SHOULDER-IN AT THE CANTER. 261 



the horse, in order to keep him in hand, and to be able to make 

 him go forward at any moment.* 



I have said that I carry the hands to the right in order to 

 bring the shoulders away from the wall. The pressure of the 

 left rein on the neck should be the only means employed to 

 bring the shoulders to the right, and it should cease the moment 

 the shoulders leave the wall, under pain of stopping the 

 shoulders. We should instantly carry the hands to the left ; 

 the left rein acting directly to its own side, and the right rein 

 pressing, in its turn, on the neck to push the shoulders to the 

 left. This is an effect of the left diagonal, The left rein, by 

 lightly drawing the forehand to the left,*!* prevents the hind 

 quarters from going in advance of the fore hand. In " two 

 tracks," the haunches are always inclined to go in front of 



* Fig. 53. ^Germinal at the canter: shoulder-in ; going from right to left. 

 This is the second period of the canter, and the right diagonal is in support. 

 The right hock is about to be extended, and the near fore has not yet come 

 down. 



Fig. 54. — Germinal at the canter : shoulder-in ; going from left to right. 

 Left diagonal in support. 



f ig- 55. ^Germinal shoulder-in at the canter ; going from left to right in 

 complete rassenibler. We will note that the horse gains less ground, and 

 especially, that the canter of the rassembler is in four time, namely, near hind, 

 off hind, near fore, off fore. In Fig. 55, the oft' hind has just been put down 

 after the near hind, and the near fore — which, in the ordinary canter, would be 

 put down at the same time as the off hind, so as to make the third time, namely 

 the left diagonal in support — has not yet been put down. This canter is there- 

 fore in four time. It should be noted that there is a moment when the off hind 

 and near fore, which form the left diagonal, are in support at the same time ; 

 but what makes the four time is the fact that the off hind precedes a little the 

 support of the near fore. 



t For a long time, like all riding masters since the time of Baucher, I bent 

 the horse's neck to the side he was going ; but I found out that this was a mistake 

 because nothing is more liable to stop propulsion. I now restrict myself to 

 lightly inclining the head of the animal to the side he is going by only very 

 slightly bending the neck. The rein of the side opposite to which he is moving 

 can then have its full effect to push the fore hand, to keep the horse straight, 

 and to secure the maximum amount of propulsion, by its combination with the 

 other rein and with the .egs. 



