,royal ,institution of ,great ,britain4 
,,extra ,,evening ,,meeting1  ,monday1  
,march #ac1 #ahhb4  ,h4,r4,h4 ,,the     
,,prince ,,of ,,wales1 ,k4,g4 ,f4,r4,s4 
,vice-,patron and ,honorary ,member1 in 
the ,chair4  ,,eadweard ,,muybridge1 of 
,san ,francisco4    ,the ,attitudes of  
,animals in ,motion1 illustrated with   
the ,zoopraxiscope4   ,the problem of   
animal mechanism has engaged the        
attention of mankind during the entire  
period of the world's history4  ,job    
describes the action of the horse2      
,homer1 that of the ox2 it engaged the  
profound attention of ,aristotle1 and   
,borelli devoted a lifetime to its      
attempted solution4 ,in every age1 and  
in every country1 philosophers have     
found it a subject of exhaustless       
research4 ,marey1 the eminent ,french   
savant of our own day1 dissatisfied with
 the investigations of his predecessors1
 and with the object of obtaining more  
accurate information than their works   
afforded him1 employed a system of      

flexible tubes1 connected at one end    
with elastic air-chambers1 which were   
attached to the shoes of a horse2 and at
 the other end with some mechanism1 held
 in the hand of the animal's rider4 ,the
 alternate compression and expansion of 
the air in the chambers caused pencils  
to record upon a revolving cylinder the 
successive or simultaneous action of    
each foot1 as it correspondingly rested 
upon or was raised from the ground4 ,by 
this original and ingenious method1 much
 interesting and valuable information   
was obtained1 and new light thrown upon 
movements until then but imperfectly    
understood4  ,while the philosopher was 
exhausting his endeavours to expound the
 laws that control1 and the elements    
that effect the movements associated    
with animal life1 the artist1 with a few
 exceptions1 seems to have been content 
with the observations of his earliest   
predecessors in design1 and to have     
accepted as authentic without further   
inquiry1 the pictorial and sculptural   

representations of moving animals       
bequeathed from the remote ages of      
tradition4  ,when the body of an animal 
is being carried forward with uniform   
motion1 the limbs in their relations to 
it have alternately a progressive and a 
retrogressive action1 their various     
portions accelerating in comparative    
speed and repose as they extend         
downwards to the feet1 which are        
subjected to successive changes from a  
condition of absolute rest1 to a varying
 increased velocity in comparison with  
that of the body4  ,the action of no    
single limb can be availed of for       
artistic purposes without a knowledge of
 the synchronous action of the other    
limbs2 and to the extreme difficulty1   
almost impossibility1 of the mind being 
capable of appreciating the simultaneous
 motion of the four limbs of an animal1 
even in the slower movements1 may be    
attributed the innumerable errors into  
which investigators by observation have 
been betrayed4 ,when these synchronous  

movements and the successive attitudes  
they occasion are understood1 we at once
 see the simplicity of animal           
locomotion1 in all its various types and
 alternations4 ,the walk of a quadruped 
being its slowest progressive movement  
would seem to be a very simple action1  
easy of observation and presenting but  
little difficulty for analysis1 yet it  
has occasioned interminable             
controversies among the closest and most
 experienced observers4  ,when1 during a
 gallop1 the fore and hind legs are     
severally and consecutively thrust      
forwards and backwards to their fullest 
extent1 their comparative inaction may  
create in the mind of the careless      
observer an impression of indistinct    
outlines2 these successive appearances  
were probably combined by the earliest  
sculptors and painters1 and with        
grotesque exaggeration adopted as the   
solitary position to illustrate great   
speed4 ,or1 as is very likely1 excessive
 projection of limb was intended to     

symbolise speed1 just as excess in size 
was an indication of rank4 ,this opinion
 is to some extent corroborated by the  
productions of the ,grecian artists in  
their best period1 when their heroes are
 represented of the same size as other  
men1 and their horses in attitudes more 
nearly resembling those possible for    
them to assume4 ,the remarkable         
conventional attitude of the ,egyptians1
 however1 has1 with few modifications1  
been used by artists of nearly every age
 to represent the action of galloping1  
and prevails without recognised         
correction in all civilised countries at
 the present day4  ,the ambition and    
perhaps also the province of art in its 
most exalted sense1 is to be a          
delineator of impressions1 a creator of 
effects1 rather than a recorder of      
facts4 ,whether in the illustrations of 
the attitudes of animals in motion the  
artist is justified in sacrificing      
truth1 for an impression so vague as to 
be dispelled by the first studied       

