THE REASONED EQUITATION 



For the pirouette, turn your back to the door. 

 The hinges are now the horse's hind legs, and your 

 single pair are the horse's fore legs. Once more, 

 swing the door from right to left, and follow it with 

 your feet, by shifting the right foot across in front 

 of the other, and then passing the left foot between 

 the door and the right to its usual position. 



Do not, I repeat, attempt to execute these figures 

 on horseback, until you are sure that you under- 

 stand precisely each detail. After that, if you pro- 

 ceed with moderation, the movements are so easy 

 that, like everybody else who has tried it, you will 

 laugh at the novices who have not yet caught the 

 idea. 



When the pirouette is properly done at the walk, 

 it can be tried at the trot, but only after the horse 

 has so far advanced in its education as to trot 

 properly. The chief difficulty with the pirouette 

 at the trot is to gauge accurately the horse's sen- 

 sitiveness to each of your effects. Otherwise, it 

 may cross its legs too quickly, and in order to 

 avoid the tendency to fall, which is greater at the 

 trot than at the walk, it is likely to change to the 

 gallop, preferring to execute the figure at this gait 

 rather than at the trot. 



At the gallop, the pirouette should always be 

 asked at the same hand or same side at which the 

 horse leads the right-hand pirouette to the right, 

 and vice versa. 



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