238 HIGH-SCHOOL RIDING. 



case the wall will prevent him escaping to the right. He 

 should hold the head of the animal rather high, while pushing 

 him to the right, in order to throw the greater part of the 

 weight of the forehand on the right fore leg, and thus to allow 

 the left leg to be easily raised. 



He should then very lightly touch the left fore leg of the 

 horse with the end of the cutting whip ; but it is somewhat 

 difficult to determine the exact spot where the leg should be 

 touched. The sensitive spot, which varies in each horse, lies 

 somewhere between the elbow and the pastern. 



The horse's first impression is one of surprise, because he 

 does not understand what is required of him, and he generally 

 tries to escape. Nevertheless, he cannot go to the right, on 

 account of the wall, and if he swerves to the left, he ought 

 at once to be straightened by the whip. If he runs back, the 

 breaker ought to immediately bring him forward by touching 

 him with the whip behind the girths. After a moment, he 

 almost always shows his impatience, by pawing the ground 

 with the leg which has been touched. As soon as he raises 

 this leg, he ought to be patted on the neck, in order to make 

 him understand that he has done what was required. After 

 repeating this exercise for several days, the horse, in order to 

 avoid being touched, raises his leg the moment he sees the 

 whip approaching it. When he well understands, and does 

 this work with the left leg, the right leg should be submitted 

 to the same practice by placing him to the right hand, and 

 taking care to raise his head and carry it to the left. 



As the repeated touching of the whip irritates a horse, we 

 should at first be satisfied with the slightest sign of obedience, 

 and will thus take the best means of not disgusting the animal. 

 He will usually raise his legs during the first lesson ; but the 

 way in which he raises them will be far from satisfactory, 

 because he does not ex_tend them, and contents himself by 

 making impatient movements, pawing the ground, etc. Never- 



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