THE GALLOP. 



59 



mediately puts his left hind leg in front of his right, 

 and, by the contraction of the muscles of his left leg, 

 projects his body forward to the left, his equilibrium 

 being again disturbed, but in a new direction ; to 

 compensate which, his left fore leg comes at the first 

 step to support the weight by putting itself before 

 the right, which, until then, has been carrying it all. 



It requires a great deal of tact, the result of long 

 practice, to make a horse change his feet when he is 

 galloping in a straight line, and I therefore recom- 

 mend teachers to proceed with their classes in the 

 following manner : 



The column being at a gallop, each pupil should 

 execute a half-volte in file, turning at the gallop, com- 

 ing down to a trot on the diagonal, and resuming the 

 gallop when she is on the opposite track and on the 

 other hand. As the horse is galloping with his right 

 foot, the rider will calculate the movement of his 

 right shoulder by watching it without lowering her 

 head, and, when she sees that shoulder move to put 

 down the right leg, she must instantly change her 

 effects of leg and whip, and lift her hands, the right 

 rather more than the left, to support the horse while 

 he pauses with his right shoulder, while an energetic 

 action of her leg will make him bring his left hind 

 leg under him and put it in front of the right; and, if 

 she holds her left hand low, the left fore leg will be 

 free to take its place in front of the right. Care 

 must be taken not to throw a horse while he is 

 changing his feet, that is to say, he must not be 



