/ ' /^. lt/''./Z- Ci !*•*» >tk ^ <^^j yf{^//ze^/^^/'€ Mi/ie^Y'^i?^. -» O iBtcA/iafn litr^v. NEW SYSTEM O F HORSEMANSHIP: From the French of Monfieur Bourgelat. BY RICHARD BERENGER^ E% Content, if hence th' Unlearn' J their Wanti may view. The Learn d reJleSi on 'what before they knew. Pope's Eflay on Crit. Printed by Henry Woodfall, For Paul Va ill ant in the Strand^ facing Southampton-Street. MJ>CCXIV. rrr '-^ :i i1 S S UMJrn B ; Vi tS \'\ '"i X < ; 'I y J J., ! <* [iii] THE TRANSLATOR'S PREFACE. /T* is not 77iy Dejign^ in the 'Tajk I undertake of giving fome~ Account of this Work^ as well as of the Art which is the SubjeSi of ity to trace its Origin back into paji 'Tij?ies^ or to wander in fear ch of it in the Darknefs a?id Confufon of re- mote Antiquity. Let it fujfice to fay ^ that though its Beginnings, as well as that of other Arts^ was imperfeB, yet its Ufe^ and the Entertainmejit it affords, have been known and tafted in all Ages. But however difli^iguifS d it may be by the Notice of the Great, who have at all Times deign d to profefs and praSlife it ; it- is yet lefs entitled to our Regard for thefe DiflinElions, than for thu real Advantages we derive from it. Riding confifls of two Parts, the ufeful and the ornamental. That the latter of thefe may be difpenfed with, is mofl readily granted', but that it behoves every- one who puts himfelf upon a Horfe to have fome Knowledge of the firji, is mofl evident. — For who would trufl to the mercy of an Animal that may prove wild and ungovernable, who knows hinfelf to be incapable of controuling him, and of aSling for his own Safety ? Who would venture alone into a Veffel, that can neither row, nor manage a Sail, but 7nufl trujl e?itireiy to the Winds a7id Tide ? Yet is this the Cafe with the Generality of Mankind,, who are carried upon the Back of a Horfe, and think they ride. A 2_. Tm. IV P R E F AC E. 'The Utility of this Art confijls then in htowing hoiv to guide and direEi your Horfe as you pleafe^ and in reduci7ig him to Obedience^ fo as to make him execute readily what you require of him. Thus far it is to be wifjd every Perfon who is converfant with Horfes, -would endeavour to attain. The ornamental Part^ I have already Jaidy is not fo requifte to be k7J0wn : It can ofily be called ait Ac- C07nplifh7Jtd7tt ^ and placed, ajnong the fupejfuous but refill d Plea- fur es of Life, hi what EJieein a7id Ho7wur however it has con- fla77tly been held, abu7ida7ttly appears frofn the Schools a7td Acade- mies every where ereEled for teaching its Kleme7its^ as well as from the Nu77tber of Booh\ ancie7tt and fnodern^ given to the World by e7ni7ie7it a7id accoinplifoed Perfo7is who have fludied and prac- tisd it. Among thefe our illuflrious Country7nan, William Ca- vendifli, Duke 33 V. Of the Stop • ■ I 43 VI. Of teaching a Horfe to go backward - cq VII. Of the uniting or putting a Horfe together ~— — 54 VIII. Of the Pillars 60 IX. Of Aids and CorreSfions > 64 X. Of the Pafage . . y^ XI. Of working ivith the Head and Croupe to the Wall •jg XII. Of Changes of the Hand, large and narrow, and of Voltes and Demi-voltes • 82 XIII. Of the Aids of the Body 92 XIV. Of the Gallop 98 XV. Of Pajfades 107 XVI. Of Pe fades Itl ^W\l. Of the Mezair 115 XVIII. Of Curvets . 117 XIX. Of Croupades and Balotades > jzq XX. Of Caprioles ■ ' ■ 132 XXI. Of the Step and Leap . 142 T O SIDNEY M E D O W S, Efq; The Following S H E E T S^ Eminently due to Him from their Subject, And not Lefs fo From the A U T H O R's sincere Regard T O His Person and Character, Are Infcrib*d, By his Faithful and Obedient Servant^ RICHARD BERENGER. errata: Page 36. for Remingue nad Ramingue. p. 38. dele and. p. 66. for In Viai it. p. 79. for Care read Eafe. p. 80. for a(^ing rw<^ aiding, p. 85. iik fo; p, ii6. for Lines rf. this is the exadl Equilibre ; in this conlifts the Firmncfs ot. the whole Building ; a Firmnefs which young Beginners are never fenfible of at firft, but which is to be acquired, and will always be attained by Exercife and Pradice. I demand but a moderate Strefs upon the Buttocks, be.- caufe a Man that fits full upon them, can never turn his Thighs flat upon the Saddle ; and the Thiglis fhould always lay flat, becaufe the fiefliy Part of the Thigh being infcnflble, the Horfeman would not otherwife be able to feel the Mo- tions of his Horfe. I infift that the Turn of the Thig;Ii fhould be from the Hip, becaufe this Turn can never be na- tural, but as it proceeds from the Hollow of tlie Hip-bone. I iniift further, that the Horfeman never avail himfelf ot the Strength or Help of his Thighs ; becaufe, befldes tliat he Vv'ould 6 ANEWSYSTEM would then be not only lefs fteady, but the clofer he prefl: them to the Saddle, the more would he be lifted above it ; and with refped to his- Buttocks and Thighs, he ought always to be in the Middle of the Saddle, and lit down full and clofe upon it. Having thus firmly placed the immoveable Parts, let us pafs on to the iirft of the Moveable ; which is, as I have already obferved, the Body or Trunk, as far as to the Waift : I comprehend in the Body or Trunk, the Head, the Shoulders, the Breaft, the Arms, the Hands, the Loins, and the Waift, of the Horfeman. The Head fliould be free, firm, and eafy, in order to be ready for all the natural Motions that the Horfeman may make, in turning it to one Side or the other : It fhould be fi.rm, that is to fay ftrait, without leaning to the Right or Left, neither advanced, nor thrown back ; it fhould be eafy, becaufe if othenvife, it would occafion a StifFnefs, and that Stiffnefs affeding the different Parts of the Body, ef- pecially the Back-bone, they would be without Eafe, and -conftrained. The Shoulders alone influence by their Motion the Breaft, the Reins, and the Waift. The Horfeman fhould prefent or advance his Breaft ; by this his whole Figure opens and difplays itfelf : He fhould have a fmall Hollow in his Loins, and fhould pufli his Waifl: forward to the Pommel of the Saddle, becaufe this 3 Pofition OF H0R.SEMANSH1P. 7 Pofition correfponds and unites him to all the Motions of the Horfe. Now, only throwing the Shoulders back pro- duces all thefe Effeds, and gives them exadly in the Degree that is requifiite ; whereas, if we were to look for the par- ticular Pofition of each Part feparately, and by itfelf, witli- out examining the Conneclion that there is between the Motions of one Part with thofe of another, there would be fuch a Bending in the Loins, that the Horfeman would be,, if I may fo fay, hollow-backed ; and as from that he would, force his Breaft forward, and his Wziift towards the Pommel of the Saddle, he would be flung back, and muft fit upon the Rump of the Florfc The Arms iTiould be bent at the Elbows, and the Elbows. fliould reft equally upon the Hips ; if the Arms were ftrait, the Confequence would be, that the Hands would be infi- nitely too low, or at much too great a Diftance from the Body ; and if the Elbows were not kept fteady, they would of confequence give an Uncertainty and Ficklenefs to the: Hand, fufficient to ruin it for ever. It is true, that the Bridle-hand is that which abfolutelv ought to be fteady and immoveable, and one might conclude from hence, that the Left-elbow only ought to reft upon the Hip, but Grace confifts in the cxa6l Proportion and Symmetry of all the Parts of the Body, and to have the Arm on one Side raifed and advanced, and that of the other kept down and clofe to the Body, would prefent but an awkward and difagreeable Appearance. It >S A N E W S Y S T E M It is this which determines the Situation of the Hand, which holds the Switch. The Left-hand being of an equal Heigjht with the Elbow, fo that the Knuckle of the Little- fino-er, and the Tip of the Elbow, be both in a Line ; this Hand then being rounded neither too much nor too little, :but juft fo that the Wrifl: may direct all its Motions ; place your Right-hand, or the Switch- hand, lower and more forward than the Bridle-hand ; it fhould be lower than the other Hand, becaufe if it was upon a Level with it, it would retrain or obfiruft its Motions ; and were it to be higher, as it cannot take fo great a Compafs as the Bridle-hand, which mufi: always be kept over againft the Horfeman's Body, it is abfolutely neceffary to keep the Proportion of the Elbows, that it fliould be lower than the other. The Legs and Feet make up the fecond Divifion, of what I call the moveable Parts of the Body. The Legs fcrve for two Purpofes ; they may be ufed as Aids, or Corredions, to the Animal. They fhould then be kept near the Sides of the Horfe, and in a Line with the Man's Body ; for being near the Part of the Horfe's Body where his Feeling is moft delicate, they are ready to do their Oilice in the Inftant they are wanted. Moreover, as they are an Appendix of the Thighs, if the Thigh is upon its Flat in the Saddle, they will, by a necelTary Confequence, be turned juft as they ought, and will infallibly give the famo Turn to the Feet ; becaufe the Feet depend upon thera, ^8 they depend upon the Thighs, 'The OF HORSEMANSHIP. 9 The Toe iliould be held a little higher than the Heel, for the lower the Toe is, the nearer the Heel will be to the Sides of the Horfe, and mufi: be in danger of toiichinc»- his Flank. Many Perfons, notwithftanding, when they raife their Toe, bend and twift their Ankle, as if they were lame in that Part. The Reafon of this is very plain ; it is be- caufe they make ufe of the Mufcles in their Legs and Thighs ; whereas, they fliould employ only the Joint of the Foot for this Purpofe ; a Joint, given by Nature to facilitate all the Motions of the Foot, and to enable it to turn to the Right or Left, upwards or downwards. Such is, in fliort, the mechanical Difpofition ot all the Parts of the Horfeman's Body. I will enlarge no further upon a Subjcd; treated on already fo amply by every Writer ; as it is needlefs to write what has been already handled. I have had no other Defign in this Chapter, than to give an Idea of the Correfpondence that there is between all the Parts of the Body, becaufe it is only by a jufl; Knowledge of this mutual Relation of all the different Parts, that we can be enabled to prefcribe Rules for giving that true and natural Seat, which is not only the Principle of Juftnefs, but likewife the Foundation of all Grace in the Horfeman. CHAP. lo A N E W S Y S T E M CHAP. II. Of the Hand^ and its EffeSis. TH E Knowledge of the different Charadlers, and the different Nature of Horfes, together with the Vices, and Imperfedlions, as well as the exa6l and juft Proportions of the Parts of a Horfe's Body, is the Foundation upon which is built the Theory of our Art ; but this Theory will be unneceffary and even ufelefs, if we are not able likewife to carry it into Execution. This depends chiefly upon the Goodnefs and Quicknefs of Feeling in the Hand, a Delicacy which Nature alone can give, and which £he does not always beftow. The firft Senfation of the Hand confifts in a greater or lefs Degree of Finenefs in the Touch or Feeling ; all of us are equally furniihed with Nerves, from which we have the Senfe of Feeling, but as this Senfe is much more fubtle and quick in fome Perfons than in others, it is impoffible to give a precife Definition of the exad Degree of Feeling in the Hand, which ought to communicate and anfwer to the fame Degree of Feeling in the Horfe's Mouth ; becaufe there is as much difference in the Degrees of Feeling ia Men, as there is in the Mouths of Horfes. I SUPPOSE then a Man, who is not only capable to judge of the Qualities of a Horfe's Mouth from a Knowledge of the Theory, but who has likewife by Nature that Finenefs of Touch, OF HORSEMANSHIP. n Touch, which helps to form a good Hand ; let us fee then what the Rules are that we muft follow, in order to make it perfed, and by which we muft dired all its Operations. A HORSE can move four different Ways, he can advance, go back, turn to the Right, and to the Left ; but he can never make thefe different Motions, unlefs the Hand of the Rider permits him by making four other Motions v/hich anfvver to them : So that there are five different Pofitions for the Hand. The firft is that general Pofition, from which proceed, and indeed ought to proceed, the other four. Hold your Hand three Fingers breadth from your Body, as high as your Elbow, in fuch a Manner that the Joint of your Little-finger be upon a right Line with the Tip of the Elbow ; let your Wrift be fufficiently rounded, fo that your Knuckles may be kept diredly above the Neck of your Horfe ; let your Nails be exadlly oppofite your Body, the Little-finger nearer to it than the others, your Thumb quite flat upon the Reins, which you muft feparate, by putting your Little-finger between them, the right Rein lying upon it ; this is the firft and general Pofition. Does your Horfe go forward, or rather would you have him go forward ? Yield to him your Hand, and for that Pur- pofe turn your Nails downwards, in fuch a Manner as to bring your Thumb near your Body, remove your Little- finger from it, and bring it into the Place where your C 2 Knuckles 12 A N E W S Y S T E M Knuckles were in the firfl Poiition, keeping your Nails di- redly abov^e your Horfe's Neck ; this is the fecond. Would you make your Florfe go backwards? quit the firft Poiition, let your Wrift be quite round, let your Thumb be in the Place of the Little-finger in the fecond Pofition, and the Little-finger in that of the Thumb, turn your Nails quite upwards, and towards your Face, and your Knuckles will be towards your Horfe's Neck j this is the third. Would you turn your Horfe to the Right, leave the firfl: Pofition, carry your Nails to the Right, turning your Hand upfide down, in fuch a manner, that your Thumb be carried out to the Left, and the Little-finger brought in to the Right ; this is the fourth Pofition. Lastly, Would you turn to the Left, quit again the firft Pofition, carry the Back of your Hand a little to the Left, fo that the Knucles come under a little, but that your Thumb incline to the Right, and the Little-finger to the Left ; this makes the fifth. These different Pofitions however alone are not fufiicient ; we muft be able to pafs from one to another with Readinefs and Order. Three Qualities are efpecially neceflary to the Hand. It ought to be Jif-m, geni/e^ and /ig/ji ; I call that a frm ox Jieady Hancl^ whofe Feeling correfponds exadly with the Feeling in the Horfe's Mouth, and which confifts in a certain Degree of Steadinefs, which conftitutes the juft Corre- fpondence between the Hand and the Horfe's Mouth, which every Horfeman wifiies to find. 3 * An OF HORSEMANSHIP. 