THE GALLOP. 7^ 



is kept straight with a good hold, and firm pressure of the 

 left leg with application of the left spur sends his quarters 

 flying over to the offside, and he must change. In all these 

 applications of the aids the horse's temper must be taken 

 into consideration. It is of importance that impulse com- 

 municated to the horse by voice, pressure of the leg, or 

 spur, should be tempered with judgment and knowledge 

 of his temper so that the result sought for may be obtained 

 Avithout the risk of his getting beyond the control of the 

 rider's hand. In the canter especially, the spur must be 

 applied with caution and delicacy. 



The Gallop. 



In the gallop, as compared with the canter, the horse no 

 longer throws himself back on his haunches with his fore- 

 legs lightly touching the ground, but throws the greater part 

 of his weight on his fore-hand ; the hind-quarters, thighs 

 and hocks now being called on to exert their full propell- 

 ing power. For this reason, therefore, it is essential that 

 the hunter should be well-formed in front of the saddle. 

 That, in addition to this, he should be deep in girth, strong 

 over the loins, or couplings, with fully developed gaskins, 

 goes without saying. The head has to be brought down to 

 its proper level so that his eyes become the lantern of his 

 feet. The great mistake most men make in galloping, down- 

 hill especially and over rough broken ground, is in not giving 

 their horses enough play or liberty of the head. In another 

 part of this volume I have assigned to the Australian stock- 

 rider the position of the first horseman in the world. I should 

 not recommend one of these colonial centaurs to steer a 

 two-year-old for the Criterion, or a three-year-old for the 

 Derby or St. Leger; did I possess a likely nag for the Grand 



