200 UNASKED ADVICE. 



rather more on his haunches than the hack of a civihan 

 does — he progresses to the trot and the "bending 

 lesson/^ This latter is a performance unknown to civihan 

 horsebreakers and riders generally, but indispensable in 

 the education of a steed who is to be ridden with one 

 hand on the reins, and only one. In plain English, it 

 consists of walking more or less sideways, in obedience 

 to the pressure of the rider^s leg or heel. It is practised 

 until the least pressure of one leg causes the horse to 

 sidle away from it, and its use is chiefly noticable in 

 closing up in the ranks when the squadron is halted. 

 Then the young horse, being perfect in these lessons, and 

 also in '^^ reining back,^^ proceeds to learn the canter. 

 The canter of the manege is as slow and collected as it is 

 possible to be, all on the haunches, which result is 

 attained by the practice of the pace in a gradually de- 

 creasing circle, until he is as nearly as possible competent 

 to perform that often described, but never witnessed, 

 accomplishment — cantering round a cabbage leaf. All 

 these lessons have been practised with the bridoon only, 

 and its use is sometimes continued so long as to give the 

 horse a habit of boring on it, which he never loses. 

 Bitting is a separate difl&culty, or otherwise, as the case 

 may be. The greatest attention is paid throughout to 

 the carriage of the horse^s head, and with success; at 

 least I never saw a troop horse who declined altogether 

 to bend to the rider^s hand, as many hunters do, though 

 some, of course, are not so perfect as others. Here we 

 have got our horse quiet to mount and ride in the school, 

 handy at turning and backing, and pretty well confirmed 

 in his paces ; and up to this point the training is satis- 

 factory enough, excepting, perhaps, that the bit might 

 often have been used sooner than it is. About this stage 



