Figure 6.

A comparison of (a) the hindlimb-initiated half bound used at slow speeds (jackrabbit) and (b) the forelimb-initiated half bound used at high speeds (domestic rabbit). The transition mechanics of the hindlimb-initiated half bound are similar to those of the transverse gallop of the horse, while those of the forelimb-initiated half bound resemble those of the rotary gallop of the cheetah and dog. The fact that the jackrabbit can perform both styles of gallop using an apparently identical footfall pattern (hindlimbs contact nearly simultaneously while the forelimbs contact either in unison or at slightly different times) further demonstrates that it is not the sequence of left and right foot contacts that determines the mechanical distinction between these gaits, but rather the front–rear sequence and its relation to the downward-to-upward transition of the CoM. Drawings for the slow-speed bound are based on video footage of jackrabbits filmed by J. E. A. Bertram, and drawings of the high-speed half bound are based on fig. 4 of Simons (1999).