282 HIGH-SCHOOL RIDING. 



slightest sign of obedience, he immediately stops the work, in 

 order to make the horse understand, by pats on the neck, that 

 he has done well. The quickness with which he perceives the 

 slightest signs, saves him from overtaxing and disgusting the 

 horse, and provoking him to battle, w^hich will wear them 

 both out. 



The unskilful rider, who is slow in catching the cadence, will 

 continue to use the spur, in order to obtain several cadenced 

 times, and to be sure he is right, and wall thus punish the 

 horse, w^ho, not knowing why he is punished, will defend 

 himself, while the rider is spurring him. The result will be,, 

 that when he wants the horse to again do the passage^ the 

 animal will think he is going to be punished, and will become 

 mad at the approach of the spurs. 



Hence, the important point is to recognise the slightest signs 

 of good will, and to be content with little. If the horse does 

 not fear the approach of the legs, and if we are not too 

 exacting, a time will always arrive when he will take up the 

 cadence oi She. passage with ease and pleasure. We may then 

 ask more ; because, as the horse understands us, there will be 

 no fear of over-exciting his nervous system. 



All the work on " two tracks " can be made at the passage, 

 but it is difficult to do it correctly.* 



The artificial passage is another form, which is only an 

 adjunct of the Spanish walk. It is an wvlCo\\&c\&^ passage, 

 and consequently it is opposed to all the principles of 

 equitation. I practised it in my youth, when I had not 



* Fig. 58. — Markir at the passage on "two tracks" from left to right, with 

 the left diagonal in the air. The position is that of " two tracks," but the 

 action is that of 'Cn^ passage. 



Fig- 59- — Markir at iht passage on "two tracks " from left to right, with the 

 right diagonal in the air. Here the movement on " two tracks " is well marked. 

 The near hind, which gains but little ground, is well raised. The off fore, after 

 having been raised, like the off fore in Fig. 58, is carried away from the near fore, 

 in order to gain ground to the right. 



