CANTERING. 37 



be performed in an easy, graceful manner. The non- 

 military rider should always rise in his stirrups at the 

 trot, as it is fatio^uincr both to the horse and to himself, 

 as well as un-English, to bump up and down. 



To canter. — The best way to make the horse strike off 

 into a canter, is for the rider to feel his mouth lightly, 

 with his hands somewhat raised, close his legs, sit down 

 in the saddle, lean a little back, and make the horse go 

 forward. Although it is immaterial, from a horseman's 

 point of view, which fore leg a horse leads with, still 

 many (absurdly, I venture to think) consider it fashion- 

 able for him to do so only with the off fore. This is 

 quite right, when the horse has to carry a delicate lady 

 who does not want to be shaken, though it ought to be a 

 matter of indifference to a " workman," unless the horse 

 is about to turn, or is cantering in a circle to the left. In 

 the riding school, we are taught to make a horse strike 

 off into a canter with the off fore leading, by having a 

 ''double feeling" on the off rein (the inward rein, sup- 

 posing him to be cantering " circle right ") and by a 

 strong pressure of the left or outward leg. He would 

 then have his head turned to the right, while his hind 

 quarters would be prevented by the pressure of the leg, 

 from swinging round to the left. My own personal 



