42 THE HORSEMAN'S MANUAL. 



When the horse has become accustomed to the sword, 

 he must be taught to stand to be fired from ; and for this 

 purpose we commence With a pistol, which, if it has the 

 percussion lock, we at first put only a cap upon ; and when 

 he will allow that to be exploded without alarm, shake a 

 little powder into the barrel without ramming it down ; 

 and when he has become used to this, load the pistol in the 

 ordinary way (with blank cartridge of course) till he will 

 stand with confidence to be fired from. 



If the pistol you use has the old-fashioned lock, put a 

 little powder into the pan and some into the barrel (with- 

 out ramming it down), and fire it off instead of exploding 

 the cap. 



Lesson VIII, 



The horse having been well-instructed in the foregoing 

 lessons, and carefully ridden well up to the hand in the 

 trot, must next be advanced to the canter, and if he has 

 been attentively instructed in the trot, this will be an easy 

 lesson ; the rider taking the precaution not to require too 

 much at the commencement, but increase every day ac- 

 cording to the horse's strength. 



The canter is a delicate and somewhat artificial pace, 

 being nothing more nor less than a shortened gallop ; and 

 when well performed, is very showy, easy, and elegant ; 

 but as the reverse is often the case, owing to the imperfect 

 training of the horse, or the unskilfulness of the rider, it 

 is very unsightly, and offensive to the eye of the practised 

 horseman. 



At first, the canter is mostly very long and loose, more 

 particularly if the horse has not been well ridden up to the 

 hand in his former lessons ; but by practice and attention 

 from the rider, it will, by degrees, become shorter and 

 more collected. The canter being a more violent exer- 

 tion than the trot, the lessons should be regulated accord- 



