THE ENGLISH TROT. 



47 



which was then stationed at Massy. These horses 

 were all young and unbroken ; and, as a result of 

 their youth and the fatigues they had undergone, 

 they were in poor condition, and nearly all had sore 

 backs. I directed all the teachers who were under 

 me, and the men who rode the horses during their 

 training, to rise at the trot ; and, three months later, 

 the young horses were in perfect health, while their 

 riders, who had been exhausted by a severe cam- 

 paign, had gained on an average seven pounds in 

 weight ; and it was this experiment which was sub- 

 mitted by me to the " Equestrian Committee." 



I was tempted to make this digression, which I 

 hope will be forgiven me, because I have heard in 

 this country a great deal of adverse and, in my opin- 

 ion, unjust criticism of the English trot, which I 

 ascribe to the neglect of teachers, and the indiffer- 

 ence of ladies brought up in the old school of riding 

 to prefer horses which cantered all the time, or were 

 broken to artificial gaits, like racking and pacing. 



The rider who wishes to rise to the trot should 

 be careful that the stirrup is not so short as to keep 

 her left leg in constant contact with the third pom- 

 mel, or leaping-horn, as, unless there is the space of 

 three or four fingers between the pommel and the 

 leg, the latter may be bruised, and the rider forced 

 down too soon. 



In order to explain this movement, the teacher 

 may proceed as follows : Placing himself at the left 

 side of the horse, he will ask the pupil to take the 



