EQUITATION AND HORSE TRAINING. 85 



A horse is in the legs when he obeys at the sHghtest 

 indication and when the gentle closing of the calves is 

 sufficient to make him move out boldly to the front." 



Perfect obedience to the legs is to be considered as the 

 characteristic sign of successful training. 



In the use of the horse everything is based upon the 

 movement to the front ; the upper aids merely utilize and 

 direct the impulse produced by the lower aids; and if 

 this impulse is wanting or is incomplete, the horse escapes 

 more or less from the rider's control. We have said 

 several times that the lesson of the legs must take prece- 

 dence over all others and that it is necessary to return 

 to this lesson every few minutes -during the whole period 

 of the instruction of the young horse. 



A horse is hehind the legs when he remains indifferent 

 to their action either through sluggishness or unwilling- 

 ness. 



A horse behind the legs is, as a natural result, behind 

 the bit. He is completel}^ out of his rider's control; this 

 is the beginning of obstinacy. 



Length of stirrups. — Our regulations (French) say: 



The stirrups are suitably adjusted if the tread of the stirrup is level 

 with the top of the boot heel when the trooper is sitting properly on 

 his horse, with the knees closed and the legs hanging naturally. 



In his treatise on equitation, Count d'Aure admits the 

 same principle but states it less precisely. According to 

 him, ''the tread of the stirrup, before the foot is inserted, 

 should be at the height of the rider's heel." 



In the Austrian cavalry the stirrups are worn somewhat 

 shorter. Their regulations say: 



The trooper adjusts the stirrups so that the tread shall be about 1 

 inch above the seam at the heels. If, from this adjustment, the trooper 

 stands in his stirrups, there will be a space of four fingers between his 

 crotch and the saddle. 



o In the United States Cavalry Drill Regulations a horse is described 

 as ''leg wise when he obeys the lightest correct combined action of 

 the rider's legs." Although this definition is almost identical with 

 the first clause of the definition of "in the legs" as given in this text, 

 the second clause establishes the difference in meaning. To under- 

 stand a signal is one thing, to be ready to move at the signal is another. 



