A Slow Canter, 123 



ally teach her to carry her head properly at this 

 pace, and get her haunches well under her ; and it 

 will give you pleasure to notice how much more 

 natural it is for her to come " in hand " than on 

 the trot. As the canter is the natural gait of the 

 horse, you will find Nelly soon keep to it if she 

 understands that you so desire. But remember 

 that you should canter or gallop habitually only 

 on soft ground. Hard roads soon injure the fore 

 feet and fetlock joints if a horse is constantly can- 

 tered or galloped upon them, because the strides 

 are longer and the weight comes down harder, 

 and always more upon the leading fore foot than 

 upon the other. Moreover, the canter with the 

 hind legs well gathered is apt to be somewhat of 

 a strain to the houghs of the horse unless it is 

 properly — rhythmically — performed, and unless 

 the animal is gradually broken in by proper flex- 

 ions. 



But to canter is one thing. You have yet to 

 teach Penelope to canter on either foot at will, 

 leading off with left or right and changing foot in 

 motion. This is quite another matter, and you 

 will find that it will take some time and a vast 

 deal of patience in both of you. 



Let us suppose that you have brought Nell 

 down to a fairly slow canter. Until you can, 

 without effort to her or you, rein her down to 

 quite a slow one, she does not know the rudi- 