13 An eafy and gentk Hand is that which by relaxing a little of its Strength and Firmnefs, eafes and mitigates the Degree of Feelino; between the Hand and Horfe's Mouth, which I have already defcribed. Lastly, a light Hand is that which leflens ftill more the Feeling between the Rider's Hand and the Horfe's Mouth, which was before moderated by the gentk Hand. The Hand therefore, with refpedl to thefe Properties, mufi: operate in part, and within certain Degrees ; and depends upon being more or lefs felt, or yielded to the Horfe, or with-held. It fliould be a Rule with every Horfeman, not to pafs at once from one Extreme to another, from a firm Hand to a flack one ; fo that in the Motions of the Hand, you mufl upon no account jump over that Degree of Senfation which conftitutes the eafy or gentle Hand. Were you at once to go from a firm Hand or a flack one, you would then entirely abandon your Horfe ; you would furprize him, depriv^e him of the Support he trufted to, and precipitate him on his Shoulders, fuppofing you do this at an improper time ; on the contrary, were you to pafs from a flack to a tight Rein all at once, you mufl: jerk your Hand, and give a violent Shock to the Horfe's Mouth, which rough and irregular Motion would be fuflicient to falfify the fineft Apuy, and ruin a good Mouth, It 14 ANEWSYSTEM It is iadifpenfibly neceflary therefore, that all its Opera- tions fhoiild be gentle and light ; and in order to this, it is neceflary that the Wrift alone fhould direft and .govern all its Motions, by turning and fleering it, if I may fo fay, through every Motion that it is to make. In confequence then of thefe Principles, I inflft that the Wrifl be kept fo round, that your Knuckles may be always diredly above the Horfe's Neck, and that your Thumb be always kept flat upon the Reins. In reality, were your Wrifb to be more or lefs rounded, than in the Degree I have fixed, you could never work with your Hand, but by the means of your Arm ; and befldes, it would appear as if it were lame : Again, v^-ere your Thumb not to be upon the Flat of the Reins, they would continually flip through the Hand, and, by being lengthen'd, would fpoil the Apuy ; and in order to recover them, you would be obliged every Moment to raife your Hand and Arm, which would throw you into Confuflon, and make you lofe that Juftnefs and Order, without which no Horfe will be obedient, and work with Readinefs and Pleafure. It is neverthelefs true, that with Horfes that are well dreft, one may take Liberties ; thefe are nothing elfe but thofe Mo- tions which are called Defcents of tlie Hand, and they are to be made three different ways ; either by dropping the Knuckles diredly and at once upon the Horfe's Neck, or by taking the Reins in the Right-hand, about four Fingers breadth above the Left, and letting them Aide through the Left, dropping your Right-hand at the fame time upon the Llorfc's Neck ; 3 or OF HORSEMANSHIP. 15 or elfe by putting the Horfe under the Button^ as it is call'd ; that is, by taking the End of the Reins in your Right-hand, quitting them entirely with your Left, and letting the End of them fall upon your Horfe's Neck : thefe Motions however, which give a prodigious Grace to the Horfeman, never fliould be made but with great Caution, and exactly in the time when the Horfe is quite together, and in the Hand ; and you muft take care to counter -balance, by throw- ing back your Body, the Weight of the Horfe upon his. Haunches. « The Apuy being always in the fame Degree, would heatr the Mouth, would dull the Senfe of Feeling, would deaden the Horfe's Bars, and render them infenfible and callous - this fhews the NecefTity of continually yielding and drawr ing back the Hand to keep the Florfe's Mouth freili and. awake. Besides thefe Rules and Principles, there are others not lefs jull and certain, but whofe Nicenefs and Refinement it is not the Lot of every Man to be able to tafte and under- ftand. My Hand being in the firft Pofition, 1 open the two Middle-fingers, I confequently eafe and flacken my Right Rein; I fluit my Hand, the Right Rein operates again, and refumes the Apuy. I open my Little-finger, and putting the End of it upon the Right Rein, I thereby flacken the Left, and fhorten the Right. I fliut my Hand entirely, and open it immediately again ; I thereby leffen the De- gree of Tenfion and Force of the two Reins at the fime time ', again I clofe my Hand not quite fo much, but fiiU L lb A NEWSY STEM I clofe it. It is by thefe Methods, and by the Vibration of the Reins, that I unite the FeeHng in my Hand with that in theHorfe's Mouth; and it is thus that I play with a fine and m^iie Mouth, and frefhen and relieve the Bars in which the Feeling or Apuy refides. It is the fame with refpe£t to the fecond Defcent of the Hand : My Right-hand holding the Reins, I pafs and Aide my Left-hand upon the Reins up and down, and in the De- gree of Apuy of the eafy and jlack Hand ; by the means of which the Horfe endeavours of himfelf to preferve the Correfpondence and Harmony of that mutual Senfation, be- tween his Mouth and the Rider's Hand, which alone can make him. fubmit with Pleafure to the Conftraint of the Bit. I HAVE thus explained the different Pofitions and Motions of the Hand ; let me fliew now in a few Words the Effeds which they produce. The Horfeman's Hand directs the Reins ; the Reins ope- rate upon the Branches of the Bit ; the Branches upon the Mouth-piece and the Curb ; the Mouth-piece operates upon the Bars, and the Curb upon the Beard oi the Horfe. The Rio;ht Rein guides the Horfe to the Left : the Left Rein CD CD ■' to the Right. Would you go to tlie Right, you pafs to the fourth Pofition of the Hand, that is, you carry and turn your Nails to the Right ; now in carrying thus your Nails to the Right, and reverfmg your Hand in fuch a manner, that your Thumb point to the Left, and your Little-finger being raifed OF H O R S E M A N S H I I'. 17 railed turns to the Right, you by this means fhorten your Left Rein ; it is this Left therefore that turns and guides the Horfe to the Right : Would you go to the Left, pafs to the £fth Pofition, you will carry the Back of your Hand to the Left, fo that your Nails will be turned down a little, your Thumb will be to the Rirrht, and the Little-finger to the Left ; this will fliorten the right Rein^ and the right Rein determines your Horfe to the Left. I HAVE already fud, that the Effect which the Mouth- piece has upon the Bars, and the Curb upon the Beard, depends upon the Branches of the Bitt ; when the Branches rife or are turned upwards, the Mouth-piece finks, and when the Branches fink, the Mouth-piece rifes ; fo that when your Horfe is going ftrait forward, if you keep your Hand low and clofc to your Body, the Mouth-piece then preffes ftrong upon the Bars, and the Chain or Curb having, in confe- quence more Liberty, ads lefs upon the Beard ; on the contrary, if you keep your Hand high, a little forward, and confequently a little out of the Line of the End of the Branches, the Mouth-piece then finks, and the Branches of necelfity operate upon the Curb, which prefixes then very ftrongly upon the Beard ; now, in order to place, and to bring in your Horfe's.Head, you mufi: hold your Hand low, and in order to raife and lighten a Horfe that weighs upon the Hand, and carries his Head too low, you muft advance your Hand a little, and keep it high. Would you have your Horfe go backward ? Come to the third Pofition, but take care to round your Wrift exactly, D in i8 ANEWSYSTEM in order to work equally with both Reins, and by this means to aid your Horfe more effedually to go backward ftrait and ballanced between your Legs, which he could never do, if one Rein was to operate ftronger than the other. There are particular Cafes, where the Reins are fepa- rated, and one held in each Hand ; it is ufual to feparate them v/hen you trot a young Horfe, or when you are to work one who is difobedient, and reflfts his Rider ; upon thefe occalions, keep both your Hands upon a Level, low and near your Body : To turn to the right, ufe your right Rein ; to go to the left, ufe your left Rein ; but in order to make them have their EfFe<9:, move your Arm gently, turning it a little from your Body, keeping your Hand always low and even near your Boot. Such are the Principles upon which the Perfedlion and Juftnefs of the Aids of the Hand depend, all others are falfe, and not to be regarded ; Experience has fo much the more evinced the Truth of this, as the new Difcoveries which fome People imagine they have lately made, have produced nothing but Hands, cold and unadive, without Firmnefs, whofe irregular and capricious Motions ferve only to render a Horfe's Mouth uncertain and fickle, and who, by their manner of holding them high, have ruined abfo- lutely the Hocks of all the Horfes, that they have worked according to thefe abfurd Notions. CHAP, OF HORSEMANSHIP. 19 CHAP. III. Of Difobedience in Horfes, and the Means to correSi it, DISOBEDIENCE in Horfes is more frequently owing to the want of Skill in the Horfeman, than proceeding from any natural Iniperfedions in the Horfe ; in effedt, three things may give rife to it, Ignorance, a bad Temper, and an Incapacity in the Animal to do what is required of him. If a Horfe is ignorant of what you expe£l him to do, and you prefs him, he will rebel, nothing is more common ; teach him then, and he will know ; a frequent Repetition of the Leffons will convert this Knowledge into a Habit, and you will reduce him to the moft exadt Obedience. He refufes perhaps to obey, this Fault may arife either from Ill-humour, Dullnefs, or from too much Mettle ; it often is the Effed: of the two lirft Vices, fometimes the Refult of all the three. In either, or all thefe Inftances, recourfe muft be had to Rigour, but it muft be ufed with Caution ; for we muft not forget, that the Hopes of Re- compence have as great an Influence over the Undcrftanding of the Animal, as the Fear of Punifliment. Perhaps he is not able to execute what you afk of him ; examine him, fomething may be amifs in fome Part of his Body, or per- haps in the whole Body ; he may be deficient, he may -want Strength, or not be light enough j perhaps he is de- D 2 licicnt 20 A N E W S Y S T E M . ■ ficient in both, in that he refifts and rebels. Coniider whether he knows what he fliould do or not ; if he is ignorant, teach him ; if he 'knows, but can't execute through Inabihty, endeavour to afTift Nature as far as you can, by the Help of Art. But does he already know, and is he able too, and yet does he refufe to obey ? After hav- ing firft tried every Method that Patience and Lenity can fuggeft, compel him by Force and Severity. It be- hoves then every Horfeman, who w^ould be perfed; in his Art, to di{lingui£h from whence the different Sorts of De- fences and Rebellion in Horfes proceed : And this Know- ledge is by fo much the more difficult to attain, as he muft have Penetration enough to diftinguifli if the Caufe of their Rebellion is in their Charadler and Nature, or owing to any Fault in their Make and Strudure^ The different Natures of Horfes are infinite, though there are certain general Principles, of which all, more or lefs, al- ways partake. » A Horse may be imperfed from four Caufes, Weaknefs, Heavinefs in his Make, Want of Courage, and Sloth. Four Qualities muft confpire to make a perfed Horfe, Strength, Adivity, Courage, and Judgment. The Mixture of thefe different Qualities occafions the dif- ferent Natures and Difpoiitions of the Creature, according as he is form'd better or worfe ; for it is from his Temper, or rather from the Harmony or Unktnefs of the Parts and Elements, OF FI O R S E M A N S H I P. 21 Elements, of which he is compofed, that we are enabled to fix his Chara6ler ; it is therefore the Part of every Horfeman never to work but with Difcretion and Caution, and to a- dapt his Rules and Leflons to the Nature and Ability of the Horfe he undertakes, and which he ought to know. A Horse may be difficult to be mounted, examine the Source of this Vice ; it may be owing either to the Ignorance or the Brutality of thofe who have fir/l had to do with him, or perhaps tliat the Saddle may have hurt him, or elfe to a Temper naturally bad. To whatever Caufe it may be owing, Femember never to beat him, for inftead of curing him, you would certainly confirm him in his Vice ; clap him gently when you approach him, ftroke his Head and Mane, talk to him, and as you talk, clap the Seat of the Saddle ; keep- yourfelf ftill all the while, put your Foot only in the Stirrup^ to encourage your Horfe, without doing any more, in order to make him flimiliar, and lofe all Apprehenfion and Fear when he is going to be mounted ; by degrees at laft he will let you mount him, you will immediately get down and re- mount, and fo fucceflively for feveral Times together, with- out attempting to do any thing elfe, but fend him back to the Stable. If it happens that then when you are upon him, he runs from the Place where you got upon him, bring him .to it immediately, keep him there fome Time, coax him, and fend him away. The firft Leffons ought to be well weigh'd ; when you undertake to bring a young Horfe to Obedience, and to reclaim him from Liberty to the Sub- jedion of the Bridle, Saddle, and the Weight of his Rider,, fo> 22 ANEWSYSTEM {o reftrain'd, it is not furprizing if he fliould employ all his Strength againft you in his own Defence. The Generality of Colts are difficult to be turn'd and cruided as you would have them go ; we ought not however to be furprized at this their firft Difobedience, it muft be imputed to the Habit they acquire from their Birth, of con- ftantly following their Dams. Indulged in this Liberty, and fubjedled all at once by the Bit, it is but natural they fhould -rebel ; there is no way of eradicating thefe firft Impreflions, but by Gontlenefs and Patience : A Horfeman, who fhould make ufe of Force and Corredlion, and employ it all at once upon a young Horfe, would difcourage and make him vi- cious ever after. If therefore your Horfe refufes to go for- ward, you muft lead another Horfe before him, the Perfon who rides the Colt will try from Time to Time, and infen- iibly, to make the Colt go a-breaft with him, and afterwards get before him ; if being furprized at feeing the Horfe no longer, he flops or runs back, the Rider muft endeavour to drive him forward, either by his Voice, or fome Kind of flight Punifliment, or he that rides the other Horfe may give him a Stroke with the Chambriere, in order to make him go forward ; if thefe Methods fhould not fucceed, he will go before him again with the other Horfe, by degrees (for one LefTon wont be fufficient) the Colt will grow accuftom'd to it, and at laft will go on of himfelf. Most Horfes who ftart, have fome Defect in their Sight, which makes them fear to approach the Objed;. The Horfe- man, upon thofe Occafions, inftead of having Recourfe to 3 Punifhment, OF HORSEMANSHIP. 23 Punifliment, which ferves only to alarm the Horfe, and ex- tinguifli his Courage and Vigour, fliould firft endeavour to lead him gently towards the Objeft that terrifies him, either by encouraging him with his Voice, or by clofing his Legs upon him, to make him go up to it. If he wont go towards it, you may give him the Spurs, but with Difcretion, and by Coaxing and Carcfles pu£h him towards it infenfibly ; fevere Correction will never cure him of this fearful Temper, which is a Fault inherent in his Na<- ture, nor of any Imperfections in his Sight, which is a Dif- order belonging to him, but the Habit of viewing the Ob- jedls which alarm him, may in time remedy the Defeats of Nature. If notwithftanding you perceive that Sloth and Malice aie added to thefe Faults, you muft ufe as you find neceflary both. Mildnefs and fevere Corredlion, and you will beftow them in proportion to the Effed they produce. For the reft, be care- ful never to furprize a young Horfe who is fhy,. and apt to ftart, never terrify him with what he moft fears, never beat him to make him come up to an ObjeCl which he dreads j accuftom him by degrees to it, and have Patience ; the Fear of Punifliment does oftentimes more harm, and is more dreaded by him, than the very Objed which firft alarmed him. There are fome Horfes, who are ftruck with fuch Terror at the Sight of a Stone orWooden Bridge, and at the Sound and Echo of the hollow Part of it, that they will fling themfelves- headlong into the Water, without the Riders being able to reftraia: 24 A N E W S Y S T E M reftrain them : They are to be cur'd of this Apprehension by- covering the Pavement of their Stall with Wooden Planks, between two or three Feet high : and the Horfe ftandincr conftantly upon them, his Feet will make the fame Noife as they do when he goes over a Bridge, and he will of coiirfe grov/ familiar to the Sound, and lofe all Apprehenfion of it. To accuftom them likewife to the Noife of the Water run_ ning under the Bridge, lead him to a Mill, fix two Pillars direftly over againft the Wheels, and tie your Horfe con- flantly for two Hours together, feveral Times in the Day ; having done this, bring him back to the Bridge, let an old Horfe, that is not afraid, go before him upon the Bridge, by degrees you will find him go over the Bridge as readily and quietly as if he had never had the lead Apprehenfion. T'oR Horfes that are addided to lay down in the Water, •you miift provide yourfelf with two little Leaden Balls, tie them to a Piece of Packthread, and in the Moment that he is lying down, you mufl: drop thefe into his Ears, and if he rifes inftantly, or forbears to lay down, draw them back; but this Method is not lefs fure than that of breaking a Flafk fill'd with Water upon his Head, and letting the Water run into his Ears. Fire, Smoke, the Smell of Gunpowder, and the Noife of Guns, or other Arms, naturally furprize and frighten a Horfe. — There are few that will come near Fire, or pafs by it without Difficulty, 3 There OF HORSEMANSHIP. 