THE SCIENTIFIC EQUITATION 



horse's nature. It is then dangerous to the rider, be- 

 cause the horse, pulled backward by the bridle, may 

 rear and fall. 



However, the trot backward cannot properly be 

 considered a gait of the horse. It is serviceable only 

 for perfecting the equilibrium, and for suppling 

 the entire hind hand, most especially the coupling. 



THE GALLOP ON THREE LEGS 



IN the gallop on three legs, the horse uses both hind 

 limbs ; but only one in front, and holds the other in 

 the air. Before the movement is asked, the horse 

 must already be able to maintain a complete and 

 permanent equilibrium during the ordinary gallop, 

 to execute the jambette at the diagonal effect with 

 great precision and with complete extension of the 

 front leg, and to gallop, not terre-a-terre, but very 

 slowly. (Figures 39, 40.) 



The movement is asked by decomposing the air 

 into its elements. The horse gallops slowly in 

 assemblage. The rider stops it, and by means of 

 the right snaffle rein and the left spur, asks im- 

 mediately the jambette. After the jambette, the 

 horse is allowed to walk. Again the gallop, the 

 stop, and the jambette immediately. These three 

 are repeated for whatever time is needed to calm 

 the horse, and to teach it to keep straight when 

 stopped and giving the jambette. 



When the horse has mastered this exercise, the 

 gallop is asked immediately after the jambette, 



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