XXIII. 

 VARIOUS FAULTS OF SADDLE HORSES. 



The hot-headed horse. — Ride him alone, calm him by 

 the voice and by patting and pull as little as possible on 

 the reins. Bring down the head and neck by protracted 

 periods of trotting. Then execute in the hall serpentines 

 and figures to accustom the horse to submit to the pres- 

 sure of the legs and to obey the aids readily. 



The jigging horse. — Begin by giving the leg lesson until 

 the horse moves freely to the front. When he is well up on 

 the bit, make him half lower the head, keeping the reins 

 taut but following the balancing of the head and neck. 

 Whenever the horse resumes the trot, push him sharply 

 with the legs and then, carrying the body back, exact a 

 half halt to bring him down to the walk. 



The horse that gallops when he should trot. — It is 

 almost always because he holds back or because the hind 

 quarters are overloaded that a horse, even a hot-headed 

 one, makes trouble at the trot. In either case, make him 

 extend his neck and every time he rises to the gallop 

 push him with the legs but do not pull on the reins. 

 Then carry the body back, pulling gently on the reins and, 

 by means of the legs, holding the horse's haunches per- 

 fectly straight. Loosen the fingers at the first strides of 

 the trot and keep the body erect with the legs firmly set. 



The puller. — Being at a walk, execute half halts with 

 lateral effects; when the horse has yielded, let him 

 straighten himself again and resume the original gait. 

 Repeat this same lesson, first at a slow trot and then at 

 the regulation trot. In this way the puller's rigidity is 

 broken up, he is forced to bend, and to bring his hind 

 legs under. 



76 