25 There are many Occadons however, wherein it is necef- fary ; it is therefore proper to accuftom your Horfe to it. In the firft place, begin with your Horfe by letting him fee it ; and for that purpofe tie him between two Pillars, and hold before him, at about thirty Paces diflant, a burning Wifp of Straw ; this fliould be continued for fome Days to- gether, repeating it feveral times each Day. Let the Perfoii who holds the Brand, advance towards the Horfe ilep by ftep, and let him take care to advance or flop often, as he per- ceives the Horfe is more or lefs frighten'd, who in a fhort time will be imbolden'd, and no longer afraid of the Fire : After this get up on him, carry him flowly, and, as it were, infenfibly towards the Brand, the Perfon who holds it taking care not to ftir : If your Horfe comes up to it, without be- ing frighten'd, let the Man on Foot walk on, and let the Horfe follow the Fire. Lay upon the Ground fome Straw about half burnt out, and he will pafs over it. With refped to the Noife of Arms and Drums, let your Horfe hear them before you give him his Oats : Do this regularly every Day, for fome time, and he will be fo ufed to them as not to mind them. A Horse is faid to be ent'ier to that Hand, to which he refufes to turn ; a Hurt in his Foot, Leg, or Shoulder, may often be the Caufe of his refufing to turn to that Side, where he feels any Pain ; a Flurt in his Loins or Haunch, a Curb or Spavin, by hindering him to bend and reft upon his Hocks, may make him guilty of this Difobedience. Art can do ht- E tie ^6 ANEWSYSTEM tk towards curing thcfe Evils, confequently a Horfe fo af- fe'ded will never drefs well, becaufe he never can be made fupple and ready ; befides, every Horfe is naturally inclin'd to go to one Hand more than the other, and then he will go to that Hand on which he finds himfelf the weakeft, becaufe with the ftrongeft he can turn more eafily. They may likewife refufe to turn, from fome Defe<^ in their Sight, natural or accidental. I have tried a Method to remedy this Vice, vi^hich has anfwer'd very well ; I have put a Lunette upon the ailing Eye, and as his Fault was owing to his Eye, the Horfe began by degrees to go to that Hand to which before he had refufed to turn : After this I made two little Holes in the Lunette ; I enlarged them after- wards, and the Eye of the Horfe being thus infenfibly ac- cuftom'd to receive the Light, and he to turn to that Hand, he no longer difobeyed ; I exercifed him in this Manner from time to time, in order to confirm him in his Obedience. — I have faid, that there is no Horfe who is not by Nature in- clin'd to go better to oneHand than the other ; their inclina- tion generally carries them to the Left rather than to the Right. Some People impute this Preference to the Manner in which the Foal lies in its Dam's Belly, and pretend that even then it is entirely bent and turn'd to the Left : Others infift that Horfes lay down generally upon their Right-fide, and from thence contradl a Habit to turn their Heads and Necks to the Left : But not to regard thefe groundlefs Notions, it is eafier and more natural to believe, that this Habit is owing to Ufe, and the Manner in which they are treated by thofe who firft have had the Care of them. The OF HORSEMANSHIP. 27 The Halter, the Bridle, the Saddle, and the Girths are all put on and tied on the Left-fide ; when they are rubb'd or curried, the Man ftands on the Left-iide ; the fame when they are fed, and when they are led out, the Man holds them in his Right-hand, eonfequently their Head is pull'd to the Left. Here are a Chain of Reafons, fufficient to in- duce us to believe that if they are readier to turn to one Hand than the other, it is owing to a Habit and Cuftom which we ourfelves have given. We feldom meet with Horfes that are readier to turn to the Right-hand than the Left j and wJien it fo happens, it oftentimes denotes an ill Tem- per; it demands much Time and Pains to cure tliem of this Fault. It is not proper to ufc fevere Corredlion to make a Horfe obey, who refufes to turn to one Hand ; if he is cold and •dull, he will lofe all his Vigour and Courage ; if he is of an angry Temper, hot and brifk, you would make him defpe- rate and mad ; work him then upon the Principles of Art, and purfue the Methods you think moft likely to reform his ill Habit, and reduce him to Obedience ; if he obftinately refufes to turn to one Hand, begin the next Leflbn, by letting him go to his favourite Hand a turn or two ; finifli liim on the fame Hand, by degrees you'll gain him ; whereas were you to do otherwife, you might make him ever after- wards rebellious. A Horfe that ftrenuoufly reiifts his Rider, -if he has Vigour and Courage, after he is reduced and con- quer'd, will neverthelefs fucceed in what you want of him, provided he is under the Diredion of an able and knowing E 2 Perfon, 28 A N E W S Y S T E M Perfon, who underftands the Aids of the Hand and Legs, and their mutual Harmony and Correfpondence. Such a Horfe is even preferable to one who never re- bels ; becaufe in this laft, Nature may be deficient, if I may fo exprefs myfelf, from his Want of Strength and Re- folution. In order to teach your Horfes to turn to both Hands, you muft feparate your Reins, as I have already mention'd ; don't confine him too much, fupport him moderately fo that you may eafily draw his Head to one fide or the other, as you would have him go, and to give him the greater Liberty to turn» If he refufes to obey, examine him ; if he is by Nature im- patient, hot and vicious, by no means beat him, provided he will go forwards ; becaufe being held in Hand, and kept back a little, is Punifbment enough; if he flops, and ftrives to refill: by running back, drive him forward with the Chambriere. The Refinance of a Horfe, whofe Mouth is faulty, dif- covers itfelf more in going forward than backward, and in forcing the Hand; a Horfe of this fort ought never to be beat; he ought to be kept back, as I have juft now faid. You muft endeavour to give him a good and juft Apuy, and put him upon his Haunches, in order to cure him of the Trick of leaning upon his Bit, and forcing the Hand. If your Horfe is heavy, never prefs or put him together, till you have lighten' d OF HORSEMANSHIP. 29 lighten'd his Fore-part, and put him upon, his Haunches, for fear of throwing him fo much upon his Shoulders, that it may be very difficult afterwards to raife him. Take par- ticular care to lighten every Horfe that is heavy before, and has Malice in his Temper at the fame time ; for if you were to prefs him, he would refift you through Vice ; in which Cafe by his Want of Strength on one hand, and being heavy and unwieldy on the other, you would be expofed to evi- dent Danger.. A rejlive Horfe is one that refufes to go forward, who {landing flill in the fame Place, defends himfelf, and refifts his Rider in feveral different Manners ; it is much to be fear'd that one fhould loie all Temper with fuch a Horfe, fince it requires a great deal of Patience to cure fo Capital a Fault, and which perhaps by Habit and Time is fo rooted in him as to be almoft natural to him ; treat a Horfe of this fort, who has been too much conftrain'd and tyrannized over, with the fame Lenity that you would fhew to a young Colt. The Spurs are as improper to be ufed to one as the other ; make ufe of your Switch in order to drive him forward, you will alarm him the lefs ; the Spurs furprize a Horfe, abate his Courage, and are more likely to make him reftive, than oblige him to go forward, if he refufes to do ^o. There is likewife another Method to punifh a reftive Horfe ; it is to make him go backwards the Moment he begins to refift ; this Corredion often fucceeds ; but the general Rule is to pufli -o A N E V/ S Y S T E M o pulli and cany your Horfe forward, whenever he refufes to advance, but continues in the fame Place, and defends himfelf, either by turning or flinging his Croupe on one fide cr the other ; and for this Purpofc nothing is fo efficacious as to pufh him forward vigorcufly. The moft dangerous of all Defences a Florfe can make is to rife diredly upon his Hind-legs, and ftand almofl quite llrait, becaufe he runs a rifque of falling backwards ; and in that Cafe the Rider would be in Danger of his Life. People have endeavour'd to corred this Vice, by a Method of Punifhment, which might prove dangerous, unlefs given in ibm^ and with the greatefl: Exadnefs. When the Horfe rifes ftrait up, throw your Body for- ward, and give him all the Bridle; th^ V/eight of your Body- on his Fore-parts will oblige him to come down : In the Minute that his Fore-feet arc coining to the Ground, give him both the Spurs firm, and as quick as you can ; thefe Aids and Corredions however mufl be given with the greateft Caution and Exadnefs : For were yau to give inm the Spurs when he is in the Air, he would fall over; whereas if you watch the Time fo as not to fpur him but Vv-hen he is com- ing down, and his Fore-feet near the Ground., it is then impoflible he fhould fall backwards ; for then his Balance is deftroy'd, and he is upon all his Legs again, and can't rife without fir ft .touching the Ground, and taking his Spring ilience ; if therefore you give him the Spurs bciore he is in OF HORSEMANSHIP. -t o a Situation to rife again, you will punifli him, and drive him forward at the fame time. This Defence is ftill more dangerous in Horfes who are of a fiery Temper, and weak in their Haunches, at the fame time ; thefe are continually apt to rife, and whatever Pre- cautions theRider may take, he is in continual Danger of their coming over. The way to correal them is this : Tie your Horfe between the Pillars very fliort, put on a good Cavafon of Cord, and don't fuffer him to be mounted ; prick him upon the Buttocks with a Hand-fpur, in order to make him ftrike out ; encourage him when he kicks, and continue to make him kick ; encourage him from time to time when he obeys ; do this for a Quarter of an Hour every Day ; when you perceive that he begins to kick the Moment voa offer to prick him, without waiting till he feels it, get upon him, hold your Reins long, prick him, and let a Man iland by and prick him at the fame time. Encourage him when he kicks, and continue to prick him to make him do it, till he will kick readily only at the Offer you make of pricking him ; he ought to be brought to this Point in five or fix Days : After this take him out of the Pillars, mount him,, and trot him in the Longe, and make him kick by pricking him behind ; after that let him walk two or three Steps, then make him kick again, and fo work him by degrees. Put him to the Gallop ; if he offers to rife, prick him behind, and make him kick : Nothing excels this Method to break a Horfe of this terrible and dangerous Vice. Those -2 A N E W S Y S T E M Those Horfes who are apt to kick, either when they go forward or ftand flill, muft be kept much together, or held in clofely ; make them go backward brilkly, and you will cure them of this Vice. To refume our Subjed:. All Horfes are by Nature rather aukward than nervous and ftrong ; fearful than bold ; hot and fretful than mifchievous or ill-temper'd ; whenever they grow defperate and abfolutely ungovernable, it is often rather to avoid the extreme Pain which they feel, or expedl to feel from too great a Conftraint, than merely to refift the Horfeman. Arm yourfelf then with great Patience ; keep fuch Horfes as are of a fiery and fretful Difpofition, rather in Awe than in abfolute Subjedion ; they are natu- rally fearful, and apt to be alarm'd ; and violent Corredlion and Force would difhearten and make them quite defperate. Such as are of a hot and impetuous Temper, are generally timid and malicious. Endeavour therefore to prevent the Diforders they would commit ; for Lenity and good Ufage would never reduce them to Obedience, and Severity would make them lifelefs and jadifh. In fine, let your LefTons be fhort, eafy, and often repeated to Horfes of a cold and heavy Difpofition, becaufe they have no Memory, and want both Refolution and Strength, In a word, never depart from this great Maxim, " Always *' obferve a juftMedium between too indulgent aLenity and ex- ■'*' treme Severity j" work your Horfe according to his Strength ^ and OF HORSEMANSHIP. 33 and Capacity, give your Leffons in proportion to his Me- mory, and dilpenic your Punifliment and Rewards fuitable to his Courage and Difpolition. CHAP. IV. Of the Trot. WHEN a Horfe trots, his Legs are in this Pofition, two in the Air and two upon the Ground, at the liune time crofs-wife ; that is to fay, the Near-foot before, and the Oif-foot behind are off the Ground, and the other two upon it ; and fo alternately of the other two. This Adlion of his Legs is the fame as when he walks, except that in the Trot his Motions are more quick. All Writers, both ancient and modern, have conflantly afferted the Trot to be the Foundation of every Leffon you can teach a Florfe; there are none likewife who have not thought proper to give general Rules upon this Subjedl, but none have been exadt enough to defcend into a Detail of particular Rules, and to diftinguifli fuch Cafes as are different, and admit of Excep- tions, tho' fuch often are found from the different Make and Tempers of Horfes, as they happen to be more or lefs fuitcd to what they are deftin'd ; fo that by following their gene- ral Maxims, many Horfes have been fpoil'd, and made heavy and aukward, inftead of becoming fupple and adive ; and as much Mifchief has been occaiion'd by adopting their F Principles, 34- ANEWSYSTEM Principles, although juft, as if they had been fuggefted by Ignorance itfelf. Three Qualities are eflentially necefiary to make the Trot ufeful, it ought to be exte?jdedf fupple^ and cve?i or equal J thefe three Qualities are related to, and mutually depend upon each other : In effed:, you can't pafs to the fupple Trot, without having firft work'd your Horfe upon the extended Trot ; and you can never arrive at the even and equal Trot, without having pradifed the Supple. I MEAN by the extended Trot, that in which the Horfe trots out without retaining himfelf, being quite flrait, and going diredly forwards ; this confequently is the kind of Trot, with which you muft begin ; for before any thing elfe ought to be meditated, the Horfe fhould be taught to embrace and cover his Ground readily, and without fear. The Trot however may be extended without being fupple, for the Horfe may go diredlly forward, and yet not have that Eafe and Supplcnefs of Limbs, which diftinguiflies and charaderizes the Supple, I DEFINE the fupple Trot to be that in which the Horfe at every Motion that he makes bends and plays all his Joints ; that is to fay, thofe of his Shoulders, his Knees and Feet, which no Colts or raw Horfes can execute, who have not had their Limbs fuppled by Exercife, and who always trot with a furprizing StiiFnefs and Aukwardnefs, and without the leaft OF HORSEMANSHIP. 