TRAINING 65 



aids, and as it is essential that the horse should carry 

 the head and neek high, it is best as a general rule to 

 ride him on the bridoon, the curb reins being slightly 

 slack. 



The horse moves most freely if the rider tucks his 

 seat bones well under him (see Appendix I., de Comtc 

 d'Aure), and sits loose with the thighs and legs hardly 

 touching the sides, in fact, slightly opened, and gently 

 draws the horse back on to his hocks ; the legs and 

 spurs stimulating him when necessary with intermittent 

 touches. 



It should be noted that when the rider is rising and 

 falling on the near fore leg in the trot, or when the 

 horse is cantering leading with the off fore leg, the right 

 rein draAvn slightly across the centre of the neck causes 

 him to raise his neck and cadence his pace ; whilst the 

 left rein held low, and drawn direct, keeps his head 

 steady and in its place with the help of the left leg ; 

 in hot weather, a horsehair fly whisk helps if flies are a 

 nuisance. 



(c) In the canter, the rider supports the horse with 

 the legs, and closes his fingers on the reins each time the 

 leading fore foot comes to the ground, and then eases, 

 so that the horse can spring, the height of the hands 

 regulating the pace. 



If the rider has difficulty in getting his horse to 

 start off say with the off fore leg leading, he can force 

 the horse's off shoulder out, by closing his fingers on the 

 left reins, and pivoting him round two or three times on 

 the near fore leg by pressing in the left leg and spur. 

 To increase the pace, the spur on the non-leading side 

 should be used so as not to make the horse change his 

 leading leg. 



To teach the slow canter, or when working a horse 



F 



