THE TROT. 8i 



Natural paces are those which the horse adopts of his 

 own accord, without any teaching of man ; artificial paces, 

 those which he performs only after special training. 



Time (as applied to the rhythm of a pace) is the number 

 of separate steps in each stride of that pace. Thus, the 

 amble, in which the right pair and left pair move alternately, 

 is a pace of two time; and the walk, in which each limb 

 moves separately, is a pace of four time. 



To prevent any chance of confusion, I shall limit, in 

 this chapter, the meaning of the word pace to particular 

 and distinct methods of progression, and shall not use it 

 as a synonym for the word speed. 



The Trot. — We may select the trot to begin with, as 

 it is the simplest of all ordinary paces, Although it is 

 essentially a natural pace, some horses which have been 

 trained to amble, require a good deal of teaching to give up 

 the amble, and to trot in true style. It consists of the 

 alternate action, in progression, of the two diagonals, in each 

 one of which the fore and hind leg move in the same manner. 

 Thus, in Figs. 55 and 57, we have the left diagonal support 

 and right diagonal support shown as the diagonal pairs of 

 feet come alternately to the ground. Figs. 56 and 58 depict 

 the position the limbs occupy, just before the feet quit the 

 ground. I need hardly say that it is a pace of two time. 



We may divide the trot into three kinds: (i) The short 

 or slow trot, in which the prints of each respective hind 

 foot do not reach as far forward as those of the fore foot 

 of the same side ; and there is no period of suspension. 

 (2) The ordinary trot (Figs. 55, 56, 57, and 58), in which 

 the hind feet more or less cover the fore feet, or even go 

 slightly beyond them, in which case there will be a brief 

 period of suspension. (3) The flying or fast trot, in which 

 there is a well-marked period of suspension between each 

 stroke of the diagonals (Figs. 59 to 6-^ ; the movements 

 represented being those of alighting, support, quitting, 

 suspension, and alighting on the opposite diagonals. 



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