TURNING A HORSE. 247 



It is well to teach a horse to pull up in obedience to a 

 vocal signal, so that he may perform this action in a manner 

 most easy to himself. We should give this vocal signal just 

 before taking a pull at the reins as a preparatory warning to 

 the animal to decrease his speed ; for, if a horse understands 

 our wishes, he will do his best to meet them and thus avoid 

 rough handling. 



TO CHANGE FROM ONE PACE INTO ANOTHER. 

 Changing from the canter into the gallop, and from the 

 gallop into the canter is merely a question of respectively 

 increasing and diminishing speed. On page 238 I have con- 

 sidered the change into the trot from other paces, and on 

 page 243 the respective changes from the trot and walk 

 into the canter. The other changes need no special mention. 



TO TURN A HORSE AT THE HALT. 

 Turning at the halt may be divided into turning on the 

 fore-hand, centre, and hind quarters. To turn the horse 

 on his fore-hand at the halt, say, to the right, we should 

 depress the right hand and keep it well away from the 

 shoulder (Fig. 199), so as to give the indication of pulling the 

 head round as clearly as possible. As the flexibility of the 

 neck increases in proportion to its distance from the withers, 

 the left hand should be carried somewhat to the right and 

 raised (Fig. 200), so as to aid in preserving the bend of the 

 neck. We should lean a little forward in the saddle to 

 lighten the hind quarters, and a little to the right so as to 

 help in fixing the off fore ; and should bring the hind 

 quarters round by the application of the drawn-back right 

 foot, or whip (Fig. 28), in the event of the animal not being 

 well trained. The pivot in this turn is the inward fore leg. 

 In the turn on the centre, the fore and hind feet describe arcs 

 of the same circle. 



