74 RIDING 



from, the centre of the circle ; let him again stand a minute 

 or two, then quietly lead him forward again ; it should be 

 understood that in leading a horse that is not inclined to follow,, 

 the man should not turn round and walk backwards and 

 try to drag the horse after him, staring hard into his eye all 

 the time, but should try to get the horse to walk alongside 

 of him by coaxing him. There is nothing more likely to* 

 make a horse hang back than turning round and looking at 

 him. 



He may now be led a few times round the circle, and as it 

 has been the custom to begin everything he has been taught so- 

 far from the near side, he should be led round to the left, so 

 that the man who is leading him is still on the near side of 

 him. The other man should follow a short distance behind, 

 not going over exactly the same ground as the horse, but keep- 

 ing on his left rear, and if the horse is inclined to stop should 

 hold up his hand or show him the whip if necessary. While 

 walking round, the man who is leading the horse should 

 gradually give him a little more rein, keeping the horse going 

 over the same sized circle, but making the circle he himself is 

 walking smaller, so as to get a little farther away from him, but 

 keeping as nearly as possible in line with the horse's shoulder ;, 

 and then, if he is going pretty kindly, he may be quietly urged 

 into a trot, the man with the whip keeping him out over the 

 circle by showing it when necessary. As the horse increases 

 his pace the man holding the rein must walk a little faster so as 

 to keep himself in line with the animal's shoulder, and not as. 

 is generally done stand still and allow the horse to describe a 

 circle round him or not, as he feels inclined. A few times 

 round the circle at a trot is sufficient to begin with, and then 

 walk, but in bringing the horse from a trot to a walk do not 

 attempt to pull him up by the rein ; if you do you will only 

 pull his head to the left, his croup will of course go to the 

 right, and you run the chance of giving him a strain in his first 

 lesson. In order to stop him, shake the cavesson rein lightly 

 and give the word ' W-a-l-k ! ' in a long soothing tone : rather- 



