100 THE BARB ANii THE BRIDLE. 



although it is a mistake to say that in the gallop the horse moves 



both fore and hind legs together, in what is frequently termed 



" a succession of jumj)s." That he does this in his top speed, and 



especially in making a supreme effort, as in a desperate finish of a 



race, is perfectly true : but it' is equally certain that at half or three 



quarter speed he is leading with either near or off fore leg, and that 



anything but a full speed gallop is simply a very extended canter. 



Any man who has ridden a race must know that where the distance 



is great, say four miles or more, and men do not force the pace, for 



perhaps two-thirds of the way every horse (say of a score of them) 



will be leading with either near or off leg, generally the former, and 



that a very hot excitable horse, eager to get to the front, will 



change Ms leg when he finds his rider keeps his hands doAvn, and his 



horse back. It may be said that this is not galloping but cantering ; 



but I beg to assure all those who maintain this opinion that such a 



canter is faster than any gallop resorted to, apart from racing, that, 



in short, such a gallop is a very extended canter. Whatever the 



term, however, may be most applicable to it, half racing speed is 



quite as fast as a lady will have occasion to ride, unless in cases of 



desperate emergency. At such speed the horse has altogether a 



different balance to that maintained in the short canter ; and, 



although he does not go altogether on his shoulders, still, to afford 



him freedom of action, he must be allowed to extend his head and 



neck, because, if too much bent, his action will be clambering, 



instead of sending him freely to his front. 



To gallop a horse in good form the lady should adopt a different 

 arrangement of the reins to any heretofore used. It is simply to 

 divide them, so that the little fingers of both hands pass between the 

 snaifle and curb reins, the latter under the little finger, and a Uttle 

 longer than the former, the appui bemg principally uj^on the snaftie, 

 although there should be no slack rein on the curbs. Her hands 

 shoiild be kept well apart, and as low down as she can get them. 

 The reason for separating the hands is, that it is far more difficult 

 for a lady to set her hands down than for a man to do the same thing, 

 because the front forks of the saddle are very much in her way. 

 If, however, she rides with a saddle, the off side crutch of which 



