SPANISH TROT. 251 



By increasing the pressure of the legs, and accentuating it a 

 httle by a touch of the spurs, we can easily obtain a small 

 piaffcr (p. 275) of the forehand, which accompanies the rocking 

 of the haunches. 



If we press the horse forward, while making him take very 

 short steps, we will obtain rocking of the haunches with 

 passage (p. 275) of the forehand. 



The movement is less graceful when done without gaining 

 ground, than when going forward, because there is a want of 

 propulsion, and it is less easy to keep the neck high. Finally, 

 as it is necessary to obtain a certain elevation of all the legs, 

 we should avoid putting more weight in front than behind. 

 On the contrary, we should carefully try to keep him in 

 ■equilibrium.* 



SPANISH TROT. 



Of all artificial movements, the Spanish trot is the easiest 

 and most brilliant. With a horse which knows the Spanish 

 walk perfectly, nothing is easier than to make him do it at 

 the trot. 



It is enough to increase the action of the " aids " to give a 

 horse more energy. At first we ride the horse at the Spanish 

 w^alk, and when we have gone a few steps, we should seize the 

 moment when the animal's leg is raised, to touch him more 

 sharply with the spur. 



I have never had horses which took a long time to do this 



•cause this portion of the body to become raised, as a result of stimulating the 

 part. On this account I condemn the use of the cutting whip in high-school 

 ■work. 



Horses which have been "routined," I cannot say "broken,"' by the cutting 

 •whip, are always ugly and badly balanced. Having the neck on a level with the 

 withers and the croup high, the forehand is depressed, and is consequently in a 

 position the direct opposite of that of a true school horse (Fig. 62), which has 

 always his neck high and his hocks well bent under the body. 



*I believe I was the first to make a horse do the rocking of the haunches with 

 passage of the forehand in 1880, at Paris, with the thorough-bred Amour. 



