244 MO U.N TED BREAKING. 



the circle by turning him to the right with the reins, while 

 at the same time raising the hands a little and leaning the 

 body slightly to the rear so as to lighten the forehand. The 

 reversed aids would be used on the left circle for making 

 the horse lead off with the near fore. As the animal 

 improves in his acquaintance with these signals, we may 

 diminish the amount of the preliminary outward turn, so 

 that we may obtain the desired lead without altering the 

 direction of his body. We may then gradually increase the 

 size of the circle until we can make the horse lead off with 

 whichever leg we like while he is walking or trotting in a 

 straight line. 



When he has learned the foregoing lesson thoroughly, we 

 may take him back to the old circle, and ride him at a walk 

 and then at a trot in a figure of 8, so that he will describe 

 two small circles inside the old circle. We should be 

 careful to change the aids on entering the new circle, 

 which would be at their point of contact, so that the horse 

 may not canter falsely during any portion of the figure 

 of 8. Under ordinary circumstances, the imperfectly- 

 broken horse would not change until he had gone falsely for 

 about a quarter of the new circle. This want of precision 

 may be disregarded, except in the '' school " horse ; for to 

 obviate it, the animal would have to be taught to go in such 

 a collected manner, that in acquiring this style his freedom 

 of action might be injuriously affected. Having made the 

 horse fairly proficient at changing the leading leg in the 

 figure of 8, we should try similar turns away from the circle 

 upon which we have been working, so as to prevent him 

 from becoming routiiiL By keeping him attentive to 



