1 20 Horses at Liberty. 



respond to the pressure of the legs, you must 

 practice bringing your legs towards her flanks 

 while her head is well poised, at frequent inter- 

 vals. Whenever she responds by bringing her 

 hind legs under her — and you will notice when 

 she does so by her greater elasticity and more ac- 

 tive movement — speak a good word to her, and 

 keep her gathered in this way only so long as she 

 can comfortably remain so, gradually prolonging 

 the terms during which you hold her thus " col- 

 lected." You will find that her step will soon be- 

 come lighter and the speed of her response to 

 your own movements a great contrast to the slug- 

 gishness of the horse moving his natural gait in 

 the saddle. Her carriage will begin to show the 

 same equilibrium in which the practiced fencer 

 stands " in guard," or more properly, it will show 

 that splendid action of the horse at liberty which 

 he never exhibits in the restraint of the saddle, 

 except when trained. 



Whoever has watched a half-dozen fine horses 

 just turned loose from the stall into a pretty pad- 

 dock, will have noticed that, in their delighted 

 bounds and curvetings, each one will perform his 

 part with a wonderful grace, ease, and elegance of 

 action. You may see the passage, piaffer, and 

 Spanish trot, and even the passage backwards, 

 done by the untrained horse of his own playful 

 volition, urged thereto solely by the exuberance 



