66 



Often do we hear so called hunters spoken of in boastful tones : 

 'A splendid hunter," they say of many a crude disobedient animal, if 

 only once he has rolled among the herd over a few ditches and fences, 

 which he would have done as well without the rider simply following 

 in the company of his kind. But how, if the rider -were called upon tp 

 cover the same course alone? At the first ditch already, the horse 

 ■would say "So far and no further." I call a splendid hunter that 

 horse, which before over following' the hounds, has, with apparent 

 pleasure and well calculated effort taken obstacles of all descriptions. 



It has already been mentioned, that collected gaits are thought of 

 as being useless, but they are also said to, be destructive to cross 

 country gaits, first, because they undermine long strides, and secondly 

 because the horse grows firmer and harder in hand. Such critics 

 mistake the collected gaits for spoiled and shortened ones, which are 

 produced by restraining the horse with the reins only, but without £he 

 urging aids of the riders limbs. By this, short, low and dragging 

 movements are produced, without action and swing and freedom and 

 }east of all the desired lowering of the haunches and elevation of the 

 forehand. 



The undesirable hardening in the hand at this occasion has tWQ 

 reasons, first, if a horse is only restrained in front and the hind hand is 

 not brought forward, the entire neck is sunk and the horse becomes 

 ever lower in front and higher in back, consequently lies in the riders 

 hand and pulls. But this mistaken proceeding can certainly not be 

 compared -with the true collection; secondly, when both ends of the 

 horse, head and hind hand are simultaneously gathered, a pressure is 

 created, •which manifests itself at once by a stronger leaning in the 

 hand and an increased tension in the seat ; but which is a sign, that the 

 right method has been chosen. As soon as the ignorant horseman has 

 reached this point, he -will discontinue the lesson, thinking that, should 

 he persist, the horse would only grow firmer and harder instead of 



