THE FIRST WORK ON FOOT 



trainer raises the whip, and stepping backward, he 

 pulls lightly on the two snaffle reins. When, by this 

 means, the trainer obtains two or three forward 

 steps, he immediately caresses the animal by voice 

 and hand. After a few days of this training, the 

 horse will, of its own accord, advance toward its 

 master as soon as the whip is lifted to the height of 

 its head. As soon as this happens, the pupil should 

 be caressed with the whip on shoulder, chest, croup, 

 and all four legs. 



When the horse no longer has the slightest fear of 

 man or whip, the time has come to teach the animal 

 to move forward in response to other effects. The 

 trainer, facing forward, stands at the horse's left 

 shoulder. In his right hand he holds the two snaffle 

 reins, three inches from the horse's chin; and in his 

 left hand he carries the whip, the lash behind and 

 near the horse's flank. In this position he impels 

 the horse to walk forward by light touches of the 

 whip on the flanks near the girths. (Figure 2.) 



At this point the horse will sometimes hesitate, 

 or even try to back. But the trainer, remaining 

 always calm, encourages the animal with his voice, 

 which the horse already knows. By drawing 

 forward steadily with his right hand, he should 

 always succeed in obtaining a few forward steps. 

 These, if well recompensed by caresses, will very 

 soon be followed by more at the same signal. 



If the horse manifests irritability or violence, the 

 trainer should pass the snaffle reins forward over its 



