290 SCHOOL BREAKING. 



the horse at a corner when he is oblique to the track upon 

 which he is about to travel, by turning him round, and by 

 leaning to the off side, the utmost freedom is given to the 

 near hind to be brought forward, so as to commence the 

 change of pace. I have pointed out on page 288 that when 

 a fore leg comes down in the trot, the hind leg of that side 

 is off the ground. Accepting the remarks made on page 

 288 with reference to the walk, we may apply the aids for 

 making a horse strike off into a canter from the walk, in 

 the same manner as we did for getting him to lead off from 

 the trot. If the horse tries to revert from the canter into 

 the trot, we should keep him up to the canter by applying 

 the outward drawn-back heel or spur. Having attained 

 our object when going to the right, we should seek it in 

 the same way to the left. 



The utility of placing the horse obliquely to the direction 

 in which we wish him to canter, depends on the fact that 

 when a horse canters (or gallops), the leading shoulder is 

 somewhat in advance of the non-leading one. Hence, it is 

 easier for him, when placed obliquely to the track, to lead 

 off with the more advanced fore leg, than with the other 

 fore leg. 



To teach the horse to sti'ike off into the canter from the 

 halt, say, with the off fore leading, we may place him in a 

 corner of the school obliquely to one of the long sides and 

 on the right rein ; we should, by touching him with the 

 drawn-back left heel, make him advance the off hind more 

 under him than the near one ; and having thus prepared 

 him, should make him strike off in the way described in the 

 two preceding paragraphs. When he has learned to do this. 



