Chapter I: PUT him to make Curvets sideways, my outward Rein brings his outward

Shoulder in, because the outward Shoulder being brought in, his Croupe is left at liberty; but if I have occasion I use my inner Rein, and if his Croupe is not sufficiently confin'd, I support it with my outward Leg.--Again, I put him to make Curvets backwards, I use then my outward Rein, and keep my Hand near my Body. At each Cadence that the Horse makes, I make him feel a _Time_; one, and every time he comes to the Ground, I receive and catch him as it were in my Hand; but these _Times_ ought not to be distant above an Inch or two at the most; I then ease my Legs to him, which nevertheless I approach insensibly every time he rises. Thus by making my Hands and Legs act together, I learn not only to work a Horse with Justness and Precision, but even to dress him to all the Airs; which I shall speak of distinctly and more at large.

AS to the rest, be it remember'd, that it is not alone sufficient to know how to unite your Aids, and to proportion them, as well as the Corrections, to the Motions and the Faults in the Horse's Air, which you would remedy; but whenever you are to make use of them, you must consider likewise if they are suitable and adapted to the Nature of the Horse; for otherwise they will not only prove ineffectual, but be the Occasion even of many Disorders.

CHAP. X.

_Of the Passage._

THE Passage is the Key which opens to us all the Justness of the Art of riding, and is the only Means of adjusting and regulating Horses in all sorts of Airs; because in this Action you may work them slowly, and teach them all the Knowledge of the Leg and Hand, as it were insensibly, and without running any risque of disgusting them, so as to make them rebel.--There are many sorts of the Passage: In that which is derived from the Trot, the Action of the Horse's Legs is the same as in the Trot; the Passage is only distinguish'd from the Trot, which is the Foundation of it, by the extreme Union of the Horse, and by his keeping his Legs longer in the Air, and lifting them both equally high, and being neither so quick nor violent as in the Action of the Trot.

IN the Passage which is founded on the Walk, the Action of the Horse is the same as in the Trot, and of consequence the same as in the Walk; with this Difference, that the Horse lifts his Fore-feet a good deal higher than his Hind-feet, that he _marks_ a certain Time or Interval sufficiently long between the Motion of each Leg; his Action being much more together and short, and more distinct and slow than the ordinary Walk, and not so extended as in the Trot, in such a manner that he is, as it were, kept together and supported under himself.

LASTLY, there is another sort of Passage to which the Trot likewise gives birth, and in which the Action is so quick, so diligent, and so supported, that the Horse seems not to advance, but to work upon the same Spot of Ground. The _Spaniards_ call the Horses who make this sort of Passage _Pissadores_. This sort of Horses have not their Action so high and strong as the other, it being too quick and sudden; but almost all Horses which are inclin'd to this sort of Passage, are generally endowed with a great Share of Gentleness and Activity.

NO Horse should be put to the Passage till he has been well trotted out, is supple, and has acquir'd some Knowledge of the _Union_.--If he has not been well trotted, and by that means taught to go forward readily, his Action, when put to the Passage, being shorten'd and retain'd, you would run the risque of his becoming _restive_ and _ramingue_; and was he utterly unacquainted with the Union, the Passage requiring that he should be very much together, he would not be able to bear it; so that finding himself press'd and forced on one hand, and being incapable of obeying on the other, he would resist and defend himself.

THERE are some People, who observing a Horse to have Strength and Agility, and naturally disposed to unite himself, endeavour to get from him some _Times_ of the Passage.--They succeed in their Attempt, and immediately conclude that they can passage their Horse whenever they will, and so press him to it, before he has been sufficiently suppled and taught to go forward readily, and without retaining himself. --Hence arise all the Disorders into which Horses plunge themselves, which, if they had been properly managed at first, would have been innocent of all Vice.--Farther, you ought to study well the Nature of every Horse; you will discover of what Temper he is from the first Moment you see him passage, and to what he is most inclin'd by Nature.

IF he has any Seeds of the _Ramingue_ in him, his Action will be short and _together_; but it will be retain'd and loitering, the Horse craving the Aids, and only advancing in proportion as the Rider gives them, and drives him forward.--If he is light and active, quick of Feeling, and willing, his Action will be free and diligent, and you will perceive that he takes a Pleasure to work of himself, without expecting the Aids.--If he be of a hot and fiery Nature, his Actions will be quick and sudden, and will shew that he is angry and impatient of the Subjection. If he wants Inclination and Will, he will be unquiet, he will cross his Legs, and his Actions will be perplex'd. If he is fiery, and heavy at the same time, his Action will be all upon the Hand. If besides this, he has but little Strength, he will abandon himself entirely upon the _Apuy_. Lastly, if he is cold and sluggish in his Nature, his Motion will be unactive and dead; and even when he is enliven'd by good Lessons, you will always be able to discover his Temper by seeing the Aids, which the Rider is oblig'd to give him from time to time, to hinder him from slackening or stopping the _Cadence_ of his Passage.

