RIX(] RIDING. 35 



round on a circle, without the front legs letiving- the 

 ground they began at ; in turning round to the right, the 

 left front leg acts as the pivot, and in turning to the left, 

 the right front leg acts as the pivot. The aid for turning 

 a horse right about on the forehand is this, the right rein 

 stays the forehand, and the pressure of the left leg circles 

 the croup round step by step. The right leg should be 

 kept closed, so as to prevent the horse from hurrying 

 away from the pressure of the left, and you should retain 

 a feeling of the horse's mouth by raising the left rein. To 

 turn the forehand left about, you stay the forehand with 

 the left rein, and use the right leg to circle the croup, the 

 hands and legs are simply reversed. To turn a horse on 

 the haunches, the forehand turns round, and the hind legs 

 turn on their own ground. When w^heeling to the left, it's 

 the left hind leg that serves as the pivot, and when wheel- 

 ing to the right, it's the right hind leg that serves as the 

 pivot. In turning right about on the haunches, you should 

 close the right leg to stay the hindquarters, and feel the 

 right rein to circle the forehand round, and in turning left 

 about you close the left leg and feel the left rein. 



I will write just a few more words before 1 close this 

 chapter on ring riding. Remember that when riding in a 

 class, every rider should be able to trot or canter single 

 file, each one keeping his or her horse well collected, and 

 also be able to canter by two's or four's; each rider 

 should be very careful to keep the proper distance. 