observation1 is a question perhaps as   
much a subject of controversy now as it 
was in the time of ,lysippus1 who       
ridiculed other sculptors for making men
 as they existed in nature2 boasting    
that he himself made them as they ought 
to be4  ,a few eminent artists1 notable 
among whom is ,meissonier1 have         
endeavoured in depicting the slower     
movements of animals to invoke the aid  
of truth instead of imagination to      
direct their pencil1 but with little    
encouragement from their critics2 until 
recently1 however1 artists and critics  
alike have necessarily had to depend    
upon their observation alone to justify 
their conceptions or to support their   
theories4  ,photography1 at first       
regarded as a curiosity of science1 was 
soon recognised as a most important     
factor in the search for truth1 and its 
more popular use is now entirely        
subordinated by its value to the        
astronomer1 the anatomist1 the          
pathologist1 and other investigators of 

the complex problems of nature4 ,the    
artist1 however1 still hesitates to     
avail himself of the resources of what  
may be at least acknowledged as a       
handmaiden of art1 if not admitted to   
its most exalted ranks4  ,having devoted
 much attention in ,california to       
experiments in instantaneous            
photography1 ,i1 in #ahgb1 at the       
suggestion of the editor of a ,san      
,francisco newspaper1 obtained a few    
photographic impressions of a horse     
during a fast trot4  ,at this time much 
controversy prevailed among experienced 
horsemen as to whether all the feet of a
 horse while trotting were entirely     
clear of the ground at the same instant 
of time4 ,a few experiments made in that
 year proved a fact which should have   
been self-evident4  ,being much         
interested with the experiments of      
,professor ,marey1 in #ahgg ,i invented 
a method for the employment of a number 
of photographic cameras1 arranged in a  
line parallel to a track over which the 

animal would be caused to move1 with the
 object of obtaining1 at regulated      
intervals of time or distance1 several  
consecutive impressions of him during a 
single complete stride as he passed     
along in front of the cameras1 and so of
 more completely investigating the      
successive attitudes of animals while in
 motion than could be accomplished by   
the system of ,m4 ,marey4  ,i explained 
the plan of my intended experiments to a
 wealthy resident of ,san               
,francisco--,mr4 ,stanford--who         
liberally agreed to place the resources 
of his stock-breeding farm at my        
disposal1 and to reimburse the expenses 
of my investigations1 upon condition of 
my supplying him1 for his private use1  
with a few copies of the contemplated   
results4 ,the apparatus used and its    
arrangement will be better understood by
 a reference to the accompanying        
drawings4  ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #a4    
,illustration3 ,,fig4 #b4               
,illustration3 ,,fig4 #c4               

,illustration3 ,,fig4 #d4  ,fig4 #a4 ,a 
photographing lens1 and camera          
containing a sensitised plate2 and side 
view of electro-exposor placed in front 
of camera4  ,fig4 #b4 ,back view of     
electro-exposor4 ,two shutters ,p ,p1   
each comprising two panels1 with an     
opening ,o between them1 are adjusted to
 move freely up and down in a frame2    
they are here arranged ready for an     
exposure1 and are held in position by a 
latch ,l and trigger ,t1 all light being
 excluded from the lens4 ,a slight extra
 tension of the thread ,b1 ,fig4 #d1    
will cause a contact of the metal       
springs ,m ,s1 and complete a circuit of
 electricity through the wires ,w ,w and
 the electro-magnet ,m2 the consequent  
attraction causes the armature ,a to    
strike the trigger1 the latch is        
released1 the shutters are drawn        
respectively upwards and downwards by   
means of the rubber springs ,s ,s1 and  
light is admitted to the sensitised     
plate while the openings in the shutters

 are passing each other in front of the 
lens4  ,fig4 #c4 ,front view of         
electro-exposor after exposure of the   
plate4  ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #e4  ,fig4
 #e4 ,general view of studio1 operating 
track1 and background4 ,in the studio   
are arranged #bd photographing cameras2 
at a distance of #ab inches from the    
centre of each lens an electro-exposor  
is securely fixed in front of each      
camera4 ,threads #ab inches apart are   
stretched across the track 7only two of 
which are introduced in the engraving71 
at a suitable height to strike the      
breast of the animal experimented with1 
one end of the thread being fastened to 
the background1 the other to the spring1
 ,fig4 #d1 which is drawn almost to the 
point of contact4  ,the animal in its   
progress over the track will strike     
these threads in succession1 and as each
 pair of springs is brought into        
contact1 the current of electricity     
thereby created effects a photographic  
exposure1 as described by ,figs4 #b and 

