Sheet music for “The Horse Trot,” described on its cover as an “American Dance by Uriel Davis” was published in 1912 and has been replicated below:
The sheet music provides the following instructions for dancing the Horse Trot:
“Position
Face each other, gentleman places his right hand in the centre of the lady’s back holding her out at the side at arms length – gentleman looks over lady’s right shoulder and lady looks over man’s right shoulder.
Steps
1. TROTTING OR RUNNING STEP – Leap forward on right foot, (left foot off the floor) – count 1 – leap forward on left foot, (right foot off the floor) – count 2 – Repeat all (do not hop.)
2. Turning on the same trotting step, raise feet about five inches from floor.
3. SIDE STEP – Step with right foot to side – Count 1 – bring left foot behind right foot – count 2 – step again with right foot to side – count 3 – bring left foot behind right foot – count 4 – and repeat all going side ways. (Keep up the trotting movement.)
4. BALANCE STEP – Step down with right foot – count 1 – at the same time bring left foot to front lifting right foot up – count 2 – step down with right foot again – count 3 – at the same time bring left foot back – count 4 – repeat all of this.
Above instructions are for the lady. Gentleman begins with left foot.
The dance counts 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8.
FIRST – The trotting step forward 8 counts, same trotting step back 8 counts.
SECOND – The turning step to right 8 counts, turning step to left 8 counts.
THIRD – The side step 16 counts.
FOUR – Turning step to right 8 counts. Turning step to left 8 counts.
FIFTH – The trotting step forward 8 counts, same trotting step back 8 counts.
SIXTH – Turning step to left 8 counts, turning step to right 8 counts.
SEVENTH – The balance step 16 counts. Repeat all until the finish.”
The music provided above has been made available by Mississippi State University Digital Collections. The University asks to be cited thusly: 32278009414628: The Horse Trot, Charles H. Templeton, Sr. sheet music collection. Special Collections, Mississippi State University Libraries.
A reproduction of an original recording of “The Horse Trot” by the Victor Military Band from 1913 has been made available at the National Jukebox:
Fascinating Rhythms 