THE TROT. 



99 



amount of work to do ; the body can be maintained in a state of 

 equilibrium by a diagonal support, which would not be the 

 case with a side support, as in the amble ; there is but little loss 

 of power in keeping the centre of gravity (see p. 49) level ; 

 and because the pace is a tolerably fast one. It is more suit- 

 able for draught, than for saddle. First of all, it is very 

 fatiguing to the rider, especially if he bumps up and down d 

 la militaire. Consequently, we find that men who are 

 accustomed to go long distances on horseback, as in the 

 Colonies, almost always combine the canter and walk instead 

 of adopting the trot. Although rising in the stirrups will 

 make this pace much more easy for the rider, it will not 

 benefit the animal to the extent one might imagine ; for, 

 strange to say, almost every horseman, when rising at 

 the trot, invariably comes down on one particular pair of 

 diagonals. Thus, some will put their weight only on the right 

 diagonals ; others, only on the left. I may mention that, when 

 rising in the stirrups, the rider's weight is borne by only 

 one pair of diagonals. As each pair has to do its own 

 allotted work, it is nearly as well to have both tired, as 

 one fresh and the other fatigued. The chief advantage 

 which rising in the stirrups has to the horse, is that the man 

 who adopts it, conforms better to the movements of the 

 animal than one who bumps up and down. Men who ride, 

 might with advantage learn how to change their time of rising 

 in the trot, so that, after having made one pair of diagonals 

 bear their weight for a time, they might be able to change 

 it on to the other pair. Ladies whose stirrup is on the 

 near side, and who rise in the trot almost always do 

 so during the left diagonal support, and come down 

 during the right diagonal support. As the weight at the 



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