PIAFFERS AND "PASSAGES." 275 



CHANGES OF LEG WITHOUT GAINING GROUND. 



To do the changes of leg at the canter without gaining 

 ground, we should proceed in the same manner as in the 

 changes at each stride, with only the difference that the horse 

 should be better in hand. 



It might appear that in this movement we should greatly 

 increase the feeling on the reins, and diminish the pressure 

 of the legs, in order to make the horse go slower. This 

 would be a mistake ; for in that case the hands would bring 

 the hocks away from the centre of the body. We should, on 

 the contrary, act vigorously with both legs, to keep up pro- 

 pulsion, without which the canter will be lost. The hand 

 ought to take possession of this propulsion in a very light 

 manner, and ought to drive it back to the horse's centre of 

 gravity, which is close to the rider's legs, when the animal is 

 well balanced. 



Changes which are made without gaining any ground are 

 hardly perceptible to the eye, on account of the very short 

 extension of the fore and hind legs. Hence we have to be 

 very close to the horse to see these changes. 



We owe the invention of this difficult and complicated 

 exercise to Baucher, who did it brilliantly on Turban ; but 

 not on Partisan, as many assert. 



PIAFFERS AND "PASSAGES." 



The natural -passage is a very well collected, short and high 

 trot, which is regularly cadenced from one diagonal to the 

 other. But to fully merit the title of passage, the fore legs, 

 being raised high, but gently, should pause for a moment 

 in the air, with the knees and feet bent. The hind legs are 

 raised and the hocks and pasterns are bent and carried 



18* 



Digitized by Microsoft® 



