238 GUIDANCE AND CONTROL. 



question by leaning slightly forward, and observing which 

 of the fore legs is more extended to the front than the 

 other. This will be the leading fore leg, as we may see 

 from Figs. 17 to 26. 



It is generally supposed that when a horse is cantering in a 

 straight direction, that the track of his hind feet should be the 

 same as that of his fore ones ; but I am unacquainted with 

 any scientific reason for this assumption, which appears to me 

 to be incorrect, seeing that the leading shoulder is more 

 advanced than the non-leading shoulder. If, however, the 

 rider wishes the horse to keep his body straight in the canter, 

 he can do so by his legs, and then the horse will be going 

 in a constrained and unnatural manner. 



TO GALLOP. 



The typical gallop is a pace of four time ; the order of the 

 foot-falls, when the off fore leads, being (i) near hind, (2) off 

 hind, (3) near fore, and (4) off fore. The canter and gallop 

 merge imperceptibly into each other. In the canter, the rider 

 will generally feel most comfortable when he sits well down in 

 the saddle and leans somewhat back. But in the gallop, and 

 especially when the animal is going very fast, he will feel as a 

 rule that he conforms most accurately to the movements of 

 the horse when he bends a little forward, takes a good hold of 

 the reins, and keeps the weight off the seat of the saddle by 

 the grip of the knees (Fig. 187). In this position he will not 

 put much weight on the stirrups. 



TO PULL UP. 



A horse should as a rule be pulled up gradually, so that 

 the suspensory ligaments of the fore legs may not be strained. 

 In order that a horse may be able to stop himself 

 effectually, he should be in a position to make full use of both 

 fore and hind legs for this purpose. Hence, he should be bent 



