 there delineated, but still there is always an exact correspondence 

 between the position of the fore and hind legs of opposite sides. 

 The chief difference between these three varieties of the trot con- 

 sists in the rapidity of the propulsion which is going on. This in 

 the first is very slight ; and the more elastic the fetlock joints, the 

 better and softer is this pace. The feet are raised, and the legs 

 are rounded or bent ; but the body is not thrust forward, nor are 

 the shoulders moved in the same direction to any appreciable ex- 

 tent. The consequence is, that the feet are deposited again very 

 close to the spot from which they are taken, and the pace is as 

 slow as the walk. In the true trot, if it is well performed, the 

 hind legs must be moved as rapidly as, and with more force than, 

 the fore legs, because they have more work to do in propelling the 

 body, the latter having only to sustain it during the operation. 

 Good judges, therefore, regard the hind action as of even more 

 importance than that of the knees and shoulders ; for if the former 

 do not drive the body well forward, good pace cannot be obtained, 

 nor will it be easy and rhythmical. In this kind of trot elastic 

 fetlocks are fatal to speed, as they prevent the instantaneous effect 

 upon the body of the muscular contractions of the hind limbs, and 

 cause the action to be dwelling and slow. Very fast trotters arc, 

 therefore, rough in their " feel" to the rider and are not suited 



