RIDING ON THE ROAD. 



jj 



mistake ; trotting is the safest pace at which a horse can go, 

 provided that he is sound-footed. I shall strive to explain 

 the reason in a few words. When cantering, the off fore 

 and off hind leg are advanced together, leaving the others 

 in the rear ; thus the diagonal legs of the two pairs are not set 

 down simultaneously. If you listen to a perfectly sound 

 horse trotting on a road, you will hear four even beats ; but 

 in the canter it m.ay be only two or three, according as the 

 animal's weight is adjusted. When trotting he makes his 

 diagonal legs serve him turn about, so that when one pair 

 is going forward, the other is sustaining his weight in an 

 equal, or perfectly even manner ; not in a one-sided way, as is 

 the case in the canter. A sound-footed horse, trotting at a 

 regular pace, always has two diagonal supports under him, 

 and two coming to their assistance, for which very reason 

 fast trotting is a dangerous pace when a leg or foot happens 

 to be unsound, or when a slovenly motion is indulged in. 



A horse trotting quickly should never be pulled up in a 

 hurry. You should bring him to a slow trot by shortening 

 the reins, and then to a walk by sitting down in the saddle, 

 and talking to him in a language that he will very readily 

 learn to comprehend. 



In reining a horse back, you must keep in mind the fact 

 that he cannot move at all if you drag him so suddenly 

 backward that he gets both hind-legs under him together. 

 It is a revolting and heartrending sight to see the way in 

 which draymen beat unfortunate horses about the breasts 

 and bellies by way of punishment for not backing heavy 

 loads far enough, when, in reality, the wretched animals 



