104 PACES OF THE HORSE. 



of the same side. Here we have the influence of instability 

 of equilibrium in increasing the speed (p. 54). (2) The 

 faster the pace, the nearer do the foot-prints of all four 

 feet tend to come into the line of direction in which locomo- 

 tion takes place. As Lenoble du Teil expresses it, the foot- 

 prints of the race-horse at full speed resemble the marks that 

 would be made by the spokes of a wheel which had no felloes. 

 This fact proves the undesirability, from a speed point of 

 view, of any undue width between either the fore or hind 

 legs (p. 53). In Figs. 151 to 158, for which I am indebted 

 to Barrier and Lenoble du Teil, the left-hand dotted line 

 of each diagram represents the direction of the prints of 

 the near feet ; and the right one, those of the off feet. In 

 Figs. 151 and 154 the prints of both fore feet are covered by 

 those of the hind feet. In Fig. 157 the prints of the near 

 fore foot are covered by those of the near hind foot. In 

 these figures only the succession of the foot-prints has been 

 noted. No attempt has been made to mark the lateral 

 distances between the respective lines of direction of the 

 near and off feet. 



The length of stride in the canter is about 12 feet ; that 

 of the full speed gallop of the race-horse, about 24 feet. 



