SIDE STEPS AND TWO TRACKS. 133 



Thus the rider will have the feeling of the complete equili- 

 brium of the horse, and the free disposal of his forces at any 

 moment. 



I cannot say more on this subject, except to advise my 

 readers to devote themselves to practice.* 



SIDE STEPS AND TWO TRACKS. 



I was obliged to discuss the rassembler, which belongs to 

 scientific riding, when referring to collecting a horse, which 

 subject leads up to the rassembler. I have even to speak at 

 the same time of the side step and the " two tracks," because 

 these two movements are closely connected ; although the 

 former pertains to ordinary riding,! the latter belongs ex- 

 clusively to high school riding. 



The first remark to make, is that in side steps — and still 

 more in the " two tracks," because the speed is faster — the 

 rider ought to freely carry his weight to the side towards 

 which the horse is proceeding. The necessity of this is 

 emphasised by the fact that the side movement of the 

 horse naturally displaces the rider towards the side away 

 from which the animal is going. Consequently, when the 

 side movement is rapid, the rider can be very easily thrown 

 off to the side away from which the movement is made. 

 Therefore the rider ought to lean to the left, on the saddle 

 and stirrup, during side steps from right to left. This posi- 

 tion, which unites the rider to the horse, by giving them the 

 same impulse, has the further advantage of relieving the right 



* Pictures of a rassentble'A horse can be seen in photographs in this booli. 

 I attach great importance to these photographs, because they are free from all 

 trickery. If we study them with attention, we will see even in the most 

 energetic school work, that my horse maintains straight or horizontal equilibrium. 

 In ordinary school equilibrium, the horse is often too much on his haunches. 

 The great impulsion which I try to obtain always keeps my horse in horizontal 

 equilibrium, however high the action of his fore legs may be. 



t The great utility of this movement is that it enables us to place our horses 

 where we like, and at all paces, when riding in the open. 



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