#d2 and each consecutive exposure       
records the position of the animal at   
the instant the thread is struck and    
broken4  ,for obtaining successive      
exposures of horses driven in vehicles1 
one of the wheels is steered in a       
channel over wires slightly elevated    
from the ground2 the depression of each 
wire completes an electric circuit1 and 
effects the exposures in the same manner
 as the threads4  ,illustration3 ,,fig4 
#f4  ,fig4 #f4 ,operating track1 covered
 with corrugated indiarubber1 and marked
 with transverse lines #ab inches apart4
 ,each line is numbered1 for the purpose
 of more readily ascertaining the length
 of the animal's stride4 ,on one side of
 the track1 and opposite to the battery 
of cameras1 a white background is       
erected at a suitable angle4  ,the      
camera in which any one negative in a   
series of exposures is made is          
designated on that negative by the      
parallel direction of the vertical stake
 with the horizontal line extending to  

the corresponding number immediately    
opposite4 ,the discriminating number of 
each series is marked on each negative  
by the large numbers--#bbi1 for         
example--which are changed for each     
movement illustrated4  ,for recording   
the successive attitudes of animals not 
under control1 an apparatus is used1    
comprising a cylinder1 around which are 
spirally arranged a number of pins2 upon
 the cylinder being set in motion       
through gearing connected with a spring 
or weight1 these pins are consecutively 
brought into contact with a             
corresponding number of metal springs2 a
 succession of electric currents are    
thereby created which act through their 
respective magnets attached to the      
electro-exposors at regulated intervals 
of time4 ,the cylinder is put in motion 
either by bringing it into gearing with 
other parts of the apparatus already in 
motion2 or by releasing a break with the
 hand1 or by the action of some object  
at a distance by means of an electric   

current4  ,this apparatus is principally
 used for illustrating the flight of    
birds1 the motions of small animals1 and
 changes of position without continuous 
progressive motion1 such as occur during
 wrestling or turning a summersault2    
when the cameras are directed towards   
the place where the movements are being 
executed4  ,the boxes outside the studio
 7,fig4 #e7 contain cameras and         
electro-exposors for obtaining          
synchronous exposures of a moving object
 from different points of view4  ,the   
following analyses of some of the       
movements investigated by the aid of    
electro-photographic exposures1 are     
repeated by permission of the ,president
 and ,council from a paper read by the  
author before the ,royal ,society1 and  
are rendered more perfectly intelligible
 by the reproductions of the actual     
motions projected on a screen through   
the zoopraxiscope4   ,the ,walk4        
,selecting the horse for the purposes of
 illustration1 we find that during his  

slowest progressive movement--the       
walk--he has always two1 and1 for a     
varying period1 three feet on the ground
 at once4 ,with a fast walking horse the
 time of support upon three feet is     
exceedingly brief2 while during a very  
slow walk all four feet are occasionally
 on the ground at the same instant4     
,the successive order of what may be    
termed foot fallings are these4         
,commencing with the landing of the left
 hind foot1 the next to strike the      
ground will be the left fore foot1      
followed in order by the right hind1 and
 right fore foot4 ,so far as the camera 
has revealed1 these successive foot     
fallings during the walk are invariable1
 and are probably common to all         
quadrupeds4 ,but the time during which  
each foot1 in its relation to the other 
feet1 remains on the ground1 varies     
greatly with different species of       
animals1 and even with the same animal  
under different conditions4 ,during an  
ordinary walk1 at the instant preceding 

the striking of the left hind foot1 the 
body is supported on the right laterals1
 and the left fore foot is in act of    
passing to the front of the right fore  
foot4 ,the two hind feet and the right  
fore foot immediately divide the weight4
 ,the right hind foot is now raised1 and
 the left hind with its diagonal fore   
foot sustains the body2 the left fore   
next touches the ground and for an      
instant the animal is again on three    
feet2 the right fore foot is immediately
 raised and again the support is derived
 from laterals--the left instead of as  
before the right4 ,one half of the      
stride is now completed1 and a similar  
series of alternations1 substituting the
 right feet for the left1 completes the 
other half4 ,these movements will       
perhaps be more readily understood by a 
reference to the longitudinal elevation1
 ,fig4 #g1 ,no4 #a1 which illustrates   
some approximate relative positions of  
the feet of a rapid walking horse1 with 
a stride of #e feet #i inches4 ,the     

