THE GALLOP. 255 



is necessary to render him as light as possible, in order that 

 he will not o])pose our efforts. By a pressure of the legs, 

 the hind quarters are to be brought well under the body, 

 and, by a simultaneous action of the hand and the legs, his 

 fore quarters are to be raised as for a short leap. The great 

 care of the rider during the whole time of training the 

 horse to this pace, should be given to keeping him, as much 

 as possible, in a light, supple, and active condition. 

 Although a sort of gallop is the natural gait of the horse, 

 the gallop of n well -trained saddle-horse is almost entirely 

 a:ti:ici.il; an 1, to onlain its hio^h action, o'race, and entiie 

 subjection tj the will of the rider, is more difl&cult than any 

 other exercise connected with training. It is im[)ossible 

 for a horse to gallop well until he has been thoroughly 

 suppled, and is in the condition to act only as he is im- 

 pelled by his rider ; the position of the head and the plia- 

 bility of the neck must be perfect. 



No horse can be said to be perfectly trained to the gal- 

 lop until he can be made to lead off with either the right 

 or the left foot, as we may desire, or change his leading 

 foot at every step, or as often as we may choose to have 

 him do so ; not that it is often important, when a horse gal- 

 lops well with whichever foot he happens to lead off with, 

 whether he starts with the left or the right, but because 

 his ability to change at the least hint from his rider, is an 

 indication, and a necessary one, that he is in the proper 

 condition as to lightness and submission. It is only by 

 patiently applying the supplings which have been described^ 

 and by adapting them to the altered necessities of the new 

 pace, that we can, within a reasonable time, train our pupil 

 to a satisfactory gallop. 



A great deal has been written on the subject of making 

 a horse lead off with his right, or his left foot, as we may 

 desire ; but, after a careful perusal of all that is to be found 



