246 MOUNTED BREAKING. 



animal's head, neck, and body should as nearly as possible 

 follow the direction in which the circle or turn is being 

 rnade. 



Some people think that a horse, when cantering, should 

 lead only with the off fore, and that breakers should train 

 their equine pupils to invariably do so. A slight study of 

 this pace (see Points of the Horse) will show us that when 

 circling or turning to the left at the canter or gallop, 

 the horse to preserve his balance will have to incline his 

 body inwards, with a corresponding displacement, in that 

 direction, of the centre of gravity. As the weight of 

 the horse and rider has to be borne at one period of 

 each stride by the leading fore leg (see Fig. no) ; it 

 follows that the inward fore leg (in this case the near 

 fore), which is more nearly under the centre of gravity 

 than the off fore, is the proper one with which to lead. 

 Besides, by leading with the off fore while circling or 

 turning to the left, the horse will be obliged to more 

 or less cross his fore legs, and will consequently move in 

 an awkward and mechanically disadvantageous manner ; 

 to say nothing of the chance of an accident by the near 

 fore striking the off fore, if the turn be made sharply. As 

 the leading fore leg at either the canter or gallop has to do 

 far more work than the non-leading fore leg, the judicious 

 horseman will have his saddle animals broken to lead indif- 

 ferently with either fore leg, so that one of the two may 

 not become prematurely worn out. 



To meet the exigencies of practical work in the field 

 and the requirements of different kinds of riders, I think 

 it is well to provide, as far as possible, against mistakes 



