SPEED IN LEAPING, in 



equal, a short-striding horse will be safer over a *' cramped" 

 country than a long-striding one. Also, we may say that no 

 horse merits the title of '' a safe conveyance " unless, when 

 coming up to a jump, he accurately regulates the length of 

 his stride, and ''puts a short stride in," when required. 



In the trot or amble, the putting down of the fore foot, 

 which is the last to quit the ground, may be looked upon 

 as the beginning of the take off. 



Effect of Pace and Speed on the Leap. — The 



running jump is usually executed at the canter or gallop. 

 A few horses can leap (especially height) cleverly from the 

 trot, which is a useful accomplishment in the hunter ; for it 

 may enable him when in a difficult position (as when 

 jumping out of a lane) to utilise a *'run" which would be 

 too short for the longer stride of the canter or gallop. 

 Besides, at these paces there is only one period of the stride 

 at which the animal can take off (see preceding paragraph) ; 

 but in the trot there are two such periods, namely, when 

 the respective diagonals come to the ground. A horse, 

 however, cannot jump so freely and **big'* from the trot as 

 from the canter or gallop, in each stride of which, the hind 

 legs are brought nearly together under the horse's body 

 (Figs. 130 and 143), ready, if need be, to change the pace 

 into the leap (Fig. 178). In the trot, each hind limb 

 moves harmoniously with its diagonal fore leg ; but in the 

 opposite direction to its hind fellow. 



In examining the various kinds of leap of the horse, 

 we must remember that he has a long distance (that from 

 his hocks or buttocks to his muzzle) of body to carry over 

 a fence, independently of raising it to a sufficient height ; 

 hence his high jump partakes much more of the long jump 

 than the high jump of a man, whose body is carried more 

 vertically than horizontally. For this reason, it is more 

 essential for a horse than for a man to *'get up'' a fair 

 degree of speed in order to jump height well. 



The speed at which a horse goes at a jump (supposing 