HAVING acquir'd a thorough Knowledge of your Horse's Character, you should regulate all your Lessons and Proceedings conformable to it.--If it hurts a Horse who partakes of the _Ramingue_ to be kept too much together, unite him by little and little, and insensibly as it were, and quite contrary to putting him to a short and united Passage all at once. Extend and push him forward, passing one while from the Walk to that of the Trot, and so alternatively.

IF your Horse is hot and impatient, he will cross his Steps, and not go equal; keep such a Horse in a less degree of Subjection, ease his Rein, pacify him, and retain or hold him in no more than is sufficient to make him more quiet.--If with this he is heavy, put him to a Walk somewhat shorter and slower than the Passage, and endeavour to put him upon his Haunches insensibly, and by degrees. By these means you will be enabled by Art to bring him to an Action, by so much the more essential, as by this alone a Horse is taught to know the Hands and Heels, as I have already observed, without ever being perplex'd or disordered.

CHAP. XI.

_Of working with the Head and Croupe to the Wall._

THE Lessons of the Head and Croupe to the Wall are excellent to confirm a Horse in Obedience. In effect, when in this Action he is, as it were, balanced between the Rider's Legs, and by working the Croupe along the Wall, you are enabled not only to supple his Shoulders, but likewise to teach him the Aids of the Legs.

FOR this Purpose, after having well open'd the Corner, turn your Hand immediately, and carry it _in_, in order to direct your Horse by your outward Rein; taking always care to support the Croupe with your outward Leg directly over-against, and about two Feet distant from the Wall: Bend your Horse to the Way he goes, and draw back the Shoulder that is _in_ with your inner Rein, because the outward Leg being carried with more care over the inner Leg by means of the outward Rein, the Horse will cross and bring one Leg over the other, the Shoulders will go before the Croupe, you will narrow him behind, and consequently put him upon his Haunches.

YOU ought to be careful at the same time, and see that your Horse never falsifies or quits the Line, either in advancing or going backward.--If he presses forward, support him with your Hand; if he hangs back, support him with your Legs, always giving him the Leg that serves to drive him on, stronger than the other which serves only to support him; that is, acting stronger with the Leg that is _without_, than with that which is within.

THE Lesson of the Head to the Wall is very efficacious to correct a Horse that forces the Hand, or who leans heavily upon it, because it compels him to put himself together, and be light upon the Hand with less Aids of the Bridle; but no Horse that is _restive_ or _ramingue_ should be put to it, for all narrow and confin'd Lessons serve only to confirm them in their natural Vice.--Place your Horse directly opposite the Wall, at about two Feet distance from it; make him go sideways, as I have already directed in the Article of Croupe to the Wall; but left one Foot should tread upon the other, and he should knock them together and hurt himself, in the Beginning of both Lessons you must not be too strict with him, but let his Croupe be rather on the contrary Side of his Shoulders, since by this means he will look towards the Way he is going more easily, and be better able to raise the Shoulder and Leg which is to cross over the other.--By degrees you will gain his Haunches, and he will grow supple before and behind, and at the same time become light in the Hand: Never forget that your Horse ought always to be bent to the Way he goes; in order to do this readily, guide him with the outward Rein; for very often the Stiffness of the Neck or Head is owing to nothing but the confined Action of the outward Shoulder; it being certain, that either the Difficulty or Ease of working either of those Parts, depends entirely upon the other; your Horse going thus sideways, carry your Hand a little out from time to time; the inner Rein by this means will be shortened, and make the Horse look _in_, the more it enlarges him before, by keeping his Fore-leg that is _in_, at a distance from the Fore-leg that is _out_, which consequently bringing the inner Hinder-leg near to the outward, confines his hinder Parts, and makes him bend his Haunches, especially the outward, upon which he rests his Weight, and keeps him in an equal Balance.--Never put your Horse to this Lesson, till he has been work'd a long while upon large Circles, his Head _in_, or to the Center, and his Croupe _out_; otherwise you would run the Risque of throwing him into great Disorder.

