292 BREAKING FOR SPECIAL WORK. 



The lady's park hack may have to be taught to strike 

 off in the canter always with the off fore leading. It is 

 certainly an advantage for a lady's horse, whether hunter 

 or hack, to readily obey the signal to go off into the canter 

 with either fore leg leading, or to " change " the leading leg 

 when required. 



The tendency which all horses have at the canter and 

 gallop to carry their hind-quarters outside the track of 

 their respective fore legs, is as a rule increased in the lady's 

 horse by the fact that he leads far more often with the 

 off fore than with the near fore, and that the lady's legs and 

 skirt are on the near side. To correct this fault, he should 

 be practised at passaging (see page 273) to the left, and 

 at turning on his forehand (see page 212) to the right. 



If it be desired to put a lady on a horse which has never 

 before carried a side-saddle, but which has been broken in 

 for a man in the ordinary rough-and-ready style, it is well 

 to accustom the animal to the habit by putting a side- 

 saddle on him, attaching a skirt or rug to it, and circling, 

 turning, and reining him back with the long reins until he 

 ceases to pay attention to the loose cloth on his left side. 

 We should also make him, by means of the rope twitch 

 (see page 120), stand perfectly steady while an assistant 

 wearing a skirt is mounted like a lady on the saddle. I 

 have never found that it required more than half-an-hour's 

 tuition to make a horse which was quiet for a man to ride, 

 equally quiet for a lady. It is well to know that a horse 

 which is mounted for the first time by a lady, is apt to 

 be frightened chiefly by the right leg and the portion of 

 the skirt that covers it, being brought over his shoulder 

 and lower part of his neck. 



For a secure seat, a lady requires to ride with the stir- 

 rup leather so short (see The Horsewoman) that she cannot 

 use a spur with ease and precision. Hence, if she wishes 



