ILLUSTRATED GUIDE. 103 



ly back from the perpendicular, and preserve his balance, 

 when practice will do all the rest. 



The canter is, even more than the trot, an unnatural and 

 artificial pace. It can very seldom be taught without 

 setting a horse much upon his haunches, and very rarely 

 indeed without the use of the curb-rein. It is a pace 

 ill which all the legs are lifted and set down, one after the 

 other, in the most methodical manner, the near or off fore 

 leg leading off, as the case may be, but one foot being 

 always in contact with the ground. To start the canter 

 with either leg it is necessary to pull the opposite rein 

 and press the opposite heel. The reason of this is obvious 

 enough. Every horse in starting to canter (and many 

 even in the canter itself), turns himself slightly across 

 his line of progress, in order to enable him to lead with 

 that leg which he thereby advances. Thus, supposing a 

 horse is going to lead off with the off fore leg, he turns 

 his head to the left and his croup to the right, and this 

 easily gets his off leg before and his near leg behind into 

 the line which is being taken. Now, compel him to re- 

 peat this action ; it is only necessary to turn him in this 

 way by pulling his head to the left and. by touching him 

 w^th the left heel, after which he is made to canter by 

 exciting him with the voice or whip, whilst, at the same 

 moment, he is restrained by the curb. When once this 

 lead is commenced, the hold on the curb and pressure 

 on the legs may be quite equal : but if, while the canter 

 is maintained, it is desired to change the leading leg, 

 the horse must be collected and roused by the bit and 

 voice, and then reversing the pull of the rein and the leg- 

 pressure from that previously practised, so as to turn the 

 horse in the opposite way to that in which he was started, 



