Manual of Equitation and Horse Training 57 



The use of felt or fiannel boots is recommended for the 

 protection of the legs, especially during work on thelonge. 



Work not mounted.— Leading at the side of old horses 

 is, during the first days, an excellent exercise, permitting 

 the colt to expend his energy without danger to his legs, 

 to become accustomed to outside objects, and to become 

 calm, which is indispensable to useful work. Numerous 

 circumstances in which it is necessary to lead military 

 horses make this a useful lesson, though it is not necessary 

 to keep it up very long. In these walks, the colts should 

 be led first on one hand, then on the other to avoid always 

 bending the neck to the same side. 



Work on the longe. — The results to seek during the first 

 phase are: Obedience to the longe, to stand still while 

 mounted, to bear the weight of the rider, to move forward 

 securely in this new equilibrium. 



Work on the longe is most useful in training. It makes 

 the horse familiar with man, while revealing the latter's 

 strength, and thus he acquires the first notions of obedi- 

 ence. The longe permits him to be worked at fast gaits 

 without fatigue, to be exercised when he can not be 

 mounted or when his rider is absent; to dominate a vicious 

 animal by hard work, without fear of blemishing him. 

 Work on the longe is the basis of training for obstacles. 

 One should profit by the authority which it gives the man 

 over the horse to accustom him to being girthed, to carry- 

 ing the saber, for the first mounting lessons with difficult 

 horses, and finally for teaching him to range the haunches 

 by use of tho riding whip. 



All horses should be perfectly trained in this work. 



The cavesson used for this work should be wide enough, 

 well stuffed, adjusted so that the cheek strap can not injure 

 the eye on the side awav from the breaker, in working on a 

 circle; it should be placed high enough not to hinder breath- 

 ing, and should not have too much play so that there will be 

 no violent action on the nose. 



The driving whip is held in the right hand if the horse 

 works to the left, and vice versa, the butt coming out at 

 side of the thumb. It is kept out of sight as much as pos- 

 sible, should serve only to threaten or by light touches, 

 and should never have a lash on the end. 



The first lessons are of such importance that they 

 should be given by the instructor himself, or by noncom- 



