84 THE BARB AND THE BEIDLE. 



To facilitate this exercise also, it may be advisable in some cases- 

 to take the whole school instead of half of it ; but in that case the 

 horse should go over the same ground in the " half passage" at a 

 walk, as he afterwards does at a canter. 



When the exercise is done at the latter pace, no attempt should 

 be made at the first effort to change the horse at the boards. The 

 master should give the word very quietly directly the pupil turns the 

 corner of the school, and she should then press her horse well up, and 

 turn his head smoothly from the centre marker, applying her aids 

 with firmness and decision, endeavouring at the same time to prevent 

 him from hurrying his pace. This, however, at the fii'St attempt, it 

 is scarcely to be expected that she will accomplish. 



If the whole school is taken, the point of arrival at the boards 

 should be about a horse's length from the end, where he should be 

 brought quietly to a walk, the rider for this purpose keeping the 

 body back, turning the little fingers of both hands up towards 

 the waist, and drawing the hands themselves well towards her 

 waist. The bend of the horse's head should then be changed to the 

 left, by allowing the off side reins to slip through the right hand 

 about two inches, and drawing the near-side reins through the left 

 hand, with the right, to an equal extent. The near-side reins should 

 then be passed into the right hand, while with the left the rider 

 "makes much" of her horse on the near side. This, of course, should 

 only be done if he has executed the movement with reasonable pre- 

 cision, for (to repeat) perfection cannot be expected in the pupil's 

 first effort. 



Plenty of time should be taken between these " half -passage " 

 lessons, because they are severe, calling very much upon the 

 physical powers of both horse and rider. 



In order to give both a fair chance, the lesson should be again 

 done at a walk, then at a canter, the pupil carefully instructed on 

 arriving at the boards to strike the horse off collectedly to the left. 

 To do this she should quietly change the bend to that hand, carry 

 her left foot well forward towards the horse's shoulder, so as to use 

 an action of her leg reverse to that she had recourse to in striking 

 him off to the right. She should keep him well bent, but well sup- 



