EMPLOYMENT OF THE TRAINED HORSE 135 



give his horso the first lesson in the use of the leg, and 

 makes him accept this aid. The short turn by the 

 diagonal effect (left indirect rein of opposition and right 

 leg for turning to the right) is the closest, the most 

 prompt and the most correct of the turns. The left 

 rein pushes the shoulders to the right, and the horse 

 turns his head to the right without slaclcening his speed. 

 To sum up, of the two large turns, the first is the most 

 elementary ; the second the most usual, in open air 

 horsemanship : of the two close turns, the first is 

 excellent to enforce obedience to the leg ; the second is 

 the more rapid and regular. 



3. The turn from a stationary position is employed 

 when the rider, being at a stand, wishes to change 

 direction : it is made on the shoulders, on the quarters, 

 or on the centre. The half-turn on the forehand, when 

 executed correctly and rapidly, proves the submission 

 of the horse to the leg, and the suppleness of the hind- 

 quarters. The half-turn on the quarters, executed 

 correctly and rapidly, proves the lightness of the fore- 

 hand, the suppleness of the shoulders, the strength of 

 the loins, and the submission of the hindquarters. If 

 one carries out step by step these two movements, the 

 horse will better understand the mechanism, but they 

 have not the same suppling effect ; one should, however, 

 execute them very slowly if wishful to get the best 

 results. 



The half-turn on the shoulders, and the half-turn on 

 the quarters, are difficult to execute perfectly. The 

 half-turn in place, in which the horse pivots on his 

 centre by carrying, for example, his shoulders to the 

 right and his quarters to the left, is of easy execution 

 and constant application. It is obtained by the action 

 of the left rein indirect of opposition, which carries the 



