CHAPTER IX. 



THE CANTER. 



" When troubled in spirit, when weary of life, 

 When I faint 'neath its burdens, and shrink from its strife, 

 When its fruits, turned to ashes, are mocking my taste, 

 And its fairest scene seems but a desolate waste, 

 Then come ye not near me, my sad heart to cheer 

 With friendship's soft accents or sympathy's tear. 

 No pity I ask, and no counsel I need, 

 But bring me, oh, bring me my gallant young steed, 

 With his high arched neck, and his nostril spread wide, 

 His eye full of fire, and his step full of pride ! 

 As I spring to his back, as I seize the strong rein, 

 The strength to my spirit returneth again ! 

 The bonds are all broken that fettered my mind, 

 And my cares borne away on the wings of the wind ; 

 My pride lifts its head, for a season bowed down, 

 And the queen in my nature now puts on her crown ! " 



GRACE GREENWOOD. 



IN the gallop, the horse always has a leading 

 foot or leg. In leading with the right fore-foot, 

 he will raise the left one from the ground, and 

 then the right will immediately follow, but will 

 be advanced somewhat beyond the left one ; 

 and this is the reason why, in this case, the 

 right side is called the " leading side." In the 

 descent of the fore-feet, the left one will touch 

 the ground first, making the first beat, and will 



