320 " VOULEZ VOUS DANSEZ?" 



more attempt to move forward while tlie hands act 

 their accustomed part, than he did when confined 

 between the pilkrs. On the rider (what in riding- 

 phrase is termed) " dropping his hands," the horse 

 moves forward. The moment the rein is ao-ain tight- 

 ened, and he feels the alternate lift, and hears the 

 Klk, he beeomes stationary again as to progression, but 

 keeps marking time as before. This is, in fact, dancing, 

 at least that part of it that corresponds to " setting to 

 your partner" vis-a-vis^ a vos dames, or cavalier seul. 

 The dancing sideways, or, in riding-house phrase, 

 "passaging," retreating, or advancing, makes the 

 dance, and is all done by the rider's hand and accom- 

 panying heel. 



I have just shown the elements of a dancing course 

 of lessons with a rider on, and this all horses may be 

 made do more or less ; but some never would progress 

 farther than a country morris-dance, while others 

 become in their way Grisis, Fabris, or Monsieur 

 Vestrises. The horse, however, under dancing tuition 

 is much more certain of becoming eminent than young 

 ladies, and still more so than young gentlemen, inas- 

 much as his teachers have too much good sense and 

 judgment to attempt to make a dancer of a mere lump 

 of animated awkwardness ; and, supposing the horse 

 to have as complacent an opinion of his pretensions 

 to grace as human votaries of Terpsichore usually 

 have, he is not allowed to exercise his judgment on 

 such occasions. 



We will now see how a horse is to be made dance 

 without a rider and with a man before him. This is 

 done by the person before him hitting him on the 

 shin with a long cane or whip : he lifts up that leg : 

 the other is hit, he lifts up that: then the first is 



