HUNTERS, HACKS, POLO PONIES. 227 



the right hand. That is, raise your right hand so that he 

 may see it. If he does not 'catch on,' snap your fingers. A 

 well broken horse will at once bound into a canter. An 

 educated saddler rarely forgets this signal. 



"We have set forth the code of signals in ordinary use by 

 southern trainers of saddle horses. Of course there are 

 variations. All horses will not respond to all of these 

 signals. A horse has some individuality and a mind of its 

 own as well as a man. In that event something else that he 

 does comprehend, readily is tried. But by all means teach 

 your horse to change his gaits at your will and not his." 



THREE-aAITED SADDLE HORSES, 

 HUNTERS, HACKS. POLO PONIES. 



Walk, trot and canter are the three gaits in 

 che ordinary variety of saddle horse. All horses 

 go these gaits naturally, but it is a great mis- 

 take to suppose that any horse which is broken 

 to ride is a ^^plain-gaited'^ saddler. Far from 

 it ; the three-gaited riding horse has his qualifi- 

 cations as unmistakably as the park horse. 

 These qualifications are briefly summed up as 

 follows : He must be ^ ' a horse in front of you, ' ^ 

 which means that he must have sloping shoul- 

 ders and a long well poised neck; he must be 

 short and strong in his back, powerful in his 

 quarters; he must be light in his forehand, 

 and he must stand higher in front than behind. 

 If he is made after this fashion there will be a 

 resiliency of motion to his progress which 

 makes for the comfort of the rider and the en- 

 durance of the horse. Straight shoulders, short 

 necks and heavy heads are very objectionable. 

 Proper mouthing and manner ing are as essen- 

 tial in the three-gaited as in the five-gaited sad- 

 dler. 



It does not make much difference how this 



