i 9 4 BREAKING ON FOOT. 



The turn on the forehand is made on the off fore as a 

 pivot (moving or fixed), when the hind-quarters move 

 from right to left (in the direction taken by the hands of 

 a watch). This I shall call the turn on the forehand to the 

 right; and the movements of the hind-quarters from left 

 to right, with the near fore as a pivot, the turn on the 

 forehand to the left. Respecting the " school " acceptation 

 of these terms, see page 271. 



To teach the horse on foot the turn on the forehand to the 

 left, we may, while facing him and standing close to his 

 near shoulder, take hold of the near rein of the snafHe, 

 not far from the mouthpiece, in the left hand, and the off 

 rein, passed over the lower part of the neck, in the right 

 hand, which also grasps a cutting whip or cane (see Fig. 

 95). Our object here, as I have already indicated, is 

 to cause the horse to circle his hind-quarters from left 

 to right (in a direction opposite to that in which the 

 hands of a watch move) round the near fore foot, which 

 at first should describe a small circle (that is, it should be 

 a moving pivot) ; but may, when the animal's education 

 is further advanced, perform the more difficult task of 

 turning round on its own axis without quitting the ground. 

 At first the horse's head should be turned to the left, so 

 as to -render the near fore leg more or less stationary, by 

 increasing the amount of weight on it ; but later on, it 

 should be kept in the same line as the body, or it may be 

 even slightly turned to the right ; for if it be held in either 

 of these directions, the balance of the animal's body will 

 be better preserved than if his head were turned to the 

 left. By lightly touching the near quarter with the whip 

 we should endeavour to make the horse move his hind 

 legs to the right. To prompt him to describe, as he 

 ought to do, a circle round his near fore with his off fore, 

 we may, as often as may be required, touch with the 



