Teaching the Lead, 131 



XXXIX. 



To revert now to the canter, for which the 

 pirouettes are preparations. There are two or 

 three ways of teaching a horse to lead with either 

 foot, but the best way is to begin with the flex- 

 ions which I have just described to you, and the 

 more perfect these are, the easier and quicker the 

 progress, and the more satisfactory the result. 



If you have not patience to wade through all 

 these, you may try the following plan, which is 

 founded on the natural instincts and balance of 

 the horse, but for the execution of which, with 

 your load on his back, he has not been prepared. 



A horse will lead with the off foot most readily 

 if he is going round a circle to the right ; with 

 the near foot, if circling to the left. In other 

 words, the foot which will quickest sustain his 

 weight against the centrifugal motion is the one 

 which is planted first, that is, the foot not lead- 

 ing. The way a horse is taught in a riding- 

 school to lead with either foot is by associating 

 the proper indication to do so with the lead he 

 naturally takes as he canters around the right or 

 left of the ring, or changes direction in what are 

 called the voltes in teaching pupils. But I have 

 seen many horses who would do this very readily 

 inside school walls, who were very stupid or re- 

 fractory on a straight bit of road. I think this is 



