S4 PACES OF THE HORSE. 



animal than one who bumps up and down. Men who ride, 

 might with advantage learn how to change their time of 

 rising in the trot, so that, after having made one pair of 

 diagonals bear their weight for a time, they might be able to 

 change it on to the other pair. Ladies whose stirrup is on 

 the near side, and who rise in the trot, almost always do 

 so during the left diagonal support, and come down 

 during the right diagonal support. As the weight at the 

 trot is distributed between one hind and one fore leg, it (or, 

 possibly, the amble) should be used, when practicable, for 

 going over hard ground, in preference to the canter, and still 

 more so to the gallop. 



Figs. 64 to 69 show phases, from photographs, of the 

 trot, from the left to the right diagonal support. 



The Amble. — A few horses naturally adopt this pace 

 in preference to the trot ; but it is an artificial one with 

 the majority of amblers. Goubaux and Barrier tell us 

 that some foals begin at the amble, and that they do not 

 learn to trot until later, when they have acquired age and 

 strength. These eminent French authorities also point out 

 that it sometimes happens that horses, which were formerly 

 good trotters, take to ambling at the decline of their life, on 

 account of their legs becoming worn out. 



The amble is a pace of two time, and consists of the 

 alternate movement, in progression, of the right and left (or 

 left and right) pair of legs. In Figs. 70 to 74, which depict 

 what we might call the flying amble, there is a period of 

 suspension between each stroke. This fast amble is known 

 in America as ** pacing." There is little or no period of 

 suspension in the ordinary amble. The amble is a very easy 

 pace for the rider, but is unpopular (why, I cannot tell) in 

 England. The slow amble (the **tripple ") is the favourite pace 

 among the Dutch farmers in South Africa. Baron de Curnieu 

 {Leqons d' Hygiene Hippique GSnirale) tells us that Napoleon L 

 was accustomed to ride amblers during his campaigns, when 

 he had to go long distances at a fast pace. If a horse 



