RIDING IN CIRCLES. CHANGE OF LEADING FOOT. 85 



behind the shoulder conveying to the horse the hint to 

 hurry forward his left leg. You can now begin to can- 

 ter on the circles you have marked out ; you will, how- 

 ever, at first come down to a walk before changing from 

 one circle to an adjoining one — which change, of course, 

 reverses the curve, and makes it necessary to change the 

 leading foot. 



This figure eight riding, thus, Go, is most useful both 

 for horse and rider when it is carefully done. Keep the 

 horse "light in hand," and above all, collected — viz., with 

 his haunches well under him, and always with his feet 

 exactly in the circle and his neck and body bent to the 

 curve. As soon as he will lead off correctly from a 

 walk, begin to teach him to do so from the trot ; and 

 when this lesson has been learned, practise him on the 

 double circles, or figure 8's, beginning at a trot, aud lift- 

 ing him into a canter jnst as you pass from one cir- 

 cle to the other. This will accustom him to the idea 

 of a change of movement at the time of a change in 

 direction. Having got him to canter, continue on the 

 same circle many times around and around, then bring 

 him to a trot, and pass to the adjoining circle, lifting 

 him to a canter just as you turn into it, as before, but 

 of course leading with the opposite foot. Make your 

 circles smaller and smaller, and continue till he has had 

 time to appreciate the importance of leading correctly ; 

 then try to make him change at a canter, choosing for 

 the purpose one of your smallest figure 8's, and indicat- 



