HORSEMANSHIP. 53 



hand on a walk, and on a trot, you will seize 

 the moment you feel yourself in the best per- 

 pendicular position, to put your horse to a 

 gallop. 



It is essential for that purpose, that the 

 rider renders the articulations of his reins, or 

 lower part of the back and knees supple and 

 soft, in order to preserve this perpendicularity, 

 which would without it be infallibly lost. 



It is also in this gait that the division of 

 the three parts of the body of the rider is 

 most apparent, because the part of the body 

 called the waist, should be perfectly united to 

 the movements of the horse, and the higher 

 and lower parts, are in continual activity, to 

 maintain the equilibrium of the entire mass. 



To start on a gallop to the right, you 

 must bring up softly the front of the horse 

 with the bridle hand, at the same time that 

 you force the haunches under him to go ; 

 throw down your hand, the nails upwards in 

 order to stretch the left rein a little, which 

 will force the horse to bend his head a little 

 on this side, and render the shoulder more 

 free, and consequently the right leg, which 

 ought to start off first, this is what is called, 

 to gallop on the right foot. You will at the 

 5* 