positions of the feet indicated in this1
 and also in the other strides          
illustrated in ,fig4 #g are copied from 
photographs1 and from them we learn that
 during an ordinary walk the consecutive
 supporting feet are3    #a4 ,the left  
hind and left fore--laterals4   #b4     
,both hind1 and left fore4   #c4 ,right 
hind and left fore--diagonals4   #d4    
,right hind and both fore4   #e4 ,right 
hind and right fore--laterals4   #f4    
,both hind1 and right fore4   #g4 ,left 
hind and right fore--diagonals4   #h4   
,left hind and both fore4               
,illustration3 ,,longitudinal           
,,elevation ,,of ,,some ,,consecutive   
,,positions ,,of ,,the ,,feet ,,of      
,,horses ,,during ,,various ,,movements4
  ,each line illustrates a single       
complete stride4 ,the comparative       
distances of the feet from each other1  
or from the ground1 are approximate2 not
 to scale4 ,direction of movement --    
,,key4                       ,rt4       
,left4   ,hind ,feet   ,fore ,feet      

,line of ground                 ,length 
of     ,action4     ,stride4   #a   #b  
#c   #d   #e   #f   #a;,d  #b;,d  #c;,d 
#d;,d  #e;,d  #f;,d                  ft4
  in4   #a4 ,walking      #e   #i   #b4 
,trotting     #g   #f   #c4             
#ag   #f   #d4            #ah   #c   #e4
 ,ambling     #aj   #c   #f4 ,racking   
#ab   #f                            #a  
#b   #c   #d   #e   #f   #g   #h   #i   
#aj  #aa  #ab   #g4 ,cantering   #aj    
#c   #h4 ,galloping   #aa   #i   #i4    
#ai   #i   #aj4 ,galloping1 a           
conjectural stride                      
of #bb feet or more     ,commencing     
again with the first position2 it is    
thus seen that when a horse during a    
walk is on two feet1 and the other two  
feet are suspended between the          
supporting legs1 the suspended feet are 
laterals4 ,on the other hand1 when the  
suspended feet are severally in advance 
of and behind the supporting legs1 they 
are diagonals4  ,these invariable rules 
seem to be neglected or entirely ignored

 by many of the most eminent animal     
painters of modern times4   ,the ,trot4 
,by some observers the perfect trot is  
described as an absolutely synchronous  
movement of the diagonal feet4 ,this    
simultaneous action may be considered   
desirable1 but it probably never occurs4
  ,sometimes the fore foot will be      
raised before the diagonal hind foot1   
sometimes afterwards2 but in either     
instance1 the foot raised first will    
strike the ground first2 repeated       
experiments with many racing and other  
trotting horses confirmed this want of  
simultaneity4 ,selecting for an example 
of the trot a horse making a stride of  
#ah feet in length1 we find that at the 
instant his right fore foot strikes the 
ground1 the left hind foot is a few     
inches behind the point where it will   
presently strike at about #ch or #dj    
inches to the rear of the fore foot4    
,when both feet have reached the ground1
 the right hind leg is stretched back   
almost to its fullest extent1 with the  

pastern nearly horizontal1 while the    
left fore leg is flexed under the body4 
,as the legs approach a vertical        
position the pasterns are gradually     
lowered1 and act as springs to break the
 force of the concussion until they are 
bent nearly at right angles with the    
legs4  ,at this period the left fore    
foot is raised to its greatest height1  
and will frequently strike the elbow1   
while the right hind foot is but little 
raised from the ground and is about to  
pass to the front of the left hind4     
,the pasterns gradually rise as the legs
 decline backwards until the right fore 
foot has left the ground and the last   
propelling force is being exercised by  
the left hind foot2 which accomplished1 
the animal is in mid air4  ,the right   
hind foot continues its onward motion   
until it is sometimes much in advance of
 its lateral fore foot1 the former1     
however1 being gradually lowered1 while 
the latter is being raised4 ,the right  
hind and both fore legs are now much    