35 leaft Spring or Play in their Joints. The even or equal Trot, is that wherein the Horfe makes all his Limbs and Joints move fo equally and exadlly, that his Legs never cover more Ground one than the other, nor at one Time more than an- other : To do this, the Horfe muft of neceiTity unite and colled; all his Strength, and if I may be allowed the Expref- fion, diftribute it equally through all his Joints. T o go from the exte7ided Trot, to the fiipple^ you muft gently, and by degrees, hold in your Horfe ; and when by Exercife he has attain'd fufficient Eafe and Supplenefs to manage his Limbs readily, you muft infenfibly hold him in, ftill more and more, and by degrees you will lead him to the equal Trot. The Trot is the firft Exercife to which a Horfe is put ; this is a neceflary Leflbn, but if given unfl^ilfully it lofes its End, and even does harm. Horses of a hot and fretful Temper have generally too great a Difpofttion to the extended Trot ; never abandon thefe Horfes to their Will, hold them in, pacify them, mo- derate their Motion by retaining them judicioufly, and their Limbs will grow fupple ; they will acquire at the fame time that Union and Equality, which is fo eilentially ne- ceffary. If you have a Horfe that is heavy, conftder if this Heavi- nefs or StifTnefs of his Shoulders or Legs is owins; to a Want F 2 of 36 A NEW SYSTEM of Strength, or of Supplenefs ; whether it proceeds from his having been exercifed unflcilfully, too much, or too little. If he is heavy, becaufe the Motions of his Legs and Shoulders are naturally cold and fluggifh, tho' at the fame time his Limbs are good, and his Strength is only confin'd and fhut up, if I may fo fay, a moderate but continual Exercife of the Trot will open and fupple his Joints, and render the Adion of his Shoulders and Legs more free and bold ; hold him in the Hand, and fupport him in the Trot, but take care fo to do it, as not to check or flacken his Pace : Aid him and drive him forward, while you fupport him-; remember at the fame time, that if he is loaded with a great Head, the Continuation of the Trot, will make hisApuy hard and dull, becaufe he will by this means abandon himfelf ftiil more, and weigh upon the Hand. All Horfes that are inclined to be 72tmi?7gue, fliould be kept to the extended Trot ; every Horfe who has a Tendency to be r^mingue^ is naturally difpofed to colledl all his Strength, and to unite himfelf; your only way with fuch Horfes is to force them forward : In the Inftant that he obeys, and goes freely on, retain him a little ; yield your Hand immediately after, and you vvill find foon that the Horfe of himfelf will bend his Joints, and go united and equally. A Horse of a fluggifh and cold Difpofition, which has neverthelefs Strength and Bottom, fliould likewife be put to the extended Trot ; as he grows animated, and begins to go free, keep him together by little and little, in order to lead him infenfibly to the fuppk Trot ; but if while you keep OF HORSEMANSHIP. 37 keep him together, you perceive that he llackens his A6lion, and retains himfelf, give him the Aids brifkly, and pufli him forward, keeping him neverthelefs gently in Hand j by this means he will be taught to go freely and equally at the fame time. If a Horfe of a cold and fluggifh Temper is weak in his Legs and Loins, you muft manage him cautioufly in work- ing him in the Trot, or otherwife you will enervate and fpoil him. Beiides, in order to make the mod of a Horfe, who is not over ftrong, endeavour to give him Wind, by working him flowly, and at Intervals, and by increafing the Vigour of his Exercife by degrees ; for you muft remember that you. ought always to difmifs your Horfe, before he is fpent and overcome with Fatigue. Never pufh your Leflbn too far in hopes of fuppling your Horfe's Limbs by means of the Trot ; inftead of this you will falfify and harden his Apuy, which is a Cafe which happens but too frequently. Farther, it is of Importance to remark, that you ought at no time, neither in the extefided^ f^pple or eaual Trot, to confine your Horfe in the Hand in Expedation of raifmg him, and fixing his Head in a proper Place ; if his Apuy be full in the Hand, and the A6lion of his Trot fliould be check'd and reftrain'd by the Power of his Bridle, his Bars would very foon grow callous, and his Mouth be harden'd and dead ; if, on the contrary, he has a fine and fenfible Mouth, this very Reftraint would offend and make him un- €afy. You muft endeavour then, as has already been faid, to 8 ANEWSYSTEM to give him by degrees, and infenfibly, a true and jufl: Apuy, to place his Head, and form his Mouth, by Stops and Half-flops ; by fometimes moderating and reftraining him with a gentle and light Hand, and yielding it to him immediately again ; and by fometimes letting him trot with- out feeling the Bridle at all. There is a Difference between Horfes who are heavy in the Hand, and fuch as endeavour to force it. The firft Sort Jean and throw all their Weight upon the Hand, either as they happen to be weak, or too heavy and clumfy in their Fore-parts, or from having their Mouths too flefhy and grofs, and confequently dull and infenfible. The fecond pull againft the Hand, becaufe their Bars are lean, hard, and generally round ,; .and the firft may be brought to go equal, and upon their Haunches, by means of the Trot and flow Gallop ; and the other may be made light and adlive by Art, and by fettling them well in their Trot, which will alfo give them Strength and Vigour. Horfes of the firft fort are generally fluggifli, the other kind are for the moft part impatient and difobedient, and upon that very account more dangerous and incorrigible. The only Proof, or rather the moft certain Sign of your Horfe's trotting well, is, that when he is in his Trot, and you begin to prefs him a little, he offers to Gallop. After having trotted your Horfe fufficiently upon a ftrait l/ine, or diredlly forward, work him upon large Circles ; but before OF HORSEMANSHIP. 39 before you put him to this, walk him gently round the Circle, that he may comprehend and know the Ground he is to go over. — This being done, work him in the Trot ; a Horfe that is loaded before, and heavily made, will find more Pains and Dif- ficulty in uniting his Strength, in order to be able to turn, than in going ftrait forward. — The A6lion of turning trys the Strength of his Reins, and employs his Memory and Attention, therefore let one Part of your Leflbns be to trot them ftrait forward ; finifh them in the fame Manner, obferving that the Intervals between the Stops (which you fiiould make very often) be long, or fhort, as you judge necefl'ary : I fiy you fhould make frequent Stops, for they often ferve as a Cor- rection to Horfes that abandon themfelves, force the Handg. or bear too much upon it in their Trot. There are fbme Horfes who are fupple in their Shoulders,., but which neverthelcfs abandon themfelves ; this Fault is oc- cafion'd by the Rider's having often held his Bridle-hand too tight and ftridl in working them upon large Circles : To re- medy this, trot them upon one L.ine or "Tread^ and very large ; ftop them often, keeping back your Body and out- ward Leg, in order to make them bend and play their Haunches. The principal Effecls then of the Trot, are to make a. Horfe light and adive, and to give him a juft Apuy. In. reality, in this Adion he is always fupported on one Side by one of his Fore-legs, and on the other by one of his Hmd- legs : Now the fore and hind Parts being equally fiipported 3 crols-wifc^ 40 ANEWSYSTEM crofs-wife, the Rider can't fail to fupple and loofen his Limbs, and fix his Head ; but if the Trot difpofes and prepares the Spirits and Motions of a finewy and adive Horfe for the jiifleft LefTons, if it calls out and unfolds the Powers and Strength of the Animal, which before were buried and fliut up, if I may ufe the Expreffion, in the Stiffnefs of his Joints and Limbs ; if this firfh Exercife to which you put your Horfe, is the Foundation of all the different Airs and Manages, it ought to be given in Proportion to the Strength and Vigour of the Horfe. To judge of this you muft go farther than mere outward Appearances. A Horfe may be but weak in the Loins, and yet execute any Air, and accompany it with Vigour, as long as his Strength is united and intire ; but if he becomes dif- united, by having been work'd beyond his Ability in the Trot, he will then falter in his Air, and perform it without Vigour and Grace. There are alfo fome Horfes, who are very ftrong in the Loins, but who are weak in their Limbs ; thefe are apt to retain themfelves, they bend and fink in their Trot, and go as if they were afraid of hurting their Shoulders, their Legs or Feet. This Irrefolution proceeds only from a natural Senfe they have of their Weaknefs. — This kind of Horfes fhould not be too much exercifed in the Trot, nor have fiiarp Corredion ; their Shoulders, Legs, or Hocks would be weaken'd and injur'd ; fo that learning in a little Time to •hang back, and abandon themfelves on the Apuy, they 3 would OF HORSEMANSHIP. 41 would never be able to furniiL. any Air with Vigour and Juflnefs. Let every LefTon then be weigh'd ; the only Method by which Succefs can be infured, is the Difcretion you fhall ufe, in giving them in proportion to the Strength of the Horfe, and from your Sagacity in deciding upon what Air or Manage is moft proper for him ; to which you mufl: be diredled by obferving which feems mofl fuited to his Inclination and Capacity. I FINISH this Chapter by defcribing the Manner of trotting a Colt, who has never been back'd. Put a plain Snaffle in his Mouth, fit a Cavefon to his Nofe, to the Ring of which you will tie a Longe of a reafonable Length ; let a Groom hold this Longe, who having got at fome Diftance from the Colt, mull {land ftill in the Middle of the Circle, which the Horfe will make ; let another follow him with a long Whip or Chambriere in his Hand. — The Colt being alarm'd, will be forced to go forward, and to turn within the Length of the Cord. — The Groom muft hold it tight in his Hand, by this means he will draw hi or towards the Center the Head of the Colt, and his Croupe will confequently be ouf of the Circle. — In working a young Horfe after this Manner, don't prefs or hurry him, let him walk firft, afterwards put him to the Trot ; if you ncgled this Method his Leo;s will be embarras'd, he will lean on one Side, and be more upon one Haunch than the other ; the inner Fore-foot will flrike againft the outward, and the Pain which this will occafion, G will 42 A N E W S Y S T E M will drive him to feek fome Means of Defence, and make him difobedient. - If he refufcs to trot, the Perfon who holds the Cham- brierc will animate him, by hitting him, or ftriking the Ground with it. If he offers to gallop inftead of trotting, the Groom muft (hake or jirk the Cord that is tied to the Cavefon, and he will fall into his Trot. In this Leffon you may decide more readily upon the Nature, the Strength, the Inclination, and Carriage of the Horfe^ than you can of one that has already been rode, as it is more eafy to confider and examine all his Motions ; whereas when he is under his Rider, being naturally inclin'd to relift at firft, to free himfelf from Reftraint, and to em- ploy all his Strength and Cunning to defend himfelf againft his Rider, it is morally impoiTible to form a true Judgment of his Difpofttion and Capacity. CHAP. OFHORSEMANSHIP. 43 C H A P. V. Of the Stop. ^ I "^HE moft certain Method to unite and aflemble toge- J. ther the Strength of a Horfe, in order to give him a good Mouth, to fix and place his Head, as well as to regu- late his Shoulders, to make him light in the Hand, and capa- ble of performing all Sorts of Airs, depends entirely upon the Perfedion and Exaclnefs of the Stop. In order to mark or form the Stop juflly, you mufl quicken him a little, and in the Inflant that he begins to go fafter than the ufual Cade7ice or Time of his Pace, approach the Calves of your Legs, and immediately afterwards fling back your Shoulders ; always holding your Bridle more and more tight, till the Stop is made, aiding the Horfe with the Calves of your Legs, in order to make him bend and play his LJaunches. By varying the Times of making your Stops, and the Places where you make them, you will teach your Horfe to obey exadly the Hand and Heel ; which is the End that every one fliould propofe to attain in every Kind of Exercife ot the Manege. With a raw and young Horfe make but very few Stops, and when you make them, do it by degrees, very gently,' aiid -'>. G 2 not 44 ANEWSYSTEM not all at once, bccaufe nothing (o much ftrains and weakens the Hocks of a ftifF and aukvvard Horfe, as a fudden and rude Stop. It is agreed by every Body, that nothing fo much fhews the Vio-our and Obedience of a Horfe as his making a beau- tiful and firm Stop, at the End of a fwift and violent Career^ There are however many Horfes that have a good deal of Vigour and Agility, who can't flop without feeHng Pain, while there are others who are not (o ftrong and adlive, wha flop very eafily ; the Reafon of this is plain. Im the firft place, the FaciHty of flopping depends upon the natural Aptnefs and Confent of the Horfe ; in the next place, his Make, and the Proportions which the different Parts of his Body have to each other, muft be confider'd : Therefore we muft meafure the Merit of a Stop by the Strength and Temper of the Horfe, by the Steadinefs of his Head and Neck, and the Condition of his Mouth and Haunches. It will be in vain to look for the Juftnefs and Perfeftion of the Stop in a Horfe that is any ways defedlive, the Bars being too delicate, or too hard, a thick Tongue, the Chan- nel of his Mouth narrow, the Thropple confin'd, Neck fliort, Fore-hand heavy, or too low, weak Loins, or too ftiff, too much Heat, or too much Flegm in his Temper, or Sluggiflmefs ; here are a Number of Faults not eafily to be corredled. A OF HORSEMANSHIP. 