LUNGING THE HORSE. 89 



making a pivot of, and consequently throwing an undue 

 proportion of weight on, either his forehand or his hind- 

 quarters. Although it appears to me impossible to work 

 out the problem mathematically, I venture to state that 

 both theory and practice confirm the supposition that in 

 turning, or in circling, which is merely a form of turning, the 

 track of the hind feet should be the same, or as nearly as 

 possible the same, as that of the fore ones. If the curves be 

 concentric, instead of coincident, the pair of limbs which 

 describe the inner curve (or smaller circle) will naturally 

 bear an undue proportion of weight. We have a practical 

 proof of this in the fact that almost all the strains to tendon 

 and ligament which arise from the ordinary method of 

 lunging with one rein, occur in the fore legs. In this form 

 of circling, the turn being made by acting on the head of 

 the horse by means of the cavasson and leading rein ; the 

 head is pulled in towards the centre of the circle and the 

 hind-quarters are allowed to fly out, with the result that the 

 fore feet describe a smaller circle than the hind feet, and 

 consequently have an undue amount of weight thrown on 

 them. 



The fact of a horse turning his head round to one side 

 causes the position of his centre of gravity to be shifted 

 towards that side, the fore and hind leg of which wdll con- 

 sequently bear more weight than their respective fellows 

 under all ordinary conditions. We see this illustrated w4ien 

 the horse is tied head and tail {vide Fig. "jj), in which case 

 it is far more difficult for him to lift up either of the legs 

 of the side to which his head is turned, than either of the 

 corresponding limbs of the other side. In turning or 



