SPANISH TROT. 257 



which we should not take undue advantage ; because if 

 we wish to obtain twenty or thirty steps of this movement 

 in a short time, it is certain that the last will not be as 

 brilliant as the first, and the horse will acquire the bad habit 

 of not extending his legs with energy. 



If, on the contrary, we know how to be contented with 

 little, the more modest our demand, the greater will be the 

 energy which we can obtain in its execution. 



Before requiring the horse to keep up the Spanish trot for 

 a long time, we should wait until he can do it without 

 effort. When he is very familiar with this movement, it 

 will not fatigue him, and we can then make him do it three 

 or four times round the school, but we should not go 

 beyond that. 



I have already said that during breaking, we should not 

 allow the horse to take the initiative in any movement, for if 

 we do so, he will take advantage of our leniency, and will 

 not obey our orders. He will frequently do what he finds 

 easy, and what pleases him ; but not what will please 

 us. Thus, while we are teaching him the changes of the 

 leg at the canter, he will often do more than we 

 demand. If we allow him to do this, we will not be 

 able to make him do the changes regularly, because he 

 will do them of his own accord, without our being able to 

 regulate him. 



When a horse takes the initiative in a movement which we 

 have taught him, we should correct him, but not harshly. If 

 we leave him to go his own way, he will quickly take advan- 

 tage of our slackness, and our authority will be lost. 



If I say that in this case the punishment should never 

 be very severe, I assume that in taking the initiative in a 

 movement which he has been taught, he gives a proof of 

 good will. Nevertheless, I repeat, it should not be tolerated. 

 Each time he tries to do a movement for himself, we should 



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