THE 
For the purpose of giving a concise demonstration of 
the stride of a first-class thorough-bred horse, in fine con¬ 
dition and in good training, over a well-kept racing-track, 
some of the phases of series 46 are reproduced, and 
enlarged, on p. 173. The nine phases show seven different 
methods of support, and a period of unsupported transit. 
They are, as in all orthodox strides of the transverse- 
gallop, when the spring is made from ▲— 
A 1 
< A 
- A- 
- hr 
-A -- 
- O 
- O- 
-• - 
123456781 
Had the spring been made from A, the landing would 
have taken place on •, and corresponding alterations 
would have been made in the sequence of the other foot- 
impacts. 
This stride is not, of course, presented as a record- 
breaker—longer strides are frequently made, and a mile 
galloped over in less proportionate time—but it may be 
accepted as a fair average stride of a first-class thorough¬ 
bred horse, made during a race with equally good 
competitors, a second or so before reaching the winning- 
post. 
Series 47 is the stride of a thorough-bred mare; it is 
interesting for comparison with others. 
In seriates 48 and 49, the horses are not squarely 
i57 
on a regular gait, having had to swerve from a straight 
course to permit synchronous fore-shortened phases to 
be made. 
The ineffectual attempt of a heavily built draught- 
horse to emulate the speed of a thorough-bred when, with 
the same succession of impacts, a hind-foot or a fore-foot 
is sometimes flat on the ground in association with two 
other feet, as in series 51, results in a gait which may 
be called an irregular, or abnormal gallop. 
The transverse succession of foot-fallings is found in 
the gallop of the buffalo, the goat, the camel, and the 
cat, as illustrated by their respective seriates. The latter 
animal, having a greater flexibility of movement, combines 
with the orthodox stride a spring into the air from its 
hind feet; the foot-impacts, however, have the same 
sequence as those of the bear, raccoon, and hog, as 
demonstrated on p. 201. 
It is probable that future research will discover— 
with the horse and some other animals—during extreme 
speed, an unsupported transit from one anterior foot to 
the other. 
Some writers claim for the horse a more rapid gait 
than that of galloping, to which they have given the name 
of “ running.” It is definitely proved that the rapid gallop 
of the horse is executed in one way only; at present 
he has no faster gait. In its reference to quadrupedal 
movements, “running” can be applied only as it is to 
a stream of water running clown a hill, a locomotive 
running along a railroad, or an ivy plant running up 
a wall. 
