Generating pace and gallop gaits
To produce gaits such as pace and gallop, the brain sends different sets of commands to alter the strength of connections between muscle control circuits.
A diagram in which two blue circles and two pink circles form the corners of a square. The circle in the top left corner is blue and is labeled L-F. The circle in the top right corner is pink and is labeled R-F. The circle in the bottom left corner is blue and is labeled L-R. The circle in the bottom right corner is pink and is labeled R-R. The circles each have a pair of T-shaped projections, one colored darker than the other, extending in the direction of two of the other circles, forming the sides of a square. The left front circle projects toward the right front and left rear. The right front circle projects toward the left front and right rear. The right rear circle projects toward the left rear and right front. The left rear circle projects toward the left front and right rear. The projections connecting the two left circles are colored darker than the ones connecting left and right and the projections connecting the two right circles are colored darker than the ones connecting left and right.
A diagram in which two blue circles and two pink circles form the corners of a square. The circle in the top left corner is pink and is labeled L-F. The circle in the top right corner is pink and is labeled R-F. The circle in the bottom left corner is blue and is labeled L-R. The circle in the bottom right corner is blue and is labeled R-R. The circles each have a pair of T-shaped projections, one colored darker than the other, extending in the direction of two of the other circles, forming the sides of a square. The left front circle projects toward the right front and left rear. The right front circle projects toward the left front and right rear. The right rear circle projects toward the left rear and right front. The left rear circle projects toward the left front and right rear. The projections connecting the two front circles are colored darker than the ones connecting front and rear and the projections connecting the two rear circles are colored darker than the ones connecting rear and front.