FINISHING LESSON. 53 



of fear, tlie men slionld return to " guard" imniedi- 

 atelj, quiet them, and try it again. 



On the fourtli day, if the horses get on well at 

 •changing leg, the half-passage is to be practised at a 

 canter, to both hands ; but this must be done carefully, 

 the horses well led off with the inward rein, tlie out- 

 ward leg applied well behind the girth, and the inward 

 leg used to make them gain ground to the front. The 

 men are very apt to use the outward leg too much, 

 and thus bring their horses' hind-quarters so far 

 in that instead of the head and neck leading, the 

 haunches lead. 



This being quite an unnatural performance and a 

 painful one to require of the animal, he is very apt 

 to turn restive and stop. The Instructor must be 

 keenly alive to this fault, and immediately order the 

 horse to be led off wdth the " inward rein" and " in- 

 ward leg," to place him in his proper position, with 

 head and neck leading. 



To change leg at " half-passage" at a canter, bring 

 the horse's back square on the track, and do not let 

 the men change the position of the horse's head until 

 the haunches are squared on the track ; otherwise the 

 liorses w^ill get into a trick of changing too soon. 



Immediately after the "half-passage," the word 

 "i?i circle''' is given, and the horses are kept on the 

 circle until they all canter true. 



In dividing the work to be gone through into les- 

 sons, particularizing what is to be done each day in 



