72 THE BAEB AND THE BRIDLE. 



CHAPTER X. 



The Cantering Lesson {continued). 



Haying satisfied himself as to the proficiency of liis pupil in canter- 

 ing "going large" — that is, round the school or menage — the atten- 

 tion of the instructor should next be directed to teaching her to 

 make the turns and circles, and execute the "half passage" with 

 precision. 



The use of these exercises is to confirm (while riding upon both 

 snaffle and curb reins) the steadiness of hand and seat and true 

 balance of the rider, because, although these may appear good 

 enough while a lady is riding her horse on a straight line, or only 

 wdth the turns at the corners of the school, many shortcomings will 

 be detected when she attempts to turn him square from the boards, 

 or asks him to make a true circle, in which the hind legs follow 

 exactly over the same track as the fore legs. 



To commence tliis lesson in proper form, the pupil should collect 

 her horse, by reining him quietly back, then move him forward well 

 up to the hand, at a walk and at a smart active pace. AVhen she 

 arrives at the centre marker at the end of the school, the master 

 should give the word "down the centre," when the rider should 

 turn her horse square to the right (assuming, as is usually the case, 

 that she commences her lesson to that hand). The aids for turning 

 at a walk having been already given, it is only necessary to say that 

 the turn down the centre requires only a trifle stronger application of 

 the left leg, to counteract any tendency of the horse to throw liis 

 haunches outwards, and that, looking steadily to the centre marker 

 at the other end of the school, the pupil should sight that marker 

 well between her horse's ears, and ride true and straight to it, taking 

 care, by closing the leg in time, that the horse does not cut off any 



