i86 



being ridden in this manner for a month or two the 

 pose of his head will be permanently fixed when the 

 use of the strap may be discontinued (Fig. 26). 



HOW TO TEACH THE COLT TO CANTER. 



Meantime the paces of the colt must be attended 

 to. He should be trained to walk, trot, canter, and 

 gallop with perfect ease and freedom, and, as already 

 shown in a former chapter, he should never be allowed 

 to break his steps, nor execute more than one pace at 

 a time. Cantering is the most graceful as well as the 

 most comfortable pace for a lady, and it is, therefore, 

 desirable that the colt should be trained to do it per- 

 fectly, or, at least, as nearly perfect as the nature of 

 his action will permit. He should always be trained 

 to lead off with his off fore leg as this action will best 

 suit the majority of ladies, although a skilled horse- 

 woman can soon accustom herself either to right or 

 left action. There are many second and even third- 

 rate 'riders, however, who could not do so, therefore, 

 to insure harmony between the paces of the colt and 

 the swinging motion of the rider he should always be 

 trained to lead off with his right leg. This one-sided 

 action will necessarily tire him sooner than if he were 

 allowed to change his legs occasionally ; but ladies' 

 horses, as a rule, are not intended to undertake long 

 fatiguing journeys, a pleasant and agreeable movement 

 being the chief requirement. 



