170 Training the Saddle Horse 



The trot. — In teaching the horse to trot, take him 

 on the snaffle reins and hold tolerably firm on the 

 bit. Gently urge him into a slow, collected trot, and 

 as he prepares to start begin to post — that is, rise in 

 the saddle. As a rule, the saddle-bred horse will go 

 to trotting the instant you post in the saddle, if 

 urged at the same time. If the horse should make 

 a mistake and start on a ^^ jiggle," bring him to a 

 walk and try again. As you give him the word this 

 time, reach forward, and with the right hand grasp 

 him by the mane, well up on the neck. It seems 

 instinct for the young horse to trot when you do 

 this. Sometimes if you bear a little weight and 

 rather shove his head down, the green horse will go 

 off on the trot. With a difficult horse some excellent 

 horsemen recommend reaching forward and taking 

 hold of one ear. They state that it is a very rare 

 case where this will not work. After the horse knows 

 what you want him to do, then work back to his 

 neck, and eventually by just touching his neck in 

 front of the saddle he will go on the trot. It should 

 be said, however, that the ear method is condemned 

 by many saddle-horse trainers. 



To develop style and action urge the horse for- 

 ward by such gentle means as a light tapping with 

 the whip ; by the judicious application of the spurs 

 and by the voice; but the rider must not allow the 

 animal to pull on the bit. The head must be retained 

 in the correct position by a gentle see-saw action 



