THE LADY^S HORSE. 9 



rider^s outward leg, to lead with tlie inward or off 

 fore leg. This must be done by degrees, and lie may be 

 cantered round the manege several times, occasionally 

 pulling up to a walk. Before very long he will strike off 

 in his canter from a walk, and, as a matter of course, with 

 the off leg. If he changes his leg, which he will do at 

 first, he must be checked at once — not let go a yard 

 farther than can be helped, and induced to begin again 

 with the off fore leg, which can be done at the first 

 corner. When starting with the off leg is reduced to 

 nearly a certainty, and when the horse will continue with- 

 out changing to canter on, he may be turned across the 

 manege, as in the trot ; and, finally, when he is well col- 

 lected on his haunches he may canter on the circle. The 

 curb-rein will be required for all the cantering lessons, 

 but it must not be borne on too strongly, or the horse 

 will learn to go on his own shoulders, and to hang on his 

 bridle and his rider^s hands — just the opposite of what we 

 want. Therefore the pressure of the legs must correspond 

 with the feeling of the mouth; fine handling, in short, must 

 be employed. We presume no one who does not know 

 this much would be employed to ride a lady^s horse. 



It is as well to accustom the horse to firing, which is a 

 simple affair enough when properly managed. At the 

 close of the lesson fiash off a little powder, and imme- 

 diately give the horse a handful of corn, making much of 

 him the while. How long it will be before he ceases to 

 mind the powder, which may be gradually increased to a 

 pistol charge, depends on the temperament of the indi- 

 vidual animal. Some never mind firing ; others are a long 

 time in getting used to it. One thing must be remem- 

 bered if the horse be timid — a mementos loss of temper 

 or violence in the rider may throw the horse's education 



