THE SCIENTIFIC EQUITATION 



faced. In the rotation from left to right, the action 

 of the rider's right leg is absolutely necessary for 

 maintaining the forward impulse while the haunches 

 wheel at the effect of the rider's left. The rotation 

 is stopped at its completion by the effect of the 

 rider's right leg; not by the cessation of the effect of 

 his left. The rotation can be done also at the trot, 

 but only upon a circle, and only after the horse has 

 learned to make two pistes, which makes the figure 

 a half-passage. The rotation at the gallop is very 

 complicated, and cannot be performed until the 

 horse can do the two pistes at a gallop. 



The pirouette is asked only by the direct flexion 

 of the mouth and neck and can be done at trot and 

 gallop. Backing is asked by the diagonal effect. It 

 is done step by step, and needs great care to avoid 

 wear and tear of the hocks. 



The trot is executed by the action of diagonal 

 bipeds, precisely like the walk except that each 

 biped, remains a longer time off the ground. (Fig- 

 ure 23.) 



The gallop is the same as the run, but slower. 

 The canter is still slower than the gallop. The run 

 is natural and instinctive to the horse ; the gallop is 

 taken and held under the control of the rider; the 

 canter is an artificial gait given by the cavalier. 



These three gaits have given rise to so many 

 theories that the result has been and still is an end- 

 less confusion. Some theorists teach that run and 

 gallop are executed by the lateral bipeds. All such 



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