4^ A Horse, though he is ftrong in his Shoulders, in his Legs and Loins, yet if he is low before, will have much Dif- ficulty to colled himfelf upon his Haunches, fo as to make a good Stop ; on the contrary, if his Shoulders and Neck- are high and raifed, he will have the greater Part of the Qualities requifite to it. A Horse who is long in the Back generally ftops very- aukwardly, and without keeping his Head fteady 3 a Horfe that is fhort and trufs'd, with a thick Neck, generally ftops- upon his Shoulders. The firft finds too much Difficulty to- colleft his Strength fo fuddenly, in order to put himfelf upon his Haunches, and the other is not able to call it out, and diflribute it witK Vigour through his Limbs- — In effecl, when a Horfe gallops, the Strength of his Loins, of his Haunches and Hocks, is all employed in pufhing the whole Machine^ forv/ards, and that of his Shoulders and Fore-legs, to fup- port the Adion : Now the Force of his hinder Parts being thus violently agitated, and nj3proaching too near that whiclii lies in the fore Parts, a lliort-body'd Horfe can't find all at once, that Counterpoife, that juft Equilibre which charac- terizes a beautiful Stop. A Horse which can't flop readily, miicmploys very oftem his Strength in running ; examine him, and you will find- that he abandons himfelf entirely upon his Shoulders ; con- fider likcwife the Proportions of his Neck and his Thropplc,, the- Condition of his Feet, the Make of his Loins and. Hocks ; in fhort, apply yourfclf to the Difcovery ot his: Temper,, 46 A N E W S Y S T E M Temper, Charader and Humour. — That Florfe whofe Neck is hollow, or Ewe-neck'd, inftead of ballancing hmifelf upon his Flaunches, will arm himfelf againft his Cheft, and will thereby make his Stops harfli and difagreeable : Weak Feet, or Flocks that give him Pain, will make him hate the Stop. — He will either cndeav^our to avoid it, or will make it with Fear, fo that he will be totally abandoned upon the Apuy. If he carries his Nofe high, and is hollow-back'd at the fame time, it will be impoflible for him to unite and put himfelf together, fo as to be ready, and to prefent his Front, if I may be allow'd the Word, to the Stop ; becaufe the Strength of the Nape of the Neck depends upon the Chine ; and his Powers beino; thus difunited and broken, he will make his Stop upon his Shoulders. There is another Sort of Horfes, who in hopes of avoid- ing the Conflraint of flopping upon their Haunches, plant thcmfelves upon their two Hind-legs ; yield the Hand to them, in the Inftant, and prefs them forward, you will in- fenfibly corredl them of their Defence, which happens only in Cafes, where you flop them upon declining or uneven •Ground.. There are many People, who imagining they can unite theirHorfes by the means of making a great Number of preci- pitate Stops, take little heed whether the Creature which they undertake is too weak, or has Strength fufficient for his Tafk. — The Horfe, who, though flrong, h.as fuffer'd in his Chine, in making the firft Stop, will meditate a Defence in his fe- cond n OF HORSEMANSHIP. 47 cond or third ; this will be to prevent the Rider in his De- fign : And beino- alarm'd at the fliorlieft Motion of the Hand he will flop all at once, leaning with all his Force upon his Shoulders, and lifting up his Croupe ; which is a capital Fault,, and not eafy to be remedied. Thus it may happen, that a Horfe may make his Stops very defedively, either from fome natural or accidental Faults in the different Parts of his Body ; or it may be owing to the Un- fkilfulnefs and Ignorance of the Rider, or the EffecTt of Faults and bad Leffons all together. Principles that are true and jufi: will affift and reform Nature, but a bad School gives birth to V'ice and Defences that are often not to be conquer'd. It behoves us then to lollow with Exa^cnefs thofe Leffons which are capable of bringing a Horfe to form a perfed: Stop ; that is to fay, to fuch a Point as to be. able to make his Stop' fliort, hrm, and in one timz ; and in which he colleds antl throws his Strength equally upon his Haunches and Hocks,, widening and anchoring, if I may fo fay, his two Mind- feet, exadiiy even on the Ground, in fuch a Manner that one does not ftand before the other, but both arc in a Line. It would be a Proof of great Ignorance to undertake to^ reduce a Horfe to the Jufiinefs of the Stop, before he ha-d'. been work'd and pufh'd out in the Trot and Gallop to both Hands, or before he was fo ready as never to refufe to launch out immediately into a full Gallop • for if he fhould hap- pen to be refiiff^ fliould difobey the Spurs, or refufe to turn. to either Hand, the Means that then muff be ufcd to lix his-- .48 A NEW SYSTEM his Head, would contribute towards confirming him in one or other of thefe Vices. If your Horfe has not readily obey'd in making his Stops, make him go backwards, it is a proper Puni(hment for the Fault. IF in Hopping he tofles up his Nofe, or forces the Iland, in this Cafe keep your Bridle-hand low and firm, and your Reins quite equal ; give him no Liberty, prefs upon Ills Neck with your Right-hand, till he has brought down liis Nofe, and then immediately give him all his Bridle ; this is the furefl: Method to bring him into the Hand. To compel a Horfe to ftop upon his Haunches, nothing is fo efficacious as Ground that is a little floping ; this is of fcrvice to exercife fuch Horfes upon as are naturally too loofe in their Paces, who are heavy and apt to abandon themfelves upon the Hand, by this means they become light before ; you mufl: neverthelefs examine if his Feet, his Loins, his Shoulders and Legs are fufficiently able to bear it, for otherv/ife your Horfe would foon be fpoil'd : The whole therefore depends in this Cafe, as in all others, upon the Sagacity and Experience of the Florfeman. When a Horfeman puts his Horfe to the Stop, in fuch a Place as I have mentioned, he fliould put the Strefs of his Aids rather in his Thighs and Knees, than in his Stirrups ; one of the moft trying Leffons a Horfe can be put to, is to flop him, and make him go backwards up Hill ; therefore upon thefe Occafions you mufl eafe the fore Part of the Horfe as much aB you can, and throw your whole Weight upon the hinder. 3 We OF HORSEMANSHIP. 49 We have already faid, that there are fome Horfes, which from Weaknefs in their Make, can never be brought to form a juft and beautiful Stop. There are others likevvife, who are apt to ftop too fuddenly and {hort upon their Shoulders, tho' otherwife naturally too much raifed before, and too light. Thefe employ all their Power in order to flop all at once, In hopes either of putting an end to the Pain they feel, from the Rudenefs of the Stop ; or elfe perhaps that fome Defcdt of Sight makes them apprehend they are near fomething that they fear, for almoft all Horfes, blind of one Eye, or of both, ftop with the greateft Readlnefs : take care never to make this fort of Horfes go backward ; on the contrary, ftop them flowly and by degrees, in order to embolden them, remembrlng never to force, or keep them in too great a degree of Subjedion. I HAVE thus fhewn, that a Stop that is made with Eafe, Steadinefs, and according to the Rules, will contribute a great deal towards putting a Horfe upon his Haunches, and giving him that firm, equal, and light Apuy, which we always defire to gain ; becaufe a juft Stop makes a Horfe bend and fink his hinder Parts ; I have made it likewlfe appear, that a fudden and ill-executed Stop raifes the fore Parts too much, ftiifens the Hocks, and rather takes a Horfe off his Haunches, than fets him upon them. Let us now proceed to the Leflbn of teaching a Horfe to go backward. H CHAP •50 ANEWSYSTEM CHAP. VI. Of teachmg a Horfe to go backward. T"^ H E Adlion of a Horfe, when he goes back war d,^ is to have always one of his hinder Legs under his Belly, to pufli his Croupe backward, to bend his Haunches, and to reft and ballance himfelf, one time on one Leg, one on the other ; this Leffon is very efficacious to lighten a Horfe, to fettle him in tlie Hand, to make him ready to advance and go forward, and to prepare him to put himfelf together, and fit down upon his Haunches. It fhould not however be pradlifed, till the Horfe has been well laid out and worked in the Trot, and his Limbs are become fupple ; becaufe, till he is arrived to this Point, you fhould not begin to unite or put him together : Care muft be taken, that this Adion of going backward be juft,. and that in performing it, the Horfe keeps his Head fteady^ fixt, and in a right Place ; that his Body be trufi^ed or gathered up, as it were, under him ; that his Feet be even ^ that he be not upon his Shoulders, but on the contrary,, on his Haunches ; for if he fhould be falfe as to any of thefe Particulars, this Leffon, very far from putting him together, . would have the contrary Effedl, and dif- unite him. In order that a Horfe may be able to execute what is re- quired of him, he muft firft comprehend what it is that is 3 afked OF HORSEMANSHIP. 51 afked of him, and for this Purpofe the Horfeman fhould make his LefTons fhort, and demand but Httle at a Time ; begin then to make him go backward, when he is arrived far enough to underftand what you expert him to do ; but at firft be contented with a Httle, it is fufficient if he under- ftands what you want. There are Horfes, who can go backward, not only with great Eafe, but do it even with the Exaftnefs of Horfes that are perfedlly dreft ; if you examine thefe Horfes, you will find that all the Parts of their Body are exadly proportioned ; they have Strength, and Nature herfelf has taught them to unite themfelves ; but there are others, who can't go back- wards without great Difficulty ; thefe are weak in the Back, or otherwife imperfedl in their Make ; don't demand too much of thefe, work them with caution, for Rigour with fuch Horfes, is never fuccefsful. There are another fort of Horfes, who never can be re- conciled to Subjedtion ; whenever you try to make them go backward, they hx their fore Feet fafl: upon the Ground, and arm themfelves ; in this Cafe you muft endeavour to v/in them, as it were infenfibly, and by degrees. For this Purpofe, raife your hand a little, remove it froiii your Body, at the fame time fhake your Reins, and you will hnd that by degrees you will accuftom your Florfe to obey • but re- member at the fame time, that you would have a lefs fliare of Reafon, than the Animal you undertake to drefs, were you to expedt to reduce him to Obedience all at once ; your Horfe anfwering to the Reins which you fliake, will move H 2 perhaps 5^2 A N E W S Y S T E M perhaps only one of his fore Feet, leaving the other ad- vanced ; this Pofture without doubt is defective, becaufe he is dif-united ; but as Perfedion can't be gained at once. Patience and gentle Ufage are the only certain Methods of bringing your Horfe to perforin what you want. There are others, who when they go backward, do it with Fury and Impatience ; thefe you fliould correct brifkly, and fupport lightly with your Legs, while they go backward. There are another fort, who work their lower Jaw about as if they wanted to catch hold of the Bit, who bear upon the Hand, and endeavour to force it ; to fuch Horfes you muft keep your Hand extremely low, and your Reins exadlly even, diftribute equally the Power of each, by rounding your Wrift, and keeping your Nails exacly oppoike your Body. After having made your Horfe go backward, let him advance two or three Steps, if he obeys the Hand readily. — This will take off any Diflike or Fear, he may entertain from the Conftraint of going backward ; if he forces the Hand in going backward, thefe three Steps forward will contribute to bring him into it again ; and laftly, they prevent any Vice, that this Leffon might otherwife produce. After having advanced three Steps, let him ftop, and turn him ; you will by thefe means fupport him, and take him off from any ill Defigns, which the Treatment you are obliged to obferve towards him, in order to make him flop and go backward with Precifion and Order, might otherwife give rife to. — After having tnarned him, make 3 him OF HORSEMANSHIP. ^^ him go backward, you will prevent his having too great De- fire of going too foon from the Place where he ftopp'd, as well as from that to which he turned. The Moment the Stop is made, give him his Bridle ; hy ftopping you have augmented the Degree of the Apuy in the Horfe's Mouth j you muft increafe it flill more, in order to- make him go backwards ; hence a hard Hand and bad Mouth. This Reafoning is plain, and thcic Principles are true;; notwithftanding which, there are few Horfemen who attend^ to it, either becaufe they never think and refledl, or elfe.- that the Force of bad Habits overcomes them. This Leflbn, if well weigh'd and given properly, is a; neceffary and certain Method of teaching Horfes to make a good Stop, of rendering them light and obedient when they pull or are beyond the Degree of what is cali'd full hi the Hand, — But if given improperly, or it too often repeated, it then grows to be a Habit, and a Plabic is no Correftion. Never pradife it long with Horfes who are hot, and who have hard Mouths, their Impatience and Heat, join'd to Habit and Cuftom, would prevent them from knowing tlie Caufe, and feeling the Effeds. It is the fame with thofc who have fhort Fore-hands ; for as they are generally thick- fhouider'd and heavy, the Difficulty they feel to colleft themfelves upon their Haunches, naturally difpofcs them to prefs the Branches of the Bit againfl: their Chcft, by which means this LelTon becomes quite ineffedlual. e H A P.. 34 ANEWSYSTEM CHAP. VII. Of the un'iti77g or putt'uig a Horfe together. TH E End which the Horfeman propofes to attain by his Art, is to give to the Horfes, which he undertakes, the Union^ without which, no Horfe can be faid to be perfedlly dreft ; every one allows that the whole of the Art depends upon this, yet few People reafon or adt from Principles and Theory, but truft entirely to Pradice ; hence it follows, that they mufl: work upon Foundations falfe and uncertain, and fo thick is the Darknefs in which they wander, that it is difficult to find any one who is able to define this Term of tmit'mg or putting a Horfe together^ which is yet fo conflantly in the Mouth of every Body ; I will undertake, however, to give a clear and diflind Idea of it -J and for that Purpofe fliall treat it with Order and Method. The uniting then or putting together, is the Adion by which a Florfe draws together and afleinbles the Parts of his Body, and his Strength, in diftributing it equally upon his four Legs, and in re-uniting or drawing them together, as we do ourfelves, when we are going to jump, or perform any other Adion which demands Strength and Agility. This Pofture alone is fufHcient to fettle and place the Head of the Animal, to lig-hten and render his Shoulders and Leg-s adive, which from the Structure of his Body, fupport and govern OF HORSEMANSHIP. ^^: govern the greater Part of his Welglit ; being then by thefe means made fteady, and his Head well placed, you will perceive in every Motion that he makes, a furprizing Cor- refpondence of the Parts with the whole. I fay, that from the natural Structure of a Horfe's Body, his Legs and Shoulders fupport the greateft Part of his Weight, in reality his Croupe or Haunches carry nothing but his Tail, while his fore Legs, being perpendicular, are loaded with the Head, Neck, and Shoulders ; fo that, let the Animal be ever fo well made, ever fo well proportioned, his fore Part, either when he is in Motion, or in a State of Reft, is always employed, and confequently in want of the AfTiftance of Art to eafe it ; and in this confifls the Union or putting together, which by putting the Horfe upon his Haimches,, countcrballances and relieves his fore Part. The Umo/i not only helps and relieves the Part of the^ Horfe that is the weakeft, but it is fo neceffary to every Horfe, that no Horfe that is dif-united can go freely, he can neither Leap nor Gallop with Agility and Lightnefs, nor run. without being in manifeft Danger of falling and pitching himfelf headlong, becaufe his Motions have no Harmony, no Agreement one with another. It is allowed, that Nature has given to every Horfe a certain Equilibre, by which he fupports and regulates himfelf in all his Motions ; we knov/ that his Body is fupported by his four Legs, and that his four Legs have a Motion, v/hich his Body muft of neceffity follow ; but yet this natural Equilibre is not fufficicnt. All Men can v/alk, they are fupported on tv/o Legs, notwith- ftandino; this we make a great Difference between that Perfon-. to> 56 A N E W S Y S T E M to whom proper Exercifes have taught the free Ufe of hi Limbs, and him whofe Carriage is unimproved by Art, and confequently heavy and aukward. 