1 30 The Pirouettes and Traverse. 



foot as pivot. For, plainly, both feet cannot act 

 as one pivot without twisting the legs. This pir- 

 ouette is really a "low pirouette," the pirouette 

 proper being a movement by the horse poised on 

 his hind legs alone, describing the circle with fore 

 legs in the air, which is a vastly finer performance. 



It will suffice for you, though, Tom, if Nelly 

 will make the pirouette, simple or reversed, with- 

 out substantially shifting the position of the two 

 pivot feet. But you must remember that if you 

 start with a half-and-half education, it is more dif- 

 ficult to perfect the training than if you start in 

 a more systematic manner ; and I do not pretend 

 that these are the proper, but only easy methods. 



It is by the union of the side steps of forehand 

 and croup, the former always a trifle in advance, 

 that a horse is taught to " traverse," that is, to 

 move sideways at a walk, trot, or gallop. But the 

 traverse is a School gait rarely needed on the 

 road, and a horse may be trained to entire use- 

 fulness without being able to traverse, as a gait, 

 if he can willingly make a few quick side steps 

 in either direction. Moreover, to properly trav- 

 erse, a horse should be taught the passage, which 

 is a gait in which the feet are raised much higher, 

 by the inducement of the spur and the indication 

 of the rein, than the horse would naturally lift 

 them. The passage is put to use in very many 

 of the airs of the manege. 