THE greater part of Defences proceed from the Shoulders or Haunches, that is to say, from the fore or hinder Parts; and thence the Horse learns to resist the Hand or Heel. It is the want of Suppleness then, that hinders the Horse from executing what you put him to do; and how can it be expected that he should answer and obey, when he is stiff in the Shoulders, Haunches, and Ribs? especially if, without reflecting that Suppleness is the Foundation of all, you press and teize him, and put him to Lessons beyond his Power and Capacity.

CHAP. XII.

_Of Changes of the Hand, large and narrow, and of Voltes and Demi-voltes._

A CHANGE is that Action, whereby the Horseman guides and causes his Horse to go from the Right-hand to the Left, and from the Left to the Right, in order to work him equally to both Hands; therefore changing the Hand, when you are to the Right, is making your Horse go to the Left-hand, and when on the Left, making him go to the Right. The Changes are made either on one _Line_ or _Path_, or on two, and are either large or narrow. Changing the Hand upon one Line, is when the Horse describes but one Line with his Feet; changing upon two Lines, is when the Haunches follow and accompany the Shoulders; and to make this Change, the Horse's Feet must consequently describe two Lines, one made by his Fore-feet, the other with his Hinder-feet.

CHANGING large, is when the Line, if the Horse makes but one, or both Lines, when he describes two, cross the Manage from Corner to Corner; changing narrow, is when these Lines pass over but a Part of it.

A _Volte_ is generally defined to be whatever forms a Circle.--Voltes of two Lines or Paths, describe two, one with the Horse's Fore, the other with his Hinder-feet.

IF the Circle then forms a Volte, by consequence half a Circle forms what is called the _Half-volte_.--These Half-voltes, and Quarters of Voltes, are made upon two Lines, as well as the Volte.--A Demi-volte of two Treads, is nothing else than two half Circles, one drawn by the Horse's Fore-feet, the other by the Hinder; it is the same with Quarters of Voltes.--A Horse can be work'd, and put to all sorts of Airs upon the Voltes, Half-voltes, and Quarters of Voltes.--But as the Rules necessary to be observed and followed in making Voltes of two Treads, and in changing of Hands in the Passage, are only general, I shall content myself with explaining them in this Chapter; reserving to myself a Power of pointing out the Exceptions, when I shall come to treat of the different Airs, and the different Manages, that are practised upon the Voltes. Three things equally essential, and equally difficult to attain, must concur to form the Justness of a Change; they are the manner of beginning it, of continuing, and closing it.--We will suppose you in the Manage, you walk your Horse forward, you bend him properly, and you are come to the Place where you intend to change large. For this Purpose, make a half Stop, and take care never to abandon the Rein which is to bend your Horse's Neck; the other Rein, that is, the outward Rein, is that, which you must use to guide and direct him, but you must proportion the Stress you lay upon one with the other.--As it is the outward Rein which determines your Horse the Way he is to go, make that operate, its Effect will be to bring the outward Shoulder _in_; if then it brings the outward Shoulder _in_, it guides and determines the Horse to the Side to which you are going, and confines and fixes the Croupe at the same time. This is not all, at the same Instant that your Hand operates, support your Horse with your outward Leg: Your Hand having determined the Shoulder, and fixed the Croupe, your Leg must help to secure it; for without the Aid of the Leg, the Croupe would be unconfined, would be lost, and the Horse would work only upon one Line. You see then, how requisite it is for the Horseman to be exact, active, and to give his Aids with the greatest Delicacy, in order to _begin_ his Change with Justness; because it is necessary, that the Times of giving the Hand and Leg, should be so close one to the other, as not to be perceived or distinguished.--You should never abandon, I have already said, that Rein with which you bend your Horse; this is the Reason--Every Horse when he makes a Change, ought to look towards the Way he is going; this Turn of the Neck, this Attitude, enables him to perform his Work better, and makes him appear graceful in it; therefore if he is turned or bent before he begins to change, why should you abandon the Rein that serves to bend him; since in this case, you would be under a double Difficulty in wanting on one hand the Point of Apuy, which ought to be found in the Rein which serves to bend him, and the Point of Apuy which ought to result from the working of the other Rein, which is to determine him.--The outward Rein operates to bring in the outward Shoulder, your outward Leg accompanies the Action of your Hand; here then is your Change begun.