flexed1 while the left hind is stretched
 backwards to its greatest extent with  
the bottom of the foot turned upwards1  
the left fore leg is being thrust       
forwards and gradually straightened1    
with the toe raised as the foot         
approaches the ground2 which            
accomplished1 with a substitution of the
 left limbs for the right we find them  
in the same relative positions as when  
we commenced our examination1 and one   
half of the stride is completed4  ,with 
slight and immaterial differences1 such 
as might be caused by irregularities of 
the ground1 these movements are repeated
 by the other pair of diagonals1 and the
 entire stride is then complete4  ,line 
#d illustrates a stride of #ah feet #c  
inches1 and the order of supporting feet
 are3--    #a4 ,the right fore foot4    
#b4 ,the left hind and right fore feet4 
#c4 ,the left hind foot4   #d4 ,without 
support4   #e4 ,the left fore foot4     
#f4 ,the right hind and left fore feet4 
#g4 ,the right hind foot4   #h4 ,without

 support4  ,it appears somewhat         
remarkable that until the results of ,m4
 ,marey's experiments and of those      
obtained by electro-photography were    
published1 many experienced horsemen    
were of opinion that during the action  
of trotting at least one foot of a horse
 was always in contact with the ground4 
,if the entire stride of a trotting     
horse is divided into two portions1     
representing the comparative distances  
traversed by the aggregate of the body  
while the feet are in contact with1 and 
while they are entirely clear of1 the   
ground2 the relative measurements will  
be found to vary very greatly1 they     
being contingent upon length of limb1   
weight1 speed1 and other circumstances4 
,heavily built horses will sometimes    
merely drag the feet just above the     
surface1 but1 in every instance of a    
trot1 the weight of the body is really  
unsupported twice during each stride    
7see stride #b1 positions #d and #d;,d74
 ,it sometimes happens that a fast      

trotter1 during the two actions of a    
stride1 will have all his feet clear of 
the ground for a distance exceeding     
one-half of the length of the entire    
stride2 this elasticity of movement is  
however exceptional4  ,the action of a  
fast-trotting horse while drawing a     
vehicle is very different from his      
action under the saddle2 in the latter  
case1 the hind legs are kept thrust back
 for a longer period1 and their final   
forward movement is much more rapid4    
,the ,amble4  ,assuming our observation 
of this movement to commence when1      
during a stride of about #aj feet1 the  
left hind foot has just struck the      
ground slightly to the rear of where the
 right fore foot is resting2 the left   
fore leg will be well advanced but still
 flexed1 with the toe pointed downwards1
 and the right hind foot having been the
 last to leave the ground1 will be      
thrust backwards with the pastern nearly
 horizontal4  ,as the right fore foot   
leaves the ground1 the left fore leg is 

gradually straightened during its thrust
 forwards2 the right hind foot in the   
meantime is gradually advancing1 and the
 horse is supported on the left hind    
foot alone4  ,the left fore foot is now 
brought to the ground1 and the body     
rests on the left laterals1 with the    
right laterals suspended between them4  
,as the left fore leg attains a vertical
 position1 its lateral leaves the       
ground1 and the support of the body     
devolves on the left fore foot alone1   
the right fore leg being considerably   
flexed1 with the foot in advance of the 
left fore leg4  ,the right hind foot now
 strikes the ground1 and one half of the
 stride is accomplished2 these movements
 are repeated with a change of the limbs
 for the remaining portion of the       
stride1 and the horse is again in the   
position in which we first observed him4
  ,we shall see by reference to stride  
,no4 #e the consecutive supporting feet 
to be3    #a4 ,the left hind foot4   #b4
 ,the left hind and left fore           

feet--laterals4   #c4 ,the left fore    
foot4   #d4 ,the left fore and right    
hind feet--diagonals4   #e4 ,the right  
hind foot4   #f4 ,the right hind and    
right fore feet--laterals4   #g4 ,the   
right fore foot4   #h4 ,the right fore  
and left hind feet--diagonals4  ,the    
right fore foot being raised1 the horse 
is again in the first position4  ,the   
amble and the walk are the only regular 
progressive movements of the horse      
wherein the body is never without the   
support of one or more legs1 in all     
others the weight is entirely off the   
ground for a longer or shorter period4  
,the ,rack or ,pace4  ,the rack differs 
from the trot in the nearly synchronous 
action of the laterals instead of the   
diagonals4  ,in some countries the rack 
is naturally adopted by the horse as one
 of his gaits1 but it is probably caused
 by the effects of training exercised   
over many generations of his ancestors4 
,the movements already described are    
regular in their action1 and a stride   

