J04 RIDING 



for them than for better bred ones of a better shape. Such 

 horses are really not in their places as saddle horses at all. If 

 they are intended to carry a man they usually require a great deal 

 more time than the good shaped ones, and their riders should 

 be satisfied with a little at a time, frequently halting and bend- 

 ing them, and reining back a few steps, then trying again. 



Some horses even good shaped ones acquire the habit at 

 a canter of getting their heads too low and boring on the hand. 

 This often comes of previous bad riding, and should be cor- 

 rected by the rider keeping them well up to their work with the 

 legs and frequently reining back. Others again at this pace, as 

 well as the other paces, are inclined to poke their noses out 

 and carry their heads too high. These require the hands to be 

 kept low and not too much leg, for it often happens that this 

 style of going is produced by the rider having driven up more 

 with his legs than he could retain in his hands. In either case 

 there is no better correction for horses, when they do not canter 

 as collectedly or carry themselves as they ought to do, than a 

 little reining back. If well done, it gets those that carry their 

 heads too low to raise their forehands and bring their haunches 

 under them, and makes them altogether lighter in hand ; in 

 the opposite case it has the effect of bringing the horse's nose 

 more under his ears, and teaches him to yield to the rider's 

 hand instead of fighting at his bridle. When turning at a 

 canter, which should not be practised until the horse is fairly 

 well collected, he requires to be kept well up to the hand with 

 both legs, the outward of course the stronger, so as to prevent 

 the haunches from being thrown out, which is more likely to 

 be done in this case than at a trot. The horse must not be 

 allowed to hurry in the turn, which young horses at first are 

 often inclined to do. The rider should make the turn, if any- 

 thing, at a slower pace than when going straight forward, keep- 

 ing the forehand well raised to prevent the horse coming too 

 much on his shoulders, and giving him plenty of room to turn 

 in, until such time as he is well balanced in his canter. 



Of course it will not now be necessary to put the horse on 



