THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 79 



"Many a horse" (says the "Aid Book") "keeps a tolerable 

 •canter on a straight line, but when turned he feels too much con- 

 straint laid upon him, and leans upon the rider's hand. If at such 

 a moment the rider yields the reins instead of closing the hand 

 firmly on them, turning the little fingers up towards the waist, and 

 closing the leg firmly, the horse comes upon his forehand." 



Concise as the above passage is, it describes exactly what occurs 

 on first making a turn at a canter, and it calls upon all the energy 

 and attention of the pupil to keep the horse up to his work. But 

 as in other exercises in the course of equitation, her reward will be 

 in her thorough command over her horse under all circumstances, 

 because by learning to ride him with such minute precision she is 

 always able to anticipate his every movement. 



The first three or four turns at a canter should be made square 

 across the school, from side to side, and no second word should be 

 given on arriving at the boards ; the pupil turning her horse again 

 to the right without any caution, and continuing to "go large" 

 round the school until she again gets the word to turn. This 

 practice will teach her to be constantly on the alert, and to maintain 

 such a balance as will enable her in turning to move exactly on the 

 same line as her horse, bringing her left shoulder up precisely at the 

 right moment. 



Three or four turns are quite sufficient for the first lesson, because 

 the horse before completing these must go several times round the 

 school, and the pupil should ride hun well up to his bit. After a few 

 turns, smoothly and correctly made, the pupil should bring her horse 

 to the walk, halt, make much of him, and sit at ease. 



Making much of a horse when he has performed well is always a 

 judicious mode of letting him know that he has been doing right ; at 

 the same it affords him an interval of rest, which is quite necessary. 

 U'his may appear absurd to those who are accustomed to see horses 

 continue galloping for hours. But it must be remembered that the 

 sort of work I have been endeavouring to describe is altogether 

 artificial ; that the animal thrown upon his haunches only goes 

 through the lesson with considerable exertion, and that if he is 

 kept too long at it, this can only be done by an amount of fatigue 