may be divided into two parts1 which are
 essentially similar to each other4     
,the ,canter  and the gallop1 however1  
cannot be so divided1 and a complete    
stride in either of those gaits is a    
combination of several different        
movements4  ,the canter is usually      
regarded as a slow gallop1 probably from
 the facility with which a change from  
one gait to the other can be effected2  
an important difference will1 however1  
be observed4  ,assuming a horse after   
his propulsion through the air1 during a
 stride of #aj feet1 to have just landed
 on his left hind foot1 the right hind  
foot will be on the point of passing to 
the front of the left4 ,the left fore   
leg will be thrust forward and nearly   
straight1 while the right fore leg will 
be flexed with the foot elevated about  
#ab inches from the ground1 and somewhat
 behind the vertical of the breast4 ,the
 left fore foot being brought to the    
ground1 the body is supported by the    
laterals2 the right hind foot is1       

however1 quickly lowered1 and performs  
its share of support4 ,the left hind    
foot is then raised1 and the right hind 
and left fore legs assume the weight1   
the former being nearly vertical1 and   
the latter inclined well back1 the right
 fore foot is thrust well forward1 and  
is just about to strike the ground2 when
 it does1 three feet again share the    
support1 they being the two fore and the
 right hind4 ,the left fore foot now    
leaves the ground1 and we again find the
 support furnished by the laterals1 the 
right instead of1 as before1 the left4  
,the right hind foot is raised when the 
right fore leg becomes vertical2 this   
latter1 which now sustains the entire   
weight1 gives the final effort of       
propulsion1 and the body is hurled into 
the air4  ,the descent of the left hind 
foot completes the stride1 and the      
consecutive movements are repeated4  ,in
 stride ,no4 #g we learn that during the
 canter the support of the body is      
derived from    #a4 ,the left hind foot4

   #b4 ,the left hind and left fore     
feet--laterals4   #c4 ,both hind and the
 left fore feet4   #d4 ,the right hind  
and left fore feet--diagonals4   #e4    
,the right hind and both fore feet4     
#f4 ,the right hind and right fore      
feet--laterals4   #g4 ,the right fore   
foot alone1 on which he leaves the      
ground4   ,the ,gallop or ,run4  ,this  
movement has in all ages been employed  
by artists to convey the impression of  
rapid motion1 although1 curiously       
enough1 the attitude in which the horse 
has been almost invariably depicted is  
one which is impracticable during       
uniform progressive motion4  ,when      
during a rapid gallop1 with a stride of 
#bj feet1 a horse after his flight      
through the air lands on his left hind  
foot1 the right hind will be suspended  
over it at an elevation of #ab or #ae   
inches1 and several inches to the rear  
of and above it the sole of the right   
fore foot will be turned up almost      
horizontally1 the left fore leg is      

flexed with the foot under the breast at
 a height of #ah or #bj inches4  ,the   
right hind foot strikes the ground some 
#cf inches in advance of the left hind1 
each as they land being forward of the  
centre of gravity4  ,the body is now    
thrust forward1 and while the right hind
 pastern is still almost horizontal1 the
 left hind foot leaves the ground4 ,at  
this time the left fore leg is perfectly
 straight1 the foot1 with the toe much  
higher than the heel1 is thrust forward 
to a point almost vertical with the     
nose1 and at an elevation of about #ab  
inches the right fore knee is bent at   
right angles1 and the foot suspended    
under the breast at several inches      
greater elevation than the left fore    
foot4  ,the left fore foot now strikes  
the ground1 #if inches in advance of the
 spot which the right hind foot is on   
the point of leaving1 and for a brief   
space of time the diagonals are upon the
 ground together4 ,the left fore leg1   
however1 immediately assumes the entire 

responsibility of the weight1 and soon  
attains a vertical position1 with its   
pastern at right angles to it4  ,in this
 position the right hind foot is thrust 
back to its fullest extent1 at an       
elevation of #ab or #ad inches1 with the
 pastern nearly horizontal4 ,the left   
hind foot is considerably higher and    
somewhat more forward2 the right fore   
leg is straight1 stretched forward1 with
 the foot about #ae inches from the     
ground1 and almost on a perpendicular   
line from the nose4 ,the right fore foot
 strikes the ground #dh inches in       
advance of the left fore1 which1 having 
nearly performed its office1 is         
preparing to leave the ground2 the      
animal will then be supported on the    
right fore foot alone1 which immediately
 falls well to the rear of the centre of
 gravity1 which is sometimes passed by  
the left hind foot at a height of about 
#ab inches2 the right hind foot is some 
distance in the rear1 and the left fore 
foot1 at a height of #bd inches1 is     

