THE CANTER. 153 



full speed, he will probably try to make him go faster, and 

 by pressing him on, will make him break into a gallop. 



The feeling which makes us press on a horse under all 

 conditions is very natural. Nothing unnerves us more than 

 to ride a race alongside a horse which keeps a neck in front 

 of us. Nevertheless, if the trotter we are riding is at the top 

 of his speed, we should take care not to force him beyond it, 

 which would cause him to gallop. In order to put him back 

 into the trot, we would have to slacken speed, and would 

 consequently lose several lengths. 



Finally, when we ride a trotting race, we should know the 

 moment the horse has attamed his highest speed, which we 

 should keep up as long as possible. The result of the race 

 will then become a question of staying power ; because the 

 animal which can keep up his highest speed for the longest 

 time, will have the best chance. 



We should note that in a trotting race a rider should 

 keep his mount at the top of its speed from the start. We 

 will see further on that this is not the case in flat-race 

 riding. 



THE CANTER. 



Of all paces, the canter is the most difficult and complicated. 

 Few riding masters succeed in making a horse do the move- 

 ments they require at the canter. 



I never begin the canter before getting the horse thoroughly 

 under control, by which I mean that he should be physically, 

 and, if I may say, morally obedient to me in all his paces ; 

 that he should be supple, well in hand, and should readily 

 yield to the legs. 



I expect, above all things, the loins, haunches and hocks to 

 be perfectly supple, and the horse to obey the effects of the 

 whole without hesitation, in order that I may be able to utilize 

 the resulting forces as I wish. 



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