LONG-REIN DRIVING. 203 



When the horse is able, say, after two or three lessons, 

 to go through in a competent manner at a walk the long- 

 rein work which I have described, he may be made to do it 

 at a trot and canter. At both these paces, the size of the 

 circle should be gradually diminished in order to teach the 

 horse to collect himself. 



Although the horse will, after a time, learn to strike off 

 from the walk or trot into the canter with the leg appro- 

 priate to the circle on which he is being worked ; it is well 

 to teach him to do so on receiving a suitable signal, which 

 can be utilised when riding the horse in a straight direction. 

 Thus, when circling the horse to the right, for instance, at 

 the walk or trot, with the outward rein round the quarters, 

 I would, in order to give the horse the signal to strike off 

 into the canter with the off fore leg leading, feel the left 

 rein the stronger of the two, so as to turn the horse's head 

 a little outside and his hind-quarters a little inside the 

 circle, and then make him strike off correctly by feeling 

 the right rein, and by '' showing " him the whip, or clicking 

 to him. The lead with the near fore, while going on the 

 left circle, would naturally be obtained in the reversed 

 manner. 



A dozen lessons, two a day, will under ordinary circum- 

 stances be ample for teaching the horse the work with the 

 long reins up to this point. The discipline gone through 

 during that time, combined with the '* gentling " action of 

 the reins on the hind-quarters, will in the large majority of 

 cases have taken all, or nearly all, of the nervousness, 

 impatience of control, or aggressiveness out of vicious, wild 

 or otherwise " difficult " animals. 