'Tis juft the fame with refped to a Horfe; we muft have recourfe to Art to unfold the natural Powers that lay hid and are fhut up in him, if we mean he {hould make a proper Ufe of the Limbs which Nature has given him ; the Ufe of which can be difcover'd and made familiar to him no other way than by working him upon true and juft Principles. The Trot is very efficacious to bring a Horfe to this Union fo important, and fo neceffary ; I fpeak of the Trot, in which he is fupported and kept together, and fuppled at the fame time ; this compels the Horfe to put himfelf together : in effed, the Trot in which a Horfe is well fupported partakes of a quick and violent Motion : It forces a Horfe to colled: and unite all his Strength, becaufe it is impoffible that a Horfe that is kept together, fhould at the fame time aban- don and fling himfelf forward. I explain myfelf thus. — In order to fupport your Horfe in his Trot, the Hcrfeman fliould hold his Hand near his Body, keeping his Horfe together a little, and have his Legs near his Sides. The Effed of the Hand is to confine and raife the fore Parts of the Horfe ; the Eiied of the Legs is to pufh and drive forward the hinder Parts : Now if the fore Parts are kept back or confin'd, and the hinder Parts are driven forward, the Horfe in a quick Motion, fuch as the Trot, mull of neceffity fit down iipon liis Haunches, and unite and put himfelf together. For OF HORSEMANSHIP. 57 For the fame Reafon making your Horfe launch out vigoroufly in liis Trot, and quickening his Cadence from time to time, putting him to make Pefades, flopping him and making him go backward, will all contribute towards his acquiring the Union. — I would define his going off" readily, or all at once, not to be a violent and precipitate Manner of Running, but only to confift in the Horfe's being a little animated, and going fomewhat fafter than the ordinary Time of his Pace. — Your Horfe trots, prefs him a little ; in the Inflant that he redoubles and quickens his Adlion, moderate and fhorten, if I may fo fay, the Hurry of his Pace ; the more then that he prefTes to go forward, the more will his being check'd and confin'd tend to unite his Limbs, and the U7mn will owe its Birth to oppolite Caufes ; that is to fay, on one hand to the Ardour of the Horfe who prefles to go forward, and to the Diligence and Attention of the Horfeman on the other, who, by holding him in, llackens the Pace, and raifes the Fore-parts of the Creature, and at the fame time diftributes his Strength equally to all his Limbs. The Aclion of a Horfe, when going backward, is diredly oppofite to his abandoning himfelf upon his Shoulders ; by this you compel him to put himfelf upon his Haunches : this Leiibn is by fo much therefore the more effedual, as that the Caufe of a Horfe's being dif-united, is often owing to the Pain he feels in bending his Haunches. The Pefades have no lefs Effcd, efpecially upon Horfes that are clumfy and heavy fhoulderVl ; becaufe they teach them to ufe them, and to raife them ; and when they raife them I »-'Pj ^,58 ANEWSYSTEM up, it follows of necefTity that all their Weight muft be thrown upon, their Haunches. A light and gentle Hand then, and the Aids of the Legs judicioufly managed, are capable to give a Horfe the U7iion ; but it is not fo clear at what time we ought to begin to put a Horfe upon his Haunches. Is it not neceflary before we do this, that the Horfe fhould have his Shoulders entirely fuppled ? It is evident, that a Horfe can never fupport himfelf upon his Haunches, unlefs his Fore-part be lightened ; let us fee then by what means we may hope to acquire this Supplenefs, the only Source of light and free Adion. Nothing can fupple more the Shoulders than the Working a Horfe upon large Circles. — Walk him firft round the Circle, in order to make him know his Ground ; afterwards try to draw his Head /;/, or towards the Center, by means of your inner Rein and inner Leg. For inftance, — I work my Horfe upon a Circle, and I go to the Right by pulling the right Rein \ I bring in his outward Shoulder by the means of the left Rein, and fupport him at the fame time with my inner Leg ; thus the Horfe has, if I may fo fay, his Head /;z, or towards the Center, although the Croupe is at Liberty. The right Leg croiles over the left Leg, and the right Shoulder is fuppled, while the left Leg fupports the whole Weight of the Horfe in the Adion : In working him to the left Hand, and following the fame Method, the left Shoul- der fupples, and the right is prefied and confined. This Lefibn, which tends not only to fupple the Shoulders, but likewife to give an Apuy, being well comprehended by the Horfe, I lead him along the Side of the Wall, — having placed his Head, I make ufe of the inner Rein, which draws OF HORSEMANSHIP. 59 draws in his Head, and I bring in his outward Shoulder by- means of the other Rein : In this Pofture, I fupport him with my inner Leg, and he goes along the Wall, his Croupe being out and at liberty, and his inner Leg pafling over and crofling his outward Leg at ev^ery Step he makes. — By this, I fupple his Neck, I fupple his Shoulders, I work his Haunches, and I teach the Horfe to know the Heels. I fay, that the Haunches are worked, though his Croupe is at liberty, becaufe it is from the Fore-parts only, that a Horie ^an be upon his Haunches. In effedl, after having placed his Head, draw it /;z, and you will lengthen his Croupe, you raife him higher before than behind, his Legs come under his Belly, and confe- quently he bends his Haunches. It is the fame as when he comes down Hill, his Croupe, being higher than his Fore- parts, is pufhed under him, and the Horfe is upon his Haunches ; lince it is evident that the Hinder fupport all the Fore-parts, therefore in going along the Side of the Wall, by the means of the inner Rein, I put together and unite my Horfe. Behold then, in Ihort, the moil certain Methods of enabling yourfelf to give to a Horfe this Union^ this Free- dom and Eafe, by which learning haw to ballance his Weight equally and with Art, and diftributing his Strength with Exadnefs to all his Limbs, he becomes able to under- take and execute with Juftnefs and Grace, whatever the Horfeman demands of him, conformable to his Strength and Difoolition. 12 ' CHAP. 6o ANEWSYSTEM CHAP. VIII. Of the Pillars. IT is the fame with refpeft to the Pillars, as with all other Leffons which you muft teach a Horfe, in order to make him perfed: in his Air. Excellent in itfelf, it becomes per- nicious and deftrudive under the Direftion of the Ignorant, and is not only capable to didiearten any Horfe, but to flraiij and ruin him entirely. The Pillar partly owes its Origin to the famous Pigna- telli *. Meff. de la Broue and Pluvmel^ who were his Scholars, brought it firft into France \ the firft indeed made little ufe of it, and feem'd to be very well appriz'd of its Inconvenien- cies and Dangers ; as for the other, one may fay, that he knew not a better or fnorter Method of drefling and adjuft- ing a Horfe. In eifedl, according to his Notions, working a Horfe round a fingle Pillar could never fail of fetting him upon his Haunches, making him advance, fuppling and teaching him to turn roundly and exactly ; and by putting him between two Pillars, provided he had Vigour, he was taught to obey the Heels readily, to unite himfelf, and acquire in a fhorter time a good Apuy in making Curvets. If he wanted to fettle his Horfe's Head in a fliort time, the Pillars were very efficacious. He tied the Horfe between them to the Cords of the SnafHe which he had in his Mouth, inftead of the Bridle. There he work'd his Horfe without a * He liv'd at Naples, and was the moll "eminent Horfeman of his Time, OF HORSEMANSHIP. 6i a Saddle, and maintain'd, that if the Horfe toffed or fhook his Head, bore too much, or too little upon his Bridle, he punifli'd himfelf in fuch a manner, that (as he imagin'd) the Horfe was compell'd to put himfelf upon his Haunches, and to take a good Apuy ; efpecially as the Fear of the Cham- briere or Whip, always ready behind him, kept him in awe. The Horfe was often taken out of the two Pillars, in order to be put to the fingle Pillar, with a Cord tied to the Ban- quet of the Bit as a falfe Rein ; here he was work'd by be- ing made to rife before, and driven round the Pillar, with a defign and in hopes of making him ftep out and embrace, or cover well the Ground he went round, as well as to gi\'e him Refolution in his Work, and to cure him of Dullnefs and Sloth, if he had it in his Temper. We don't know whe- ther Mr. P/uvme/ deligned any real Advantages from this Method or no ; but be that as it will, it prevails no longer among us. — It mufl be owned, that the two Pillars of his inv^enting are fliill preferved, and that no Manage is with- out them ; but at leaft we have fupprefs'd the fingle Pillar,, which ferves only to fatigue and harrafs a Horfe : Learn never to put a Horfe between the two Pillars till he is well fuppled, and you hav^e given him the firft Principles of the Unlou between the Legs, which are the natural Pillars that every Horfeman fhould employ. We muft take care to work the Horfe with great Prudence at firft, and as gently as pofTible ; for a Horfe being in this Leffon very much con- fined and forced, and not able to efcape, nor to go forward nor backward, he oftentimes grows quite furious, and abandons himfelf to every Motion that Rage and Refent- ment can fugnreft. Bedn then this Lcflbn in the plaineft ^ . ■ Manner,, 62 A N E W S Y S T E M Manner, contenting yourfelf with only making him go from fide to {ide, by means of the Switch, or from fear of the Chambriere. At the End of fome Days, the Horfe, thus become obedient, and accullomed to the Subjedion of the Pillars ; try to make him infenfibly go into the Cords, which when he will do readily, endeavour to get a Step or two exu&. and in ;time of the PaJJage or Piaffer. If he offers to prefent himfelf to it, be it never fo little, make him leave off, encourage him, and fend him to the Stable ; augment thus your Leflbns by degrees, and exa- mine and endeavour to difcover to what his Difpofition turns, that you may cultivate and improve it. The worft Effed; of the Pillars is the Hazard you run of entirely ruining the Hocks of your Horfe, if you don't diflinguifh Tery cxadly between thofe Parts and the Haunches. Many People think that when the Horfe goes into the Cords, he is of confequence upon his Haunches ; but they don't re- mark, that often the Horfe only bends his Hocks, and that his Hocks pain him by fo much the more, as his hinder Feet are not in their due Equilibre. The Fore-legs of a Horfe are made like thole of a Man the Knees are before or without^ the Hinder-legs are fhaped like our Arms, he bends his Hocks as we do our Elbows ; therefore if he rifes before very high, he muft ftretch and ftiffen his Hocks, and confequently can never be leated upon his Haunches ; to be upon them, the Horfe muft bend and bring them under him, becaufe the more his Hinder-legs are brought under him, the more his Hinder- 3 fee< OF HORSEMANSHIP. 6^ feet are in the neceflary Point of Gravity, to fupport all the Weight of his Body, which is in the Air, in a juft Equilibre. — Thefe Remarks are fufficient to evince the Inconveniencics that may arife from the Pillars ; never quit fight of thefe Principles, you will find by adhering to them, the Horfe that is dreft according to their Tenour, will be a Proof of the real Advantages that you may draw from a Lefibn, which never does harm, but when occafioned by the Imprudence or Ignorance of thofe who give it. CHAP. 64 A N E W S Y S T E M C H A P. IX, Of Aids a7id CorreEiions. AN Aid may be termed whatever afUfts or diredls a Florfe, and whatever enables him to execute what we put him to do. — Corredlions are whatever Methods we ufe to awe and punifh him, v/henever he difobeys : Aids there- fore are to prevent, and Corredions to punifh, whatever JFault he may commit. The Aids are various, and are to be given in different Manners, upon different Occafions, they are only meant to acccompany the Eafe and Smoothnefs of the Horfe in his Air, and to form and maintain the Juftnefs of it ; for this Reafon they ought to be delicate, fine, fmooth, and ffeady, and proportioned to the Senfibility or Feeling of the Horfe ; for if they are harfh and rude, very far from Aiding, they would throw the Horfe into Diforder, or elfe occafion his Manage to be falfe, his Time broken, conftrained, and difagreeable. Corrections are of two Sorts ; you may punifli your Horfe with the Spurs, the Switch, or Chambriere ; you may punilh him by keeping him in a greater Degree of Subjection ; but in all thefe Cafes, a real Piorfeman will endeavour rather to work upon the Underftanding of the Creature, than upon the different Farts of his Body. A horfe OF HORSEMANSHIP. 65 Horfe has Imagination, Memory and Judgment ; v/ork upon thefe three Faculties, and you will be mofl likely to fucceed. In reality, the Corredlions which reduce a Horfe to the greateft Obedience, and which difhearten him the leaft, are fuch as are not fevere, but fuch as confifl: in oppofing his Will and Humour, by rcftraining and putting him to do diredly the contrary. — If your Horfe don't advance or go off readily, or if he is fluggifli, make him go {ideways, fometimes to one hand, fometimes to the other, and drive him forward ; and fo alternatively. — If he goes forward too faft, being extremely quick of feeling, moderate your Aids, and make him go backwards fome Steps ; if he prefles for- ward with Hurry and Violence, make him go backward a great deal. — If he is diforderly and turbulent, walk him ftrait forward, with his Head i?t and Croupe out ; thefe forts of Corredions have great Influence upon mofl: Horfes. It is true, that there are fome of fo bad and rebellious Difpo- fitions, which availing themfelves of their Memory to falfify their Leffons, require fharp Corredion, and upon whom gentle PuniHinient would have no Effe6l • but in ufing Se- verity to fuch Florfes, great Prudence and Management are neceffary. The Chara6ler of a Florfeman is to work with Deflgn, and to execute with Method and Order ; he fliould have more Forbearance, more Experience, and more Saga- city than moft People are poffcffcd oh The Spurs, when ufed by a knowing and able Horfeman, are of great Service ; but when ufed improperly, nothing fo foon makes a Horfe abjed and jadifli. Given properly, K they 66 A N E W S Y S T E M they awe and corredt the Animal ; given unduly, they make him reftive and vicious, and are even capable o^ Difcouraging a dreft Horfe, and giving him a Difguft to the Manage; don't be too hafty therefore to correal your Horfe with them. Be patient ; if your Horfe deferves Punifhment, punifh him fmartly, but leldom ; for befides your habituating him to Blows, till he ceafes to mind them, you will afloni'li and confound him, and be more likely to make him rebel, than to bring him to the Point you aim at. To give your Horfe both Spurs properly, you muft change the Pofture of your Legs, and bending your Knee, ftrike him with them at once as quick and firmly as you can. A Stroke of the Spurs wrongly given is no Punifhment ; it rather hardens the Horfe againft them, teaches him to fliake and frifk about his Tail, and often to return the Blow with a Kick. Take care never to open your Thighs and Legs in order to give both Spurs, for befides that the Blow would not be at all ftronger for being given in this Manner, you would by this means lofe the Time in which you ought to give it> and the Horfe would rather be alarmed at the Motion you make in order to give the Blow, than punifhed by it whea he felt **•; and thence your Adion becoming irregular j, could never produce a good Effect. The Chambriere is ufed as a Corredion, it ought how- ever to be ufed with Difcretion ; we will fuppofe it to be in able Hands, and forbear to fay more about it. As for the Switch, it is fo fcldom made ufe of to punifh a Horfe, 3 that OF HORSEMANSHIP. 