TRAINING A HORSE 



hold his head up and turn his nose slightly to 

 the right; and bending slightly forward, the 

 muscles of the waist being relaxed, the rider can 

 stimulate his horse by touching him with both 

 calves, and if necessary, spurs, applied just 

 behind the girth, every time he takes the 

 saddle. In order to get the mouth and action 

 quite even, it is necessary to vary the leg on 

 which one trots. Both legs and spurs, the 

 action of the right slightly preceding that of the 

 left, applied with steady pressure against the 

 girth, help to stop the horse when the fingers 

 are closed on the left and right reins. It should 

 be noted that when the rider is rising and falling 

 on the near fore leg in the trot, or when the 

 horse is cantering leading with the off fore leg, 

 the right rein drawn slightly across the centre 

 of the neck does not stop the horse, but causes 

 him to raise his neck and cadence his pace, 

 whilst the left rein drawn direct can be used to 

 prevent him moving to the left, to cause him to 

 drop his head or to stop him.* In the trot as 



* This is because in the trot the left rein brings the head 

 down to the leg that is on the ground, whilst the right rein 

 brings it up with the rising leg, the action on the reins being 

 as the rider takes the saddle ; in the canter the action of 

 the left rein is helped by the horse having two legs on the 

 ground at the same time on that side. The effect of drawing 



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