p. 52, of that very admirable work, 'The Handy HorseBook.' There was some defect of the animal's construction in this case, that required the weight to be adjusted in a peculiar way: the halter and the riding barebacked tells the tale.

For the sake of simplicity, we have hitherto proceeded on the supposition that each of the two diagonal legs (of every pair) is lifted and set down simultaneously. This is not the case. One hears distinctly four beats in the case of walking and trotting; and two, three, or four in cantering and galloping, according as the horse's weight is adjusted in the latter movements. Of the two legs acting in concert, the fore one is lifted and set down somewhat sooner than the hind one; were this not the case, a horse could never tread in his own hoof-marks, much less beyond them, as we shall presently show to be the case. A musician could easily express on paper, by the appropriate notes, the cadence not only of each particular pace, but for each individual horse ;* and good judges are well aware that irregularity of beat points out something amiss in one or more legs. The ear often conveys to us valuable impressions on this very point that totally escape the eye even of the most practised. We all have heard of blind men being good judges of horse-flesh.t

Having now seen the effect of action on equilibrium, where such exists, it is necessary to point out its effects and consequences in cases where it does not exist. In

In the 'Sonnambula,' Bellini has imitated very successfully the beat of several post-horses trotting and galloping just before Rudolfo enters on the scene.

The theory of equilibrium, as set forth above, is not affected in the slightest degree by this want of perfect coincidence in the movement of the legs.

the diagrams A, B, fig. 2, the horse is made to tread with the hind foot into the track of the fore one (this is, in fact, a consequence of equilibrium); but we see very many horses bring their hind feet (in all paces) more or less ahead of the track or print of the fore ones; indeed almost all young and untrained horses will do so, and, moreover, many whose work requires them to act thus-as, for instance, race-horses. This is best seen by the hoof-marks left on moist ground or sand, which will be found in double pairs instead of single ones after such horses. Now of course it would be as absurd to suppose that, under such circumstances, a horse takes shorter steps with his fore legs than with the hind ones, as to ignore what the immortal Hudibras pointed out long ago—namely, that when, having but one spur, you make one side of your horse to get along, the other is sure to follow; a fact well known to Irish "bull-riders" at Ballinasloe.

There is another class of horses that, instead of overstepping, come short of the track of the fore feet with the hind ones, and almost all horses do this at starting --in fact they cannot do otherwise; these, too, leave a double track.

Now those that overstep will be usually found to be such as are over-weighted on the forehand, whilst those that step short are usually such as are over-weighted behind, without the hind legs being brought under the weight in a bent position like the manege-horse, or that have some weakness, want of due proportion or other deficiency, in their hind quarters.

When a horse oversteps with his hind legs the track of the fore feet (C, fig. 2,) the succession of full lines connecting the two diagonal feet in each alternate

movement is not, as shown in A, continuous, but broken; there is, therefore, an interval of time during which the weight of the horse (and rider) is not supported diagonally in the usual manner, but vibrates, as it were, from one fixed basis to a more forward one. The animal is off the ground with all four legs for a moment in rapid trotting, for instance—the consequence is, that there must be less stability; and we know from experience that, when this is carried to a great extent, the horse "over-reaches," as it is called, and comes down; but, on the other hand, the advantage is gained of getting over the ground more rapidly; for on comparing C with A, it is evident that more ground has been covered in the former than in the latter with the same number of strides, which are therefore longer. The advantage conferred by throwing the weight forward is, therefore, that it tends to increase the speed; the disadvantages attendant on it are, diminished stability, and the rapid using up of the fore legs, for it is on these alternately that the whole weight pivots, as it were, during the moments of vibration from each fixed basis to the succeeding one, as explained above.

When a horse steps short-that is to say, does not attain to the track of the fore feet with the hinder ones (D, fig. 2)—the exact contrary of the above takes place; the full lines connecting the diagonal feet overlap each other constantly-the animal covers part of the same ground twice in its successive strides; these, therefore, are shorter, and it requires a greater number of them to cover a given space. On the other hand, the stability is more perfect, but the hind legs are unduly converted into bearers, and suffer in consequence. That they really are so is shown by the fact of the short stepping

taking place. They cannot act sufficiently as propellers.* What is said here applies equally to canter or gallop as to trot. It has been pointed out above that, in the case of the horse covering its own footsteps exactly, and leaving only a single track, the fore legs are always lifted somewhat sooner than the hind ones, and not exactly simultaneously with them, which produces, as we have seen, the cadence peculiar to each pace, audible to the ear. If the beat be regular, and, the ground remaining the same, the intensity of the sound alike for each footstep, the presumption is that all four legs are equally good; but if one tread be heavy and another light, we may take it for granted that there is something amiss with the foot or leg that makes the latter. With horses, however, that either overstep or tread short (C and D, fig. 2), the case is different; we hear constantly two stronger and two weaker beats, supposing the legs and feet to be sound. The former-stronger ones—will be found to proceed, if we pay attention, from the fore legs in the horse that oversteps, the two hind ones, chiefly used as propellers, "dinting" into the ground with the toes; with the short stepper, on the contrary, we perceive that they proceed from the hind legs, which are stamped down; and if one leg be defective, we hear, in such cases, three different degrees of intensity of sound, which vary according to the leg and the mode of action.†

* Horses that at first naturally overstep will, after a certain amount of work, come to step short; the fore legs having suffered, they ease them by throwing the weight on the hind ones.

+ Dishonest dealers are well aware of this, and, to cover it, will sometimes make a horse temporarily lame on one foot to conceal a permanent defect of the corresponding one; the horse will then tread "gingerly" on that pair.

We must now remind the reader that we have, up to this point, taken no account of the influence exercised by the overhanging weight of the horse's head and neck on the animal's equilibrium, having proceeded altogether on the supposition of this being analogous to that of the little instrument represented in fig. 1. It has been shown, however, that the centre of motion,—that is to say, the point round which all other parts of the animal move when in action-or, what comes to the same thing, the point where the least motion is felt, -is situated somewhere in a perpendicular falling through the fourteenth dorsal vertebra, Plate I.; and it has been intimated that the perpendicular through the centre of gravity of a horse naturally falls through some one or other of the vertebræ from the tenth to the thirteenth, that are situate nearer to the neck. horse can go with these two centres in the relative position described here. It favours certain special purposes—as, for instance, racing, and perhaps riding to hounds, to a certain extent-just as it suits the purpose of the manege-rider to bring the centre of gravity further back towards the loins than the fourteenth vertebra; but for all general purposes it is of the greatest importance that the two perpendiculars passing respectively through these two centres should be made to coincide, and this is the aim and object of all schoolriding, except for the haut manège. Above all, it is indispensable for military purposes.

A

In fact, in racing, and to a certain extent in hunting, a horse is not required to move otherwise than in nearly straight lines or gentle curves. A jockey that understands the work will ride differently in the latter and the former, and will immediately change his seat