CHAPTER XXVI 

 THE SPANISH WALK 



IN the Spanish walk, the horse extends alternately 

 its front legs forward to their full length, holds them 

 extended for a brief time, and then steps forward. 

 Why this gait is called "Spanish" is a mystery. 

 Possibly it is because the Spanish jennet has com- 

 monly an exaggerated action forward, though this 

 is never so marked as in the Spanish walk. The air 

 is also sometimes called the "soldier's walk." 



The Spanish walk is the first movement of the 

 so-called high school or circus equitation. It is also 

 employed by the reasoned equitation for show pur- 

 poses. Both schools have used it as a means of 

 teaching the Spanish trot and various other move- 

 ments of the high school. 



I, on the contrary, do not use the Spanish trot for 

 show purposes, but only as a gymnastic exercise, to 

 obtain the greatest muscular development of the 

 animal, to supple various portions of the body, to 

 equalize the strides of the four limbs, and to secure 

 a uniformly energetic action throughout the entire 

 mechanism. For me, therefore, the Spanish walk is 

 not an end, but a means toward the suppleness and 

 activity which results from practicing it. 



When the Spanish walk is asked from a horse that 

 is so far educated as to preserve the state of equilib- 



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