67 that I fhall not fpeak of it, till I come to treat of the Aids. By what has been faid of Corrections, it is apparent, tliat the Horfeman works not only upon the Horfe's Under- ftanding, but even upon his Senfe of Feeling. A HoRSE has three Senfes upon which we may work, Hearing, Feeling and Seeing. The Touch is that Senfe, by which we are enabled to make him very quick and deli- cate, and when he is once brought to underftand the Aids which operate upon this Senfe, he will be able to anfvver to all that you can put him to. Though the Senfes of Hearing and Sight are good in themfelves, they are yet apt to give a Horfe a Habit of Working by Rote and of himfelf, which is bad and dan- gerous. The Aids which are employed upon the Touch or Feeling, are thofe of the Legs, of the Hand, and of the Switch. Thofe which influence the Sight, proceed from the Switch ; thofe which affed the Sight and Hearing both, are derived from the Switch and the Horfeman's Tongue. The Switch ought neither to be long nor fliort, from three to four Feet or thereabouts is a fufficlent Length ; you can give your Aids more gracefully vi^ith a (hort than a long one. In a Manage, it is generally held on the contrary Hand to which the Horfe is going ; or elfe it is held up high at every Change of Hand : By holding the Switch, tlic Horfeman learns to carry his Sv/ord in his Hand with Eafe K 2 * ^ri^l 68 • ANEWSYSTEM and Grace, and to manage his Horfe without being en- cumber'd by it. To aid with the Switch, you muft hold it in your Hand, in fuch a manner that the Point of it be turned towards the Horfe's Croupe, this is the moil conve- nient and eafy Manner ; that of aiding with it, not over the Shoulder, but over the Bending of your Arm, by removing your left Arm from your Body, and keeping it a little ber.t, fo as to make the End of the Switch fall upon- the Middle of the Horfe's Back, is very difficult to execute.. Shaking the Switch backward and forward to animate the Horfe with the Sound, is a graceful Aid ; but till a Florfe- is accuflom'd to it, it is apt to drive him forward too much. In cafe your Horfe is too light and nimble with his Croupe,, you muft aid before only with the Switch ; if he bends or finks his Croupe, or tofles it about without kicking out, you muft aid juft; at the Setting on of the Tail. — If you would have him make Croupades, give him the Switch a little above the Flocks. To aid with your Tongue, you muft turn it upward, againft the Palate of the Mouth, fhut your Teeth, and then- remove it from your Palate j the Noife it makes is admi- rable to encourage a Horfe, to quicken and put him toge- ther ; but you muft not ufe it continually, for fo, inftead of animating your Horfe, it would ferve only to lull him. — rhere are People who when they work their Horfes, vvhiftle and make ufe of their Voices ; thefe Aids are ridi- culous, we fhould leave thefe Habits to Grooms and Coach- men, OF HORSEMANSHIP. 69 mcxn, and know that Crys and Threats are ufelefs.— The Senfe of hearing can ferve at the moft only to confound and furprize a Horfe, and you will never give him Exadnefs and Seniibihty by furprizing him. — The fame may be faid of the Sight ; whatever flrikes this Senfc, operates likewifc upon the Memory, and this Method feldom produces a good Ef- fecl ; for you^ ought to know how important it is to vary the Order of your Leflbns, and the Places where you give them ; fmce it is certain, that a Horfe who is always work'd' in the fame Place, vv^orks by rote, and attends no longer tx> the Aids of the Hand and Heels. — It is the fame with hot and angry Horfes, whofe Memory is fo ex:i6t, and who are fo ready to be diforder'd and put out of Humour, that if the. leaft thing comes in their Way during thtir Leffon, they no longer think of what they were about : The way of dealing with thefe Horfes, is to work them v/ith Limettcs > n their Eyes ; but it muft be remembered, that this Method would be dangerous with Horles which are very impatient, hot, and averfe to all Subjedion, and fo fenfible to the Aids, as to grow dcfperate to fuch a degree, as to break through all Reftraint, and run away headlong ; it is therefore unfife with thefe Horfes, becaufe they could not be more blinded even with the Lunettes, than they are when poiTcfied with this Madnefs, which fo blinds them, that they no longer fear the moft apparent Dangers. Having faid thus much of the Aids which operate upom the Touch, Hearing and Sight, we muft now confine our- felves to difcourfc upon thofe, which regard the Touch only ; for as ic has been already faid,. thefe only are the Aids 3. by ^o ANEW SYSTEM by which a HoiTe can be dreft, becaufe it is only by the Hand and Heel that he can be adjufted. The Horfeman's Legs, by being kept near the Horfe's Sides, ferve not only to embellifli his Seat, but without keeping them in this Pofture, he never will be able to give his Aids juftly. — To explain this : If the Motion of my Leg is made at a diftance from the Horfe, it is rather a Cor- redion than an Aid, and alarms and diforders the Horfe ; on the contrary, if my Leg is near the Part that is moft fenfible, the Horfe may be aided, advertifed of his Fault, and even punifhed, in much lefs time, and confequently by this means kept in a much greater Degree of Obedience. — The Legs furnifh us with four Sorts of Aids, the Infide of the Knees, the Calfs, pinching delicately with the Spurs, and prefling ftrongly upon the Stirrups. The effential Ar- ticle in drefling a Horfe, is to make known the Gradation of thefe feveral Aids, which I will explain. The Aid of the Infide of the Knees is given, by doling and fqueezing your Knees, in fuch a manner, that you feel them prefs and grafp your Horfe extremely. You aid with the Calfs of your Legs, by bending your Knees, fo as to bring your Calfs fo clofe as to touch the Horfe with them. The Aid of Pinching with the Spurs, is performed in the fame manner, by bending your Knees, and touching with -the Spurs the Hair of the Horfe, without piercing the Skin. The lall Aid, v.'hich is only proper for very fenfible and de- licate Horfes, confifts in ftretching down your Legs, and preffing firm upon the Stirrups. Th OF HORSEMANSHIP. 71 The ftrongeft Aid is that of pinching with the Spur ; the next in degree, is applying the Calf of the Leg ; prefling with the Knees is the third, and leaning upon the Stirrup is the laft and leaft ; but if thefe Aids are given injudicioufly,. they will have no Effc6l. They muft accompany and keep Pace with the Hand ; for it is the jufl: Corrcfpondence be- tween the Heel and Hand, in which the Truth and Delicacy of the Art confifts ; and without this Agreement there can be no riding. It is the Foundation of all Juftnefs ; it conftitutes and direds the Cadence, Meafure and Harmony of all the Airs ; it is the Soul of Delicacy, Brilliancy and Trutli in riding ; and as a Perfon who plays upon a mudcal Inflrument ad pts and fuits his two Hands equally to the Inftrument, fo the Man who works a Horfe ought to make his Hands and Legs accord exadly together. I fay his Hands and Legs fhould. accord and anfwer one to the other with the ftridefl: Exa6t- nefs, becaufe the niccft and mofl: fubtle EiTeds of the Bridle proceed entirely from tliis Agreement ; and however fine and nice a Touch a Horfeman may be endued with, it the Times of aiding with the Legs are broken and imperfect, he never can have a good Hand ; becaufe it is evident that a good Hand is not the Offspring only of a firm and good Seat, but owing likewife to the Proportion and Harmony of all the Aids together. I underftand by the Harmony and Agree- ment of the Aids, the Art of knowing how to feize the Moment in which they are to be given, and of giving them ecjually and in a due Degree, as well as of meafuring and com- 72 ANEW SYSTEM comparing the Adtion of the Hand and Legs together ; by which both thefe Parts being made to ad together, and in time, will create and call out, as it were, thofe Cadences and Equalities of Time, of which the fineft Airs are com- pos'd ; Meafures and Cadences which it is not poffible to defcribe, but which every Horfeman ought to comprehend, attend to, and feel. If I want to make my Horfe go for- ward, I yield my Hand to him, and at the fame time clofe my Legs ; the Hand ceafing to confine, and the Legs driv- ing on his hinder Parts, the Horfe obeys. I have a mind to flop him, I hold him in, and approach my Legs to his Sides gently, in order to proportion my Aids to what I afk him to do ; for I would not have it felt more than jufl to make .him flop upon his Haunches, 1 WANT to turn him to the Left, I carry my Hand to the Left, and fupport him at the fame time ; that is to fay, I approach my Left-leg, my Hand then guides the Horfe to ithe Left, and my Leg, which operates at the fame time, helps him to turn ; becaufe by driving his Croupe to the Right, his Shoulder is enabled to turn with more Eafe, I want to go to the Right, I carry my Hand to the Right, and I fup- port him with my Right-hand, my Leg determining his Croupe to the Left, facilitates the Adion of the Shoulder ,which my Hand had turned to the Right. I WOULD make a Change to the Right, my Left-rein di- ■reds the Horfe, and my Left-leg at the fame time confines Jiis Croupe, fo that it can't efcape, but muft follow the Shoulders. OF HORSEMANSHIP. 73 Shoulders. — I would change Hands again to the Left, my Right-rein then guides the Horfe, and my Right-leg does juft the fame as my Left-leg did in going to the Right. — I undertake to work the Shoulder and Croupe at the fame time ; for thisPurpofe I carry my Hand out. — The inner Rein a6ls, and the outward Leg of the Horfe is prefs'd, either by this Rein, or by my outward Leg, fo that the outward Rein operates upon the Shoulder, and the inner Rein with my out- ward Leg direds the Croupe. — I put my Horfe to Curvets. — I aid him with my outward Rein, and if he is not enough upon his Haunches, my Legs, accompanied with the inner Rein, aid me to put him more upon them ; if he turns his Croupe out, I aid and fupport him with my outward Leg ; if he flings it in too much, I confine him with my inner Leg. I PUT him to make Curvets fide ways, my outward Rein brings his outward Shoulder in, becaufe the outward Shoul- der being brought in, his Croupe is left at liberty ; but if I have occafion I ufe my inner Rein, and if his Croupe is not fufficiently confin'd, I fupport it with my outward Leg. — Again, I put him to make Curvets backwards, I ufe then my outward Rein, and keep my Hand near my Body. At each Cadence that the Horfe makes, I make him feel a T'ifjte ; one, and every time he comes to the Ground, I receive and catch him as it were in my Hand ; but thefe "Times ought not to be diftant above an Inch or two at the moft ; I then eafe my Legs to him, which never thelcfs I approach infen- fibly every time he rifes. Thus by making my Hands and L Legs 74 ANEWSYSTEM Legs adl together, I learn not only to work a Horle with Juftnefs and Precifion, but even to drefs him to all the Airs j which I lliall fpeak of diftinftly and more at large. As to the reft, be it remember'd, that it is not alone fufficient to know how to unite your Aids, and to propor- tion them, as well as the Corredtions, to the Motions and the Faults in the Horfe's Air, which you would remedy ; but whenever you are to make ufe of them, you muft confi- der likewife if they are fuitable and adapted to the Nature of the Horfe ; for otherwife they will not only prove inefFedlual, but be the Occaiion even of many Diforders. CHAP. OF HORSEMANSHIP. 75 e H A P. X. Of the Parage, THE Pafiage is the Key which opens to us all the Juflnefs of the Art of riding, and is the only Means of adjufting and regulating Horfes in all forts of Airs ; be- caufe in this Adion you may work them flowly, and teach them all the Knowledge of the Leg and Hand, as it were infenfibly, and without running any rifque of difgufting them, fo as to make them rebel. — There are many forts of the Paf- fage : In that which is derived from the Trot, the A6lion of the Horfe's Legs is the fame as in the Trot ; the PafTage is only diftinguifh'd from the Trot, which is the Foundation of it, by the extreme Union of the Horfe, and by his keep- ing his Legs longer in the Air, and lifting them both equally high, and being neither fo quick nor violent as in the Ac- tion of the Trot. In the PafTage which is founded on the Walk, the Adion of the Horfe is the fame as in the Trot, and of confequence the fame as in the Walk ; with this DiiTerence, that the Horfe lifts hisFore-feet a good deal higher than his Hind-feet, that he marks a certain Time or Interval fufficiently long between the Motion of each Leg ; his Adion being much more together and fhort, and more diftind and flow than the ordinary V/alk, and not fo extended as in the Trot, in fuch a manner that he is, as it were, kept together and fupported under himfelf. . L 2 L\sTLy, 76 A N E W S Y S T E M Lastly, there is another fort of Paflage to which the Trot likewife gives birth, and in which the Adlion is fo quick, fo diHgent, and fo fupported, that the Horfe feems not to ad- vance, but to work upon the fame Spot of Ground. The Spa?iiards call the Horles who make this fort of Paffage Pif- fadores. This fort of Horfes have not their Adlion fo high and ftrong as the other, it being too quick and fudden ; but almoft all Horfes which are inclin'd to this fort of Paf- lage, are generally endowed with a great Share of Gentle- nefs and Adivity. No Horfe fliould be put to the Paffage till he has been well trotted out, is fupple, and has acquir'd fome Knowledge of the Union. — If he has not been well trotted, and by that means taught to go forward readily, his Adlion, when put to the Paffage, being fhorten'd and retain'd, you would run the rifque of his becoming refthe and ranwtgue ; and was he utterly unacquainted with the Union, the Paffage requiring that he fhould be very much together, he would not be able to bear it ; fo that finding himfelf prefs'd and forced on one hand, and being incapable of obeying on the other, he wouldi refift and defend himfelf. There are fome People, who oblerving a Horfe to have Strength and Agility, and naturally difpofed to unite himfelf, endeavour to get from him fome 'Times of the Paffage. — They fncceed in their Attempt, and immediately conclude that they can paffage their Horfe whenever they will, and fo prefs him to it, before he has been fufficiently fuppled and taught to go forward readily, and without retaining himfelf. -^Henc# OF HORSEMANSHIP. 