CHANGES OF LEG. 171 



I have already said, each stride is composed of three distinct 

 periods, which are marked by the feet of the horse coming 

 down on the ground. In reahty there is a fourth, namely, the 

 period of suspension, which is not marked. 



The canter to the right may be divided as follows: ist 

 period, near hind ; 2nd period, off hind and near fore ; and 

 3rd period, off fore. The fourth period begins at the moment 

 the off fore leaves the ground, and ends when the near hind is 

 placed on the ground. At this moment the horse is in the air, 

 between the third period of one stride and the first period of 

 the next stride. 



The best time to obtain the change of leg is at the fourth 

 period, because the horse is then in the air.* 



* Baucher gives no explanation of this subject. The majority of riding 

 masters make this change of leg during support, and not when the horse 

 is in the air, as I have advised. Their plan gives rise to an inevitable 

 halt, which destroys the rhythm of the canter, and consequently alters 

 the canter. My method, on the contrary, maintains the canter with all 

 its impulse, and allows the rider to lengthen or shorten the stride, as he 

 may wish, in all the changes of leg. 



A correctly executed change of leg at each stride thus forms a true pace, 

 at which I obtain so much impulse that I am ready, without false modesty, 

 to challenge a.nyone to have a race at it. 



On this subject I sent the following letter to the editor of Gil Bias, 

 who declined to publish it. I fortunately got it inserted in the Echo de 

 Paris, but it received no answer : — 



" Paris, 2;th August, 1S90. 

 " To THE Editor Gil Bias. 

 " Sir,— 



" Baron de Vaux has severely criticised my book and my riding in a 

 long article which recently appeared in Gil Bias. It has in no way annoyed 

 me, and I, being a horseman, have not the rashness to find fault with the 

 criticism of a penman. 



" There is, however, one point which I think is worthy of notice, 

 because it can be submitted to practical proof. 



" The writer of the article tries to make out that I do not hold my 

 horses straight in the changes of leg. If this be true, I must necessarily 

 lose ground in forward progression. That being the case, I propose a 

 race of changes of leg at each stride, which I believe is an original idea that 

 has never been tried. The winner will, of course, be he whose horse is 

 the straighter of the two. 



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