288 HIGH-SCHOOL RIDING. 



down regularly, he will do so by mere chance. Almost 

 always, the hind legs will be raised and put down at the same 

 time, and consequently the movement will not be a pace. 



We should teach the horse the piaffer by calming him 

 down, because he will not understand what is wanted of him, 

 unless he is in a quiet state of mind. 



To obtain the piaffer, we ought to collect the horse, by 

 closing the legs, until we touch him with the spurs. It is 

 difficult to explain in a book the exact moment when the 

 spur should reinforce the action of the leg ; in fact, this is 

 evidently a question of tact. It is easier to show this on the 

 ground, because one can then see if the rider uses the spurs 

 too much or too little. As I have already said, the office of 

 the spur is to make the horse yield to the pressure of the leg, 

 when that pressure is not sufficient by itself. Besides, it is 

 necessary for the horse to feel the spurs in order to remain 

 rassemble'd* Also, to make a horse piaffer, we must pre- 

 vent him going forward, and if we do not use the spurs, he 

 will infallibly throw himself to the right or left by forcing the 

 respective leg. Therefore, we should use the legs sufficiently 

 to steady the horse. Nevertheless, to hold him in check, the 

 spurs should brush his coat. 



To get the piaffert we should use light pricks of the 

 spurs ; X and, as in all other cases, we should at the begin- 

 ning be contented with two times. 



* The question has often been discussed, whether the spurs are an " aid " or a 

 punishment. As I have already said, they are sometimes one, sometimes the 

 other, according to need. During breaking, they ought always to be an " aid," and 

 ought not to become a punishment, unless the animal openly rebels, in which case 

 we should try to find out if the disobedience is due to pure caprice on the part of 

 the horse or to our fault. If caprice is the cause, the spurs ought to punish 

 him. We should remember in all cases that the English very rightly call 

 the spurs ' ' persuaders. ' ' 



t The hurried piaffer and the slow piaffer are obtained by the same means. 

 I practise only the slow piaffer. 



{This is what La Guerini^re admirably calls "the delicate pinch of the 

 spurs." 



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