THE HIGH SCHOOL 85 



raises his leg, when they reward him and repeat the 

 lesson until the horse raises the leg on being touehed on 

 the shoulder with the whip, and keeps it stretched out, 

 without the assistance of the stirrup leather. The 

 horse is then ready to be mounted, and guidance by 

 the whip should be gradually replaced by that of the 

 leg or spur. 



Having mounted the horse the rider holds all the 

 reins in the left hand, with the snaffle reins slightly 

 shorter than the curb reins, and after sinking into the 

 saddle and then closing in the legs down to the ankles, 

 without contracting the muscles, he raises the hand, 

 carries it to the left, and by the pressure of the reins 

 places the horse's weight on the near fore leg ; then, with 

 an increased upward feeling on the right rein with the 

 right hand — placed in front of the left — and a touch 

 of the whip on the off shoulder, or pressure from the 

 left leg against the girth, so as to increase the inclina- 

 tion of the horse to that side, when the education is 

 more advanced, he will cause the horse to raise and 

 stretch out his off fore leg ; and when it is fully extended 

 to the toe he should stroke or press the horse forward 

 with both ankles, easing the hand slightly so that the 

 horse can advance, and removing the leg pressure the 

 moment he does so. 



At the moment the foot comes to the ground the 

 opposite aids should be applied to cause the horse to 

 raise and extend his near fore leg and advance on to 

 that foot. In the early lessons the trainer should be 

 satisfied with a step from one leg, and later on from 

 each leg, and the horse should then be pressed forward 

 in a brisk walk. If the horse strikes the ground with a 

 foot instead of j^utting it gently down, or makes any 

 disorderly movement, the mouth should be felt steadily. 



