68 THE BARB AND THE BEIDLE. 



horse, which would tend to confirm him in a bad habit, but reins hinii 

 back, and again puts him up to his bridle. 



It is a rare occurrence when a horse (thoroughly well-broken) 

 strikes oif incorrectly ; but I am endeavouring to write for every 

 contingency. 



Assuming the horse to have struck off smoothly to the in- 

 structor's word Ca-a-n-te-r — which should be given in a quiet,, 

 soothing tone of voice, and drawn out as if every letter were a 

 syllable — the horse should be allowed to canter freely forward, 

 although without rush or hurry. The paq^ should not be toO' 

 collected at first ; the military pace of manoeuvre is about the 

 correct thing ; eight miles an hour or thereabouts ; the cadence 

 true ; the horse well ridden into his bridle, and in this case 

 yielding to the bit — because, in cantering, it is necessary to have an 

 ajjpid upon the mouth, quite different from that to be maintained 

 in trotting, in which it is best for the lady that the horse should feel 

 her hand fairly and firmly, and that there should be little " give-and- 

 take " action of the latter. In cantering, on the other hand, an easy 

 give-and-take play of the hands is indispensable, to cause the horse 

 to bend in the poll of his neck, yield to the hand, and go in true 

 form. By this time the pupil should have acquired sufficient firm- 

 ness and aplomb in the saddle to justify the instructor in commencing 

 to impart to her that mobile action and flexibility of the upper arm 

 at the shoulder joint, which may be regarded as the artistic finish- 

 ing of her course of equitation. But it will not do to commence 

 this (so goes my experience) at the outset of the cantering lesson, 

 wherein at first it is best to insist upon firmness of the arms, other- 

 wise the pupil is most likely (imperceptibly to herself) to allow her 

 hands to glide forward, and thus destroy the flexibility of her waist, 

 which is a point always to be most carefully watched. It is pos- 

 sible that at first the figure of the pupil, from over-anxiety to main- 

 tain her position and ride her horse correctly at the same time, may 

 be somewhat rigid ; but complete flexibility cannot be expected at 

 once. It must be remembered that, although the action of cantering 

 in a horse is much easier than trotting, still it is novel to the rider,, 

 who moreover has to keep her horse up to his work. 



