THE PASSAGE 



in locomotion, to transfer the natural gifts of sup- 

 pleness and elegance from the horse free to the 

 horse mounted, is the dream, the life dream, the 

 object of life of the masters of the scientific equi- 

 tation. And I ask the horsemen, the masters from 

 Xenophon to our own epoch, if ever a rider, mounted 

 on a horse at the passage, has forgotten the sensation 

 of that motion! 



The passage is too often confounded with the 

 Spanish trot, even by the generality of masters. 

 Yet the difference is complete. More than nine 

 tenths of the Spanish trot is done against resistance; 

 and the fore legs are forcibly extended straight 

 forward at full length. But at the passage, only 

 the fore arm extends forward, the limb being flexed 

 at the knee; and the forward step is only a third the 

 length of the stride in the Spanish trot. Although 

 the Spanish trot may be very beautiful when well 

 performed, it is never so graceful, elegant, and 

 elastic as the passage, probably because the passage 

 is more natural to the horse than the violent exer- 

 tions of the Spanish trot. 



For the Spanish trot is an artificial air, which has 

 been taught to thousands of horses, enslaved by 

 straps, whips, severe bits, and continued repetition. 

 Fillis says, with great truth, "Yet it is certain that 

 the new school is in use everywhere. The man does 

 not any more ride the horse to educate him. All 

 the work is done on foot, with whips and straps, 

 absolutely like the training of monkeys or goats. 



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