THE CANTER. 41 



SO that upon any disturbance of pace, going "false," 

 or change of direction, the rider may be equal to the 

 occasion. The lady must be careful that the bridle-arm 

 does not acquire the ugly habit of leaving the body and the 

 elbow of being stuck out of it akimbo. All the movements 

 of the hand should proceed from the wrist, the bearings 

 and play on the horse's mouth being kept up by the little 

 finger. 



Ladies will find that most horses are trained to lead entirely 

 with the off leg, and that when, from any disturbance of 

 pace, they are forced to " change step " and lead with the 

 near leg, their action becomes very awkward and uneven. 

 Hence they are prone to regard cantering with the near leg 

 as disagreeable. But when they come to use their own 

 horses, they will find it good economy to teach them to 

 change the leading leg constantly, both during the canter 

 and at the commencement of the pace. To make a horse 

 change foot in his canter, if he cannot be got readily to do 

 so by hand, leg, and heel, turn him to the right, as if to 

 circle, and he will lead with the off foreleg, and by repeat- 

 ing the same make-believe manoeuvre to the left, the near 

 fore will be in front. The beginner, however, had better 

 pull up into the walk before attempting this change. When 

 pulling up from the canter, it is best and safest to let the 

 horse drop into a trot for a few paces and so resume the 

 walk. 



■ There is no better course of tuition by which to 

 acquire balance than the various inclinations to the right 

 and left, the turns to the right and left and to the right and 

 left-about at the canter, all of which, with the exception of 

 the full turns, should be performed on the move without 

 halting. In the turn-about, it is necessary to bring the horse 

 to a momentary halt before the turn be commenced, and 



