^2 HAND-BOOK FOR HORSEWOMEN. 



If left to guide himself around a school, the horse 

 will describe a sort of oval, rounding the corners, in- 

 stead of going into them, and thus much valuable 

 practice is lost to the rider. 



The pupil being at a walk, and on the right hand, 

 the teacher will give the word of command : 



I. Prepare to trot. — 2. Trot. 



To make her horse trot, she must advance her 

 wrists, lean the body forward, and use the leg and 

 whip, resuming the normal position as soon as her 

 horse obeys her. 



In order not to fatigue the pupil, the teacher will 

 only allow her to trot a short distance, and will re- 

 mind her to keep her right foot well back and close 

 to the saddle, and to sit close without stiffness. He 

 will also take care that she passes from the walk to 

 the trot gradually, by making her horse walk faster 

 and faster until he breaks into a slow trot. 



Each time that a pupil changes from a slow to a 

 faster gait, she should accelerate the former as much 

 as possible, and begin the latter slowly, increasing 

 the speed gradually up to the desired point; and the 

 same rule holds good, reversing the process, if she 

 wishes to change from a fast to a slower gait. 



As the pupil gains confidence, and feels at home 

 in the trot, the teacher will let her practice it at 

 shorter intervals, and for a longer time, taking care, 

 however, that she does not attempt to rise to it ; 

 if she loses the correct position, she must come 



