THE HORSE IN ACTION.

Press, Volume XXXI, Issue 4287, 26 April 1879, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE HORSE IN ACTION.

It was at Palo Alto, the breeding.estate of i eJC-CbverriorLeland Stanford, that Muy- ■ bridge |>!°*fwte^''s_is;,p^_a , an ! stantaiieous photograph of a horae in action." Heliad studied; over tiie o inatter for• a long time, but was unable te prit his theories to the test until Governor Stanford rendered j him substantial aid.'." His success was not at j first appreciated at home like it was abroad. ; This is simply a repetition of the old story of a prophet being without honor in Ms own neighborhood. The scientificmea ef the : AtSntic"States arid of in the highest praise of Mr May bridge's : achievements. With the view of carrying the discovery further, theinßtrunfente areata be doubled so as to give a representation ; every twelve inches. That which; the'eye : fails to convey to the brain iv time to form ; an impression, is fixed, by the instantaneous* for study at leisure, Mr Simpson," in the "San jTancisco OaU/VpromuU. igates the following theory, the result" of ; pondering over a - Thei cartoons representing the fast gallop givea'ft key to the breaking down of so. many horses. In trotting, the body is supr ported by two feet at a time, one fore and one hind foot, carrying the animal along 'until the bound is made, or very nearly so, «o__bly the hud foot a littletlater m order to, give them« st force. This brings an equable strain and throws the work on both. In running the hind feet, at pne point of thejsrtride, touch, but in the series of eleven pictures.'only one shows thcin in this position. But wbjle there may be a time when botlfof the fore feet are on the truck at once, the carheras, twenty-seven inches apart, failed to record it, therefore the preaumption is tteft one fore leg baa to wtyw tfce whole

of the weight, animal and rider, while the body is moved along five feet. Just before the foot is elevated, and while it is yet ob the ground, a perpendicular from it will strike back of the saddle. This adds to the weight the immenseleverage which the head, neck, shoulders.and rider exert, owing to the centre of gravity being thrown so far forward of its support. While thiß foot ia directly under the rider, the weight forces the ankle to the ground. From this it is evident that the tendons must have a terrible tension, and no wonder that the sheathing of them is ruptured.