LECTURES ON HORSES. 
463 
are known to make upon hard or resonant ground, and which may 
be heard either by a spectator or by the rider himself ; whence we 
probably derive the phrase a rattling gallop. 
In the WALK, we found the four limbs acting in such regular 
alternation, crosswise or diagonally, that they seemed to beat one, 
two, three, four. In the trot, we found this regularity of move- 
ment, in regard to time, interrupted and in part destroyed ; the 
same order or succession of movement — the diagonal — being still 
preserved. In the gallop, however, both the time and order are 
altered. The diagonal movement is no longer seen. Both fore 
limbs are projected together, one more or less in advance of the 
other ; and their projecture is followed by the simultaneous ad- 
vance of the hind limbs, the feet of the latter lodging upon the 
ground contiguous to the places just quitted by those of the former, 
with that hind foot foremost which corresponds to the fore foot that 
is leading. So that galloping differs (leaving the consideration of 
speed out of the question) from either walking or trotting, in the 
circumstance of the fore and hind feet being projected in pairs, and 
also in that of the fore and hind feet of the same side being gene- 
rally in advance of their fellows. 
With the fore leg which is projected in advance of its fellow, 
the horse is said in his canter or gallop to lead : commonly, more 
from the directions of art than from any propensity of nature, the 
right is the limb that takes the lead, it being by riding-masters 
and horsemen of judgment regarded as a fault to lead with the left 
leg. Whether natural inclination be for the right or for the left 
leg, I will not pretend to say ; but this I know from experience, 
that it is an extremely tiresome task to make some horses lead 
with the right leg. There are very good equestrians, however, to 
whom it is quite a matter of indifference which is the leading leg, 
providing the horse canters or gallops in a groper form. The 
slower the pace the more conspicuously prominent, in general, is 
the leading limb : as the pace increases, this becomes less and less 
remarkable, until at length, at full speed, so even is the projecture 
of the limbs, that it is difficult or impossible to say which is taking 
the lead. Where the opposite leg is leading behind to what is in 
advance in front, the harmony of action being destroyed, so uneasy 
a seat is given to the rider, as well as a shake of that nature 
to the whole frame of the horse, that forbids, on the part of both, 
the discordance to be of long continuance. 
The action of the limbs in pairs it is that renders it so difficult— 
nay, generably impossible — for a horse to strike at once into a 
gallop ; most horses requiring some preparatory movement before 
they can work their limbs into the required action and speed. The 
momentum once gained, however, the machine by repeated strokes 
