TRAINING 105 



The horses being on a circle at the canter, the 

 instructor, in order to avoid the fatigue caused by long 

 continued work on a short turn, should enlarge and 

 decrease the size of the circle every few turns, and 

 counteract the tendency of the horses to slacken their 

 sjiced in proportion as the circle becomes smaller. 

 The sharp turn at the slow canter is easy ; that which 

 is dillieult, and which must be obtained, is the sharp 

 turn at a last pace. 



C. How to develop the free play of the shoulders. 

 — The horse which, when at liberty, goes through 

 evolutions with ease, and balances himself without 

 difficulty, becomes generally heavy on the hand the 

 moment he is mounted ; this change arises partly from 

 the distribution of the rider's weight, and partly 

 because the horse balanced himself for movements 

 which he himself wished to execute, whilst he does not 

 yet know how to balance himself for movements which 

 his rider requires of him. 



The most suitable exercises for gi^^ng mobihty 

 to the shoulders, and consequently developing the 

 lightness of the forehand, are, the slackening of the 

 various paces, the halts and half-halts, backing, and 

 csiDccially the zigzag line and the serpentine, in which 

 the turns are demanded by the reins only, causing 

 the shoulders to turn round the quarters, the circle 

 with the croup on the inside, the half-volts — more 

 and more restricted till the horse makes the half-turn 

 on the quarters— the double changing of hand, and 

 moving sidewavs with the shoulder in. There is good 

 reason for specially working on zigzag lines at the 

 canter, the number of strides between each turn being 

 gradually decreased, the horse making the turns without 

 changing his leading leg. This is the best lesson for 



