THE HORSE, HOW TO BREAK AND TRAIN. IHZ 



clinging tliereto. The feet should rest in the stirrup so the heel is well 

 down, the leg from the knee down fully straight, and moving but little. 



The rise and fall of the body must be as slight as possible, only suf- 

 ficient to escape thumping, and to ease the horse. The head of the 

 horse should be kept pretty well up, the limbs of the horse well under 

 control-. The rider will appear to supjiort the horse with the bit. lu 

 fact, he does not. He simply holds the lioi.sc to his pace. 



There is this difference between road i\aiiu and race riding: in riding 

 for pleasure, the animal is never severely pu^^hed, whatever the gait may 

 be. In riding a trotting or running race, the animal must put forth ali 

 his powers, the only object being that he extend himself as much as pos- 

 sible, and without reference especially to the style of going. As a rule, 

 race riders are disqualified for riding or trotting a horse gracefully on 

 the road. 



In trotting, always train the horse to slacken his pace and stop if de- 

 sired, by slacking the rein, and at the word. In square trotting, the 

 hoofs move in exact time, 1, 2, 3, 4. Some horses acquire a pace denoted 

 by the time 1,2. With this motion it is difficult to rise easily in the sad- 

 dle, and it should not be allowed. To ease the horse's wind let him walk 

 or canter slowly ; or better, give him a jog trot. The jog trot, however, 

 is under no circumstances to be allowed when traveling on the road in 

 company. After a hard ride at any gait, it eases the tired horse immensely, 



Xni. Training to Trot in Harness- 

 In trotting in harness the horse is more firmly held than when undej 

 the saddle, and for obvious reasons. Yet here a dead strong pall is to 

 be avoided. The horse is simply to be supported and steadied by the 

 bit. The driver must learn by his own study, and by observing others, 

 how to do this. The bit must be adapted to the horse. A boring, hard 

 mouthed brute could not be driven with comfort in a bit that would suit 

 a sensitive mouth. Very many trotting drivers spoil their horses' mouth* 

 and make them pullers. The pull of a trotting horse should never be 

 such as to tire the well trained muscles of the driver, even thousrh it be a 

 lady. Indeed, one of the best drivers we ever knew was a lady, and she 

 was superior by the delicacy and yet firmness with which she handled 

 the reins. 



In training to trot in harness, the object should be to keep the horse 

 squarely to his work, and at the top of his speed, without forcing him 

 beyond it. In fact, no horse comes to his best trotting speed until he is 

 at least eight years old. 



Do not force him beyond his power, and above all do not rein him m 



