206 ELEMENTS OF HIPPOWGY. 



CHAPTER XIX. 



IRREGULARITIES OF ACTION. 



Irregularities of action result from disease or defects of 

 conformation. A well-put-up horse that is sound follows the 

 usual law of movement. 



The natural gaits — modes of progression — of the horse are 

 the walk, trot, and gallop. Some horses have a fourth gait, 

 the amble — pacing — but it is usually an acquired gait. These 

 gaits a horse assumes, when free to follow his own inclination, 

 without any training or preparation. 



The walk is a square gait, where each foot is planted in 

 succession. The body is supported all the time. 



The trot is a diagonal gait; the feet are planted in pairs: 

 right fore and left hind, left fore and right hind. In changing 

 support from one diagonal to another there is a slight period of 

 suspension, when the body is wholly unsupported. Aside from 

 this brief instant, the body is supported alternately by one di- 

 agonal pair or the other, and never by more than two feet. 



In the gallop the feet are planted in succession. One fore 

 foot is constantly leading — that is, planted in front of the other, 

 and the leading fore foot bears the weight of the body for a 

 longer time than any other. The body is advanced by a series 

 of leaps and is much of the time in suspension. 



In all of these gaits the feet should move in parallel 

 planes, should be planted squarely, and should not strike 

 each other. 



In the walk there should be no halt in the stride. The 

 beats 'caused by the planting of the feet should be regular and 

 followed by the same intervals. 



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