SEATS. 87 



always do so to the left, on the near hind leg, &c, 

 Mr. Trager advances in support of his views the well-\ 

 known fact that men's right arms and left legs are 

 naturally most relied on, being also stronger ; and he 

 believes this to be the case with very many other \ 

 animals — dogs, for instance, whose method of going 

 diagonally seems to prove it. Now it is quite pos- | 

 sible that this is also the cause of what has been 

 alluded to above — namely, that in trotting after the 

 English fashion the horse endeavours to accommodate 

 the strong and weak pairs of legs to the rise and fall 

 ofthe rider in the saddle; and if so, it is worth the^ 

 attention of practical men. 



It is, however, quite clear that if -we desire to train 

 horses to perfectly equal action on both sides — as is 

 necessary for military purposes, where all must be 

 brought as nearly as possible to one standard of action, 

 or for draught, where the team should trot alike — it 

 "will be better to employ the " bobbing up and down 

 system" than English riding. The Americans under- 

 stand and apply this in the training of their great 

 trotters : few English horses can compete with them, 

 because their trot is uneven. But of course there is 

 no use in attempting a combination of '^ wash-ball," or 

 "tongs across a wall," w^ith "bobbing ;"it will never suc- 

 ceed in anything except shaking the rider's lungs out : 

 the nearly perpendicular tread on the stirrup, with an 

 elastic ankle to break the jolt, is imperative. The 

 Orientals, w'ho use shovel-stirrups, and stand straight 

 on the entire sole of the foot, never attempt trotting — 

 their paces are walk or gallop. Arab horses have, 

 however, a tremendous trot if you can bring them to 

 it ; but you must sit like wax, and have the delicate 



