20 EQUITATION AND HORSE TRAINING. 



expert horseman will finish the work more satisfactorily 

 and more quickly, and his composure and experience will 

 enable him to mount without trouble a younger horse, 

 because, in his hands, there will be none of those strug- 

 gles that produce blemished animals. 



Finally, the time required for training will vary accord- 

 ing to the object to be attained. Many long months are 

 often necessary to work a young horse up to high-school 

 exercises, whereas, occasionally, a few weeks will be 

 sufficient to produce a horse free at the three gaits and 

 galloping with either lead. 



Three periods of training. — The training of a young 

 horse may be divided into three periods — preliminary 

 work, work in the snaffle bridle, work in the double 

 bridle. 



(1) Preliminary worTc. — In this first period the horse is 

 gentled. He is taught to allow himself to be saddled and 

 mounted, to go straight ahead at the walk and trot, to 

 turn to the right and to the left. 



Work on the longe should properly be taken up in the 

 preliminary period. 



Under certain circumstances and with certain horses 

 outside work may be begun. 



(2) Worlc in the snaffle hridle. — The horse is first 

 brought to a thorough understanding of the effects of the 

 legs. He is next taught to obey the simple effects of the 

 snaffle. 



At the end of this period the horse should understand 

 work at the three gaits on the three lines ;'^ he should 

 know how to take the gallop with either lead, and how 

 to work on two tracks^ at the walk and at the trot. 



In this second period outside work will have been con- 

 tinued or begun. 



oThe straight line, the diagonal, and the circle. — Translator. 

 b Where the fore and hind feet do not follow the same track, e. g., 

 in passaging. — Translator. 



