THE HORSEMAN. 



55 



Section VI. — The Trot 

 || ■ {See Plate Xm.) 



There are two beats of the feet in a trot : first, the off 

 fore and the near hind feet together ; next, the near fore 

 and the off hind feet — two legs crosswise being off the 

 ground, and two on. 



When the rider wishes to urge the horse to go faster 

 than he can by moving one foot after the other, as in the 

 walk, he should raise the bridle hand and. close the legs, 

 or give spur, which will compel him to increase the pace 

 to the trot by raising two legs at a time. 



The rider should know w^hen and how to put the 

 horse at the top of his speed and not force him to break, 

 when he discovers an irregularity in the beats of his feet 

 or a loss of cadence. 



The perfection of the trot depends upon the suppleness 

 and union of action in the reaching and gathering pow- 

 ers of the horse. 



As the horse sustains the greater portion of the weight 

 and shock upon his fore legs, it behooves the rider to 

 seat himself and manage the horse in such a manner as 

 to distribute his labor equally. This is indispensably ne- 

 cessary, especially for horses that are higher in the with- 

 ers than the croup.* 



To maintain the seat in this pace, the rider should bal- 

 ance himself and yield to the horse's motion by rendering 



* See remarks on the conformation of the horse. 



