268 SCHOOL BREAKING. 



give him confidence, without which it is impossible to make 

 him understand our wishes. Both the piaffer and passage 

 (which give brilliancy to the trot and walk) can be obtained 

 either by stimulating the horse from the walk to the trot 

 and holding him in, or by drawing him in from the ordi- 

 nary^trot to the slower and_more elevated paces. The 

 comparative action of the fore and hind legs can be in- 

 creased by respectively raising or lowering the hands, and 

 by bringing the weight of the body backward or forward ; 

 and vice versa. As the piaffer is useful only as a prepara- 

 tory exercise for the collected short canter, and for change 

 of leg, we should not check the horse if, when at the 

 piaffer, he breaks into this canter. Although the piaffer 

 is, in itself, of no practical utility, the collected short canter 

 is indispensable for cavalry purposes, especially in single 

 combat with sword or lance. 



Although to obtain the desired effect quickly, we may in 

 our first few lessons bend the horse's head to one side or the 

 other when proceeding in a straight direction, we should 

 avoid doing so later on ; for elegance of carriage is incom- 

 patible with any rocking movement of the body. 



TEACHING A HORSE TO STRIKE OFF CORRECTLY INTO THE 



CANTER (see page 223). 



We may begin from the trot, and should in all cases first 

 collect our horse. Just before turning a corner of the 

 school, when trotting for instance to the right, we should 

 touch the horse with the drawn-back left heel at the moment 

 when the near fore comes down ; and, as described on page 

 224, apply the other aids for obtaining the canter with the 

 off fore leading. By starting the horse at a corner when 

 he is oblique to the track upon which he is about to travel, 

 by turning him round, and by leaning to the off side, the 