THE outward Shoulder and Leg never could have been brought in, without passing over or crossing the inner Leg and Shoulder; this is the Action which the outward Leg should constantly perform through the whole Change. In order to arrive at a just Execution of this, you should be able to feel which Feet are off the Ground, and which are upon it. If the inner Leg is in the Air, and the Horse is ready to put it to the Ground, raise your Hand, and carry it _in_ insensibly, and your Horse will be oblig'd to advance his outward Leg and Shoulder, which must by this means cross the inner Leg and Shoulder whether he will or no.

IT is not sufficient for the Horse to cross his Legs only one over the other, he must go forward likewise at the same time, because in making the Change large, his Feet should describe two diagonal Lines.--It is of Importance therefore, that the same Attention be had to the inner as the outward Leg, for it is by the means of his Legs only that he can advance. It is true that you should endeavour to make him go forward by putting back your Body, and yielding your Hand; but if he won't obey these Aids, you must make use of the Calfs of your Legs, aiding more strongly with your Left-leg when you are going to the Right-hand, and more strongly with your Right-leg when you are going to the Left. Besides, it is so necessary to have an equal Attention to the Legs, because the Horse could never work with Justness, if he were not ballanced equally between the Rider's Legs; and it is from this exact Obedience only, that he is enabled to make the Changes with Precision, because without a Knowledge of the Hand and Heels, it is impossible he should obey the Motions of his Rider--In order to _close_ the Change justly, the Horses Fore-legs should arrive at the same time upon a strait Line; so that a Change justly executed, and in the same Cadence or Time, is such, as is not only begun, but finish'd likewise, and closed in such a Proportion, that the Croupe always accompanies and keeps Pace with the Shoulders throughout.--In order to finish it in this manner, you must observe the following Rules. The greater Number of Horses, instead of finishing their Changes with Exactness, are apt to lean on one Side, to make their Croupe go before their Shoulders, and to throw themselves with Impatience, in order to get upon one Line again; the Method of correcting them for these Irregularities, is to make a Demi-volte of two Lines, in the same Place where they were to have closed their Change; for Example, if in changing to the Right, they are too eager to come upon the strait Line, without having properly finish'd their Change, demand of them a Demi-volte to the Left, which you must make them round equally with their Shoulders and Haunches.

AN essential Point, which nevertheless is little regarded, is the making your Horse resume his Line, or go off again to the other Hand, when he has made his Change. To make him do this, you must carry your Hand to the Side to which you have closed your Change, and carry it insensibly as it were, after which you will be able with great Ease to bend your Horse to the Inside. I must further explain the Necessity of this Action.

IT is evident that a Horse in the Passage, neither can, nor ought if he could, move the two Feet on the same Side together. In beginning and finishing the Change, the outward Leg and Shoulder pass and cross over the inner Leg and Shoulder; he is consequently supported in this Action on the outward Haunch, for the inner Foot behind was off the Ground; now, if at the Closing of the Change, and in the Instant that he is again upon one Line; as for Example--If in closing his Change to the Right, the Horse is supported in this Action by the left Haunch, how is it possible that he can be bent to the Left? To attempt this, would be to make him move two Legs on the same Side, which would be undertaking a thing impossible to be done. Being therefore arrived upon one Line, carry your Hand to the Wall, this will make your Horse change his Leg; he will be supported in his Action by his right Haunch, and will be able to bend himself with great Facility.

IN order to make the Volte true and perfect, he ought to be just with respect to his Head and Neck, and have the Action of his Shoulders and Haunches quite equal. When I say that a Horse should have his Shoulders and Haunches equal, I would not be understood to mean, that his Fore-feet should not cover more Ground than his Hinder; on the contrary, I know it is a Rule never to be departed from, that his Shoulders should precede half of the Haunches; but I insist that the Haunches should go along with, and follow exactly the Motion of, the Shoulders; for 'tis from their Agreement, and from the Harmony between the Hind-legs and the Fore, upon which the Truth of the Volte depends. The four Legs of a Horse may be compared to the four Strings of an Instrument; if these four Cords don't correspond, it is impossible there should be any Musick; it is the same with a Horse, if the Motions of his Haunches and Fore-legs don't act together and assist each other, and if he has not acquired a Habit and Ease to perform what he ought to do, the most expert and dextrous Horseman will never be able to acquit himself as he ought, nor execute any Air justly and with Pleasure, be it either on the Volte or strait forward.

WHENEVER you put your Horse to the Passage upon the Voltes, he ought to make the same Number of Steps or Times with his Hinder, as with his Fore-feet; if the Space of the Ground upon which he works is narrow and confin'd, his Steps should be shorter.