SIDE STEPS AND TWO TRACKS. 137 



When a horse does the work I have just described, it is 

 said that he goes sideways, no matter how bad may be the 

 position of his head and neck. But for this work to merit 

 being called " work on two tracks," the position should be 

 correct. Yet the position is correct, and a horse moves 

 truly on two tracks when he goes obliquely forward on two 

 parallel lines, the one made by the forehand, the other by 

 the hind quarters. He thus advances from the side, with the 

 head and forehand always leading the hind quarters. The 

 head and neck ought to be kept high and slightly bent to the 

 side towards which the horse is going. Above all things, he 

 should be well in hand, light, and in a cadenced pace. 



In my opinion, this is the longest and most difficult work. 

 If we seek to obtain it complete and correct from the 

 beginning, we will either get no good result, or we will cause 

 the horse to at once resist, because he had not passed 

 through the " mill " of lateral, direct and diagonal efforts 

 which I have described.* 



My reason for laying considerable stress on the subject of 

 " two tracks," is that this work has a great influence on all 

 the subsequent breaking, where we always meet during pro- 

 pulsion the same combined action of the diagonal '' aids." 



When the horse knows how to go on two tracks, he will 

 seek every means to escape from the rassembler. At hrst, 

 he refuses to yield to the direct leg ; he then yields too much 

 and forces the opposite leg. He escapes by going too quickly 

 to one side. 



* A horse which his rider persists in working only by means of lateral 

 effects can never become a good school horse : he is ungraceful, and his 

 work is disunited. In fact, in lateral equitation, he carries his head and 

 neck to the opposite side to which he is moving ; and further it is impossible 

 for him to do the rassemhler , because when we work with the two " aids " 

 of one side we have nothing to support the other side, which consequently 

 escapes us. 



We should therefore continually work both reins and both legs ; but it is 

 principally the double action of the opposite rein and leg which should 

 play the chief part in all movements. 



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