254 



with perfect harmony in the different paces. It is these 

 indisputable qualities which constitute a good education 



The Walk is the mother of all the other paces of the 

 horse ; by it we may obtain their cadence and regularity. 



Before causing the horse to advance, we should first a* 

 sure ourselves that he is light in hand ; that is to say, that 

 his head is perpendicular, his neck supple, and his croup 

 straight and plumb. The legs will then be gently closed 

 to give the horse a forward impulse; but we should not at 

 the same time slacken our hold on the horse's mouth, for 

 then the horse, free from all restraint, would lose his light- 

 ness, and, by the contraction of his neck, would render 

 powerless our efforts to manage him properly. The rider's 

 hand should be, at all times, an impassable barrier to the 

 horse whenever he endeavors to move his head from a 

 perpendicular position. He will soon accustom himself to 

 the fact that it is only within our limit that he will find 

 ease and comfort. 



So long as the horse will not keep himself supple and 

 light in his walk, we will continue to exercise him on a 

 straight line ; but as soon as he shall have acquired more 

 ease and stability, we will commence to make him turn to 

 the right and to the left in walking. 



The Trot. — The rider will commence this pace very 

 moderately, following exactly the same process as for the 

 walk. He will maintain the lightness of his horse, not for- 

 getting that the faster the pace becomes, the more he 

 inclines to fall back into his natural stiffness. The hand 

 should now be used with redoubled skill ; the legs will 

 second the hand, and the horse, kept between these two 

 barriers, which will be an obstacle only to his faulty move- 

 ments, will soon acquire, with the cadence of the step, 

 grace, extension, and steadiness. 



The Gallop.— In preparing the horse for the gallop, ii 



