RIDING IN CIRCLES. CHANGE OF LEADING FOOT. 79 



LESSON XVII. 



RIDING IN CIRCLES.— CHANGE OF LEADING FOOT. 



You are now prepared to practise with profit a simple 

 exercise, which you will find interesting to yourself, and, 

 if carefully done, very improving to your horse. It is 

 the riding in circles of small diameter. Mark out a 

 number of rings of various sizes in some pasture-field 

 with white pebbles or beans or small scraps of white pa- 

 per, which may be scattered at intervals of two or three 

 feet, so that the figures may not be remarked by the 

 horse, but that he may receive his instruction from you 

 only. Let the circles touch one another, so that you 

 may change from one into the other, and thus turn to 

 the right and left alternately. Begin at a walk, then 

 proceed to a trot, practising first on the large circles, 

 and then taking the smaller ones. Keep your horse 

 " light in hand,'' and do not let him place his body across 

 the line, but make him follow it accurately, with his 

 neck and body bent around to the curve which it de- 

 scribes. When he is perfect in this exercise on level 

 ground, move to some hill-side and begin again. When 

 he can do figure 8's of a small size accurately at a smart 



