TURNING THE HORSE. 39 



to the weight of the rider being, consequently, borne by 

 the stirrup irons, an undue amount of strain will fall on 

 the fore legs. Need I, when advocating consideration to 

 the horse, direct my readers' attention to the old adages 

 which teach that one horse can wear out four sets of 

 extremities, and that he is as old as his legs ? 



To tinni the Jiorse. — Catch a good hold of the horse's 

 head, and close the legs, so as to make him go up to his 

 bridle. At the moment of turning, pull the inward rein 

 (the left if he has to go to the left, and vice versa) 

 stronger than the outward, draw back the outward leg, 

 and press it hard against the horse's side, and lean 

 the body a little towards the side to which the turn 

 is being made. The pull on the inward rein should be 

 steady, and without any jerk or snatch. The object of 

 collecting the horse and pressing the outward leg to his 

 side, is to make him turn, as much as possible, on his 

 hind legs, instead of on his fore, which are much more 

 liable to be sprained than the former. Besides this, if 

 a horse be allowed to turn on his fore legs, he will be 

 very liable to cross them, and come down. On account 

 of the rider's weight being borne more by the fore, than 

 by the hind extremities, the natural balance of the 

 animal's frame is disturbed for turning by the fact of a 



