Descriptive Zoopraxography; or, the science of animal locomotion made popularMuybridge, Eadweard
Science
Descriptive Zoopraxography; or, the science of animal locomotion made popular
Muybridge, Eadweard
Animal locomotion
It will be observed in the illustrations that while during the fast trot
the fore feet are lifted so high that they frequently strike the breast,
the hind feet are raised but little above the surface of the ground. The
trot is common to all the single-toed and to nearly all the cloven-footed
and soft-footed animals. It has, however, not been recorded as being
adopted by the elephant, the camel, or the giraffe.
THE RACK.
The rack, sometimes miscalled the "pace," is a method of quadrupedal
locomotion in which two lateral feet with nearly synchronous action are
placed upon and lifted from the ground alternately with the other laterals,
the body of the animal being in the intervals entirely without support. The
distance which the propelling feet hurl the animal through the air depends,
as with other movements, upon a variety of circumstances; at a high rate of
speed the distance will be about one-half the total length of the stride.
Upon landing, a hind foot usually precedes its lateral fore.
[Illustration: SOME CONSECUTIVE PHASES OF THE RACK.]
The rack is an ungraceful gait of the horse, and disagreeable to those who
seek comfort in riding.
The movements hitherto described are regular in their action, and a stride
may be divided into two parts, each of which--with a change of limbs--is
practically similar to the other; we now come to methods of progression
which cannot be so divided, and each stride must be considered as a unit of
motion.
THE CANTER.
In the canter we discover the same sequence of foot fallings as in the
walk, but not with the same harmonious intervals of time. The gait
resembles the gallop in respect to its leaving the horse entirely
unsupported for a varying period of time, and in the fact that the spring
into the air is always effected from a fore foot, and the landing upon the
diagonal hind foot; in other respects it materially differs from that
method of progression.
Assuming that during a stride of the canter a horse springs into the air
from a left fore foot, the right hind foot will first reach the ground; the
two fore legs will at this time be flexed under the body, the right being
the first landed, and for a brief period of time the support will devolve
upon the laterals. The right fore foot is rapidly followed by the left
hind. During a very slow canter the other fore foot will sometimes be
landed in advance of the lifting of its diagonal, and the curious phase
presented of all of the feet being in contact with the ground at the same
instant. Usually, however, the first hind foot to touch the ground will be
lifted, and the support thrown upon the diagonals.
The left fore is now brought down, and is followed by the lifting of the
right fore; when the left laterals assume the duty of support. The left
hind is now raised, and with a final thrust of the left fore foot the
animal is projected into the air, to land again upon its diagonal, and
repeat the same sequence of movements.
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