The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1882-06-23

2 Then the center of gravity again requires
a more advanced support, which is supplied
+ by the near fore leg, this being placed beyond
the off one.s Then the of fore leg leaves the
! ground, leaving the advancing body for the
, moment supported by the near fore leg alone,
and the horse has returned to the position Of
Fig. 3. He again throws himself clear of
the ground by spring with his fore leg.
This last movement is the ruin of many a
racer. The tendons, already stretched to
their utmost to uphold the weight as il trav-
els forward, are called on to resist the added
exertion of raising it In the air, and the
courage and breeding Of many good horse
are rendered useless for racing by the ten
dons of his fore legs giving way under the
enormous tension.
This seems very curious way of travel
| ling, but on examination ii will be found to
have one striking advantage over the gait
generally attributed TO the horse, and which
| The same cameras show Is employed BY the
deer. The deer throws himself into the air
from his hind legs, and the weight of his
body, on falling again to the earth, Is re-
ceiyed by the fore legs placed far in advance
OF the center OF gravity. They have to re.
/ sist, therefore, the weight Of the body, TO
which considerable momentum has been i'm
parted. But as the horse galops, the sup
| port for his falling body Is placed directly
under the center Of gravity, SO that the mo-
mentum of his body in forward direction
receives no shock. 1t is probably for this |
reason that upon level stretch the horse |
can outlast the deer The hare runs like the |
deer, but the dog runs like the horse.
The horses leap, as some have supposed, |
Is not simply an ordinary stride, to which |
he applies greater effort. LII the leap, the |
horse uses the same motion as the deer does /
In running, which Is TO raise the fore legs off |
the ground after placing the hind legs under
him, and TO throw himself forward, alight-
ing on the fore legs. To change from his
regular run to the leap, therefore, requires a
slackening of speed sufficient TO enable him,
after he has stretched his fore feet forward,
TO bring up his launches so that his hind feet
can be placed under him, leaving for a mo-
ment all four feet on the ground, and his fore
feet are then raised, preparatory to jumping.
The canter IS the same gait as the run,
with the exception that, owing to the less
speed, and the consequent smaller extension
OF the limbs, three feet are sometimes on
the ground at once, instead of only two, as
In the run. In trot;ing, the horse moves the
diagonal legs spontaneously, and never has
more than two feet on the ground at tune;
and for The benefit Of those who have thought
that In the trot the horse never was entirely
free from the ground, the cameras show that
1 u
the walk one fore foot is always placed on
the ground before the other fore foot 10 taken
OF, and the bind feet proceed In the same
manner relatively TO each other. If the
diagonal feet moved spontaneously, this
would make four feet sometimes on the
ground at once; but as q fact the diagonal
legs do not move exactly together, and.
therefore, three feet are sometimes on the
ground together, but never four. In the sim |
gle movement, the fore feet move as II walk
ing. and the hind feet as If trolting.
There can be no question that Science will
unhesitatingly thank Governor Stanford for !
his generous and useful work In demonstrat- /
Ing accurately the gaits of the horse. As for
Art, IL Is not certain. 1t Is heavy blow To
her 70 think that she has hitherto been work
ing in ignorance, andrepresenting something
that never existed. Allpictures in exister &c
at present that are designed to show a horse
In the action of full gallop are wrong, and
are no more truthful representations than IL
they drew him with his heels over his head.
Hereafter those who wish to paint the horse l
running will be In quandary. They must Ia
either let him have one leg on the ground, {
IN which case the figure of the horse can !,
never have the same air Of untfammelled d
freedom as has given him in past works, =
Dr. the artist must contract the graceful, IN =
Testralned position, that gave one an idea of 4
actual light, into an attitude cramped and d
awkward We believe the Jockey Club In v
California, however, has been the pioneer V
n this direction. Their flag shows the horse /
IS he has been proved to be when wholly IN Il
he air; that 10, with his fore feet close to- z
either. 49,