suspended somewhat in advance of its    
lateral4  ,in this position the horse   
uses the right fore foot for a final act
 of propulsion1 and is carried in mid   
air for a distance of #fj inches1 after 
which the left hind foot descends1 the  
stride is completed1 and the consecutive
 motions renewed4  ,the measurements and
 positions herein given do not pretend  
to exactness1 as they must depend to    
some extent upon the capability1        
training1 and convenience of the animal2
 but they may be accepted as            
representing an average stride of #bj   
feet with a horse in a fair condition   
for racing4  ,from this analysis it will
 be seen1 by reference to stride #i1    
that a horse1 during an ordinary gallop1
 is supported consecutively by3    #a4  
,the left hind foot1   #b4 ,both hind   
feet1   #c4 ,the right hind foot1   #d4 
,the right hind and left fore feet1     
#e4 ,the left fore foot1   #f4 ,both    
fore feet1   #g4 ,the right fore foot1  
with which he leaves the ground1 while  

the only position in which we find him  
entirely without support is when all the
 legs are flexed under his body4  ,it is
 highly probable1 however1 that more    
exhaustive experiments with             
long-striding horses in perfect         
training1 will discover there is        
sometimes an interval of suspension     
between the lifting of one fore foot and
 the descent of the other2 and also     
between the lifting of the second hind  
foot which touches the ground1 and the  
descent of its diagonal fore foot 7see  
imaginary stride #aj74 ,should this     
latter be the case1 it will1 from the   
necessary positions of the other limbs1 
afford but a very shadowy pretext for   
the conventional attitude used by       
artists to represent a gallop4 ,it is   
extremely doubtful if there can be any  
interval of suspension between the      
lifting of one hind foot and the descent
 of the other1 no matter what the length
 of stride4  ,many able scientists have 
written on the theory of the gallop1 but

 ,i believe ,marey was the first to     
demonstrate1 that in executing this     
movement1 the horse left the ground with
 a fore foot and landed on a hind foot4 
,the ,leap4  ,there is little essential 
difference in general characteristics of
 either of the several movements that   
have been described1 but with a number  
of experiments made with horses while   
leaping1 no two were found to agree in  
the manner of execution4 ,the leap of   
the same horse at the same rate of      
speed1 with the same rider1 over the    
same hurdle1 disclosed much variation in
 the rise1 clearance1 and descent of the
 animal4 ,apart from this1 the horses   
were not thoroughly trained leapers1 and
 the results are perhaps not            
representative of those that would be   
obtained from the action of a           
well-trained hunting horse4 ,a few      
motions were1 however1 invariable4      
,while the horse was raising his body to
 clear the hurdle1 one hind foot was    
always in advance of the other1 and     

exercised its last energy alone4  ,on   
the descent1 the concussion was always  
received by one fore foot1 supported by 
the other more or less rapidly1 and     
sometimes as much as #cj inches in      
advance of where the first one struck1  
followed by the hind feet also1 with    
intervals of time and distance between  
their several falls4 ,it is highly      
probable future experiments will prove  
these observations to be invariable in  
leaping4  ,it is highly probable that   
these photographic investigations1 which
 were executed with wet collodion plates
 with exposures not exceeding in some   
instances the one five-thousandth part  
of a second1 will dispel many popular   
illusions as to gait1 and that future   
and more exhaustive experiments1 with   
all the advantages of recent chemical   
discoveries1 will completely unveil to  
the artist all the visible muscular     
action of men and animals during their  
most rapid movements4  ,the employment  
of automatic apparatus for the purpose  

of obtaining a regulated succession of  
photographic exposures is too recent for
 its value to be properly understood1 or
 to be generally used for scientific    
experiment2 at a future time1 the       
pathologist1 the anatomist1 and other   
explorers for hidden truths will find it
 indispensable for their complex        
investigations4   ,,london3 ,,printed   
,,by ,,wm4 ,,clowes ,,and ,,sons1       
,,limited1 ,,stamford ,,street ,,and    
,,charing ,,cross4