THE SCIENTIFIC EQUITATION 



is to perfect your own equestrian tact. When that 

 is done, all your difficulties are easily surmounted. 

 The walk of manege is the highest proof of the 

 state of equilibrium, and you must learn to feel the 

 horse under you flexing all its joints, developing its 

 power, and cadencing its walk with a great but 

 calm ardor, slow and high. When a horse has at- 

 tained to the walk of manege, in complete equilib- 

 rium, every feat of the scientific equitation becomes 

 possible both to rider and to steed. 



TO ENTER THE CORNERS 



"To enter the corner" is a manege expression 

 meaning not to let the horse pass the corner of the 

 enclosure close in or far out at its own will. 



The manege is commonly rectangular, with two 

 long and two short sides and a surrounding wall. 

 The horse travels straight along the sides, but 

 changes direction at the angles, to the right if being 

 ridden with its right side toward the center "at 

 right hand" as it is called to the left if the other 

 way. Naturally, the animal tends to follow the 

 barrier, and will, therefore, instinctively and of its 

 own volition, make the turn before getting quite to 

 the corner, or else will put its head against the wall 

 and stop. In either case, the rider loses an oppor- 

 tunity to practice the management of his mount. 



For in a manege of ordinary size, say one hun- 

 dred and fifty feet by seventy, a horse in the course 

 of an hour's lesson will turn a corner about two 



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