77 — Hence arife all the Diforders into which Horfes plunge themfelves, which, if they had been properly managed at firft, would have been innocent of all Vice. — Farther, you ought to ftudy well the Nature of every Horfe ; you will difcover of what Temper he is from the firfl Moment you fee him paf- fage, and to what he is moft inclin'd by Nature. If he has any Seeds of the Rammgiiz in him, his Adlionr. will be fhort and together \ but it will be retain'd and loiter- ing, the Horfe craving the Aids, and only advancing in pro- portion as the Rider gives them, and drives him forward. It he is light and adive, quick of Feeling, and willing, his Adlion will be free and diligent, and you will perceive that he takes aPleafure to work of himfelf, without expe(3:ing the Aids. — If he be of a hot and fiery Nature, his Adions will be quick and fudden, and will fhew that he is angry and im- patient of the Subjedion. If he wants Inclination and Will, he will be unquiet, he will crofs his Legs, and his Adions will be perplex'd. If he is fiery, and heavy at the fame time, his Adion will be all upon the Hand. If befides this, he has but little Strength, he will abandon himfelf entirely upon the Apuy. Laftly, if he is cold and fluggifh in his Nature, his Motion will be unadive and dead ; and even when he is enliven'd by good LefTons, you will always be able to difcover his Temper by feeing the Aids, which the Rider is oblig'd to give him from time to time, to hinder him. from flackening or flopping the Cadence of his Paffage. Having acquir'd a thorough Knov/ledge of your Horfe's Charader, you fhould regulate all your LefTons and Proceed- ings- 78 A N E W S Y S T E M ings conformable to it. — If it hurts a Horfe who partakes of the Ram'mgiie to be kept too much together, unite him by Httle and Httle, and infenfibly as it were, and quite con- trary to putting him to a fhort and united PafTage all at once. Extend and pufli him forward, paffing one while from the Walk to that of the Trot, and fo alternatively. If your Horfe is hot and impatient, he will crofs his Steps, and not go equal ; keep fuch a Horfe in a lefs degree of Subjedion, eafe his Rein, pacify him, and retain or hold him in no more than is fufficient to make him more quiet. — If with this he is heavy, put him to a Walk fomewhat fhortet and flower than the PafTage, and endeavour to put him upon his Haunches infenfibly, and by degrees. By thefe means you will be enabled by Art to bring him to an A(ftion, by fo much the more efTential, as by this alone a Horfe is taught to know the Hands and Heels, as I have already obferved, without ever being perplex'd or dif- order'd. CHAP. OF HORSEMANSHIP. 79 • — CHAP, XI. Of worki?ig with the Head and Cj'oupz to the Wall. THE Leflbns of the Head and Croupe to the Wall arc excellent to confirm a Horfe in Obedience. In cffedV^ when in this Adlion 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 fupple liis Shoulders, but like- wife to teach him the Aids of the Legs. For this Purpofe, after having well open'd the Corner, turn; your Hand immediately, and carry it z>?, in order to dire6l your Horfe by your outward Rein j taking always care to- fupport the Croupe with your outward Leg diredlly over- againft, and about two Feet diftant from the Wall : Bend your Horfe to the Way he goes, and draw back the Shoulder that is in with your inner Rein, becaufe the outward Leg- being carried with more-e»*e over the inner Leg by means of the outward Rein, the Horfe will crofs and bring one Leg over the other, the Shoulders vt^ill go before the Croupe, you will narrow him behind, and confequently put him upon his Haunches. You ought to be careful at the lame time, and fee that your Horfe never falfiiies or quits the Line, either in advan- cing or going backward. — If he preffes forward, fupport him with your Hand ; if he hangs back, fupport him with your 3 Legs, *o ' A N E W S Y S T E M Leers, always giving him the Leg that ferves to drive him on, fironger di.an the other which ferves only to fupport him ; that is, ft6\ir^ ftronger v^dth the Leg that is without, than with that which is within. The Leffon of the Flead to the Wall is very efficacious to correft a Iloife that forces the Hand, or v/ho leans heavily upon it, becaufe it compels him to put himfelf together, and be light upon the Hand with lefs Aids of the Bridle ; but no Horfe tliat is reftive or ramingue fhould be put to it, for all narrow and confin'd LeiTons ferve only to confirm them in their natural Vice. — Place your Horfe diredlly op- pofite the Wall, at about two Feet diftance from it ; make him go (ideways, as I have already direded in the Article of Croupe to the Wall ; but left one Foot fhould tread upon the other, and he fliould knock them together and hurt himfelf, in the Beginning of both Leflbns you muft not be too ftridl with him, but let his Croupe be rather on the contrary Side of his Shoulders, (ince by this means he will look tov/ards the Way he is going more eafily, and be better able to raife the Shoulder and Leg which is to crofs over the other. — By degrees you will gain his Haunches and he will grow fupple before and behind, and at the fame time become light in the Hand : Never forget that your Horfe 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 StifFnefs of the Neck or Head is owing to nothing but the confined Adion of the outward Shoulder ; it being certain, that either the Difficulty or Eafe of working either of thofe Farts, depends entirely upon the other 3 your '2 Horfe OF HORSEMANSHIP. 8f Horfe going thus fidevvays, carry your Hand a little out from time to time ; the inner Rein by this means will be fhortencd, and make the Horfe look m^ the more it en- larges him before, by keeping his Fore- leg that is /;/, at a diftance from the Fore-leg that is ont^ which confequently bringing the inner Hinder-leg near to the outward, confines his hinder Parts, and makes him bend his Haunches, efpe- cially the outward, upon which he refls his Weight, and keeps him in an equal Balance. — Never put your Horfe to this LefTon, till he has been work'd a long while upon large Circles, his Head /», or to the Center, and his Croupe out ; otherwife you would run the Rifque of throwing him into great Diforder. The greater part of Defences proceed from the Shoulders or Haunches, that is to fay, from the fore or hinder Parts ; and thence the Horfe learns to refift the Hand or Heel. It is the want of Supplenefs then, that hinders the Horfe from executing what you put him to do ; and how can it be expedled that he fhould anfwer and obey, when he is ftiff in the Shoulders, Haunches, and Ribs ? efpecially if, without refledling that Supplenefs is the Foundation of all, you prefs and teize him, and put him to Leflbns beyond his Power and Capacity. M C H A P. «2 A N E W S Y S T E M C H A P. XIL Of Changes of the Hand., large ajid narroWj and of Voiles and Demi-voltes. Change is that Action, whereby the Horfeman guides and caufes his Horfe 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 Horfe go to the Left-hand, and when on the Left, making him go to the Right. The Changes are made either on one hi7ie or Fath., or on two, and are either large or nar- row. Changing the Hand upon one Line, is when the Horfe defcribes but one Line with his Feet ; changing upon two Lines, is when the Haunches follow and accompany the Shoulders j and to make this Change, the Horfe's Feet muft confequently defcribe two Lines, one made by his Fore- feet, the other with his Hinder- feet. Changing large, is when the Line, if the Horfe makes but one, or both Lines, when he defcribes two, crofs the Ma- nage from Corner to Corner ; changing narrow, is when thefe Lines pafs over but a Part of it, A Volte is generally defined to be whatever forms a Circle. — Voltes of two Lines or Paths, defcribe two, one with the Horfe's Fore, the other with his Hinder-feet. X If OF HORSEMANSHIP. 83 If the Circle then forms a Volte, by confequence half a Circle forms v/hat is called the Half-volie. — Thefe Half- voltes, and Quarters of Voltes, are made upon two Lines, as well as the Volte. — A Demi-volte of two Treads, is nothing elfe than two half Circles, one drawn by the Horfe's Fore-feet, the other by the Hinder ; it is the fimc with Quarters of Voltes. — A Horfe can be work'd, and put to all forts of Airs upon the Voltes, Half-voltes, and Quarters of Voltes. — But as the Rules neceflary to be obferved and followed in making Voltes of two Treads, and in chancrino- of Hands in the Paffage, are only general, I fhall content rayfelf v/ith explaining them in this Chapter; refervino- to myfelf a Power of pointing out the Exceptions, when I fhall come to treat of the diiferent Airs, and the different Ma- nages, that are pradifed upon the Voltes. Three things equally effential, and equally difficult to attain, muft con- cur to form the Juftnefs of a Change ; they are the manner of beginning it, of continuing, and doling it. — We will fuppofe you in the Manage, you walk your Horfe forward, you bend him properly, and you are come to the Place where you intend to change large. For this Purpofe, make a half Stop, and take care never to abandon the Rein which is to bend your Horfe's Neck ; the other Rein, that is, the outward Rein, is that, which you muPc ufe to guide and dire6l him, but you muft proportion the Strcfs you lay upon one with the other. — As it is the outward Rein which determines your Horfe the Way he is to go, make that operate, its Effed; will be to bring the outv/ard Shoulder //; ; if then it brings the outward Shoulder ?';/, it guides and determines the Horfe to the Side to which you are going, M 2 and 84 A N E W S Y S T E M and confines and fixes the Croupe at the fame time. This is not all, at the fame Inftant that your Hand operates, fup- port your Horfe with your outward Leg : Your Hand having determined the Shoulder, and fixed the Croupe^ your Leg mufl help to fccure it ; for without the Aid of tlie Leg, the Croupe would be unconfined, would be lofl:, and the Horfe would work only upon one Line. You fee then, how requifite it is for the Horfeman to be exad, adlive, and to give his Aids with the greateft Delicay, in order to begin his Change with Juftnefs ; becaufe it is. neceflary, that the Times of giving the Hand and Leg, fhould be fo clofe one to the other, as not to be perceived or diftinguifiied. — You fhould never abandon, I have already faid, that Rein with which you bend your Horfe ; this is the Reafon — Every Horfe 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 i£ be is turned or bent before he begins to change, why iLould: you abandon the Rein that ferves to bend him ; fince ia this cafe, you would be under a double Difficulty in want- ing on one hand the Point of Apuy, which ought to be found in the Reia which ferves to bend him, and the Point of Apuy which ought to refult from the working of the other Rein, which is to determine him. — The outward Rein operates to bring in the outward Shoulder, your out- ^ ward Leg accompanies the Adion of your Hand j liere then, is your Change begun. Tha OF HORSEMANSHIP. 85 The ©utward Shoulder and Leg never could have been brought in, without pafTing over or croffing the inner Leg and Shoulder ; this is the Adion which the outward Leg iliould conftantly perform through the whole Change. In order to arrive at a juft Execution of this, you flioiild 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 Horfe is ready to put it to the Ground, raife your Hand, and carry it in infendbly, and your Horfe will be oblig'd to advance, his outward Leg and Shoulder, which muft by this means, crofs the inner Leg and Shoulder whether he will or no. It is not fufficicnt for the Horfe to crofs his Legs only one- over the other, he muft go forward likewife at the fame time, becaufe in making the Change large, his Feet fhould defcribe two- diagonal Lines. — It is of Importance therefore, that the ^ fame Attention be had to the inner as the outward Leg-, for f it is by the means of his Legs only that he can advance. It v is true that you fliould endeavour to make him go forward! ^■=^^^>'^*«' by putting back your Body, and yielding your Hand ; but ^'*^ ^ r-^frj if he wojf t obey thefc Aids, you muft make ufe of the Calfs of your Legs, aiding more ftrongly with your. Left-leg whcrt/^^^'^ '^'^ <^^ you are going to the Riglit-hand, and more ftrongly with your Right-leg when you are going to the Left. Befides, it is ^ neceftary to have an equal Attention to the Legs, bcT- caufe the Horfe could never work with Juftnefs, if he were" iiot ballanced equally between the Rider's Legs ; and it is from this exad Ob-edience only, that he is enabled to make the Changes with Precifion, becaufe without a Knowledge of the Hand and Heels, it is impoftible he fliould obey the Motions 86 A N E W SYSTEM Motloiis of his Rider — In order to clofe the Change juftly, the Horfes Fore-legs (liould arrive at the fame time upon a ftrait Line; fo that a Change juftly executed, and in the fame Cadence or Time, is fuch, as is not only begun, but iini{l:i'd likevvife, and clofed in fuch a Proportion, that tlie Croupe always accompanies and keeps Pace with the Shoul- ders throughout. — In order to linifli it in this manner, you niuft obferve the following Rules, The greater Number of Horfes, inftead of finifliing their Changes with Exadlnefs, are apt to lean on one Side, to make their Croupe go be- fore their Shoulders, and to throw themfelves with Impa- tience, in order to get upon one Line again ; the Method of corredling; them for thefe Irreg-ularities, is to make a Demi- volte of two Lines, in the fame Place where they were to have clofed their Change ; for Example, if in chang- ing to the Right, they are too eager to come upon the ftrait Line, without having properly finifli'd their Change, demand of them a Demi-volte to the Left, which you muft make them round equally with their Shoulders and Haunches. An effential Point, which neverthelefs is little regarded, is the making your Horfe refume his Line, or go ofF again to the other Hand, when he has made his Change. To make him do this, you muft carry your Hand to the Side to which you have clofed your Change, and carry it infenfibly as it were, after which you will be able with great Eafe to bend your Horfe to the Infide. I mufi: further explain the NeceiTity of this Adion. It OF HORSEMANSHIP. 87 It is evident that a Horfe in the Paffiige, neither can, nor ought if he could, move the two Feet on the flime Side together. In beginning and finifliing the Change, the out- ward Leg and Shoulder pafs and crofs over the inner Leg and Shoulder ; he is confequently fupported in this Adion on the outward Haunch, for the inner Foot behind was off the Ground ; now, if at the Clofing of the Change, and in the- Inflant that he is again upon one Line ; as for Example — If in clofmg his Change to the Right, the Horfe is fup- ported in this Aiflion by the left Haunch, how is it poffible that he can be bent to the Left ? To attempt this, would be to make him move two Legs on the fame Side, whiclt would be undertaking a thing impoflible to be done- Being therefore arrived upon one Line, carry your Hand ta the V/all, this will make your Horfe change his Leg ; he will be fupported in his Adlion by his right Haunch, and will be able to bend himfelf with great Facility. In order to make the Volte true and perfect, he ought to^ be juft with refped to his Head and Neck, and have the Adlion of his Shoulders and Haunches quite equal. When I fay that a Horfe fhould have his Shoulders and Haunches equal, 1 would not be underftood to mean, that his Fore- feet fhould not cover more Ground, than his Hinder ; on- the contrary, I know it is a Rule never to be departed from,, that his Shoulders fhould precede half of the Haunches ;; but I infift that the Haunches fhould go along with, and- follow exadly 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^. 88 A N E W S Y S T E M depends. The four Legs of a Horfe may be compared to the four Strings of an Inftrument ; if thefe four Cords don't correfpond, it it impofliblc there fhould be any Mufick ; it is the fame with a Plorfe, if the Motions of his Haunches and Fore-legs don't act together and aQlfl: each other, and if lie h.as not acquired a Habit and Eafe to perform what he ouo-ht to do, the mofl expert and dextrous Horfeman will never be able to acquit himfelf as he ought, nor execute any Air juftly and with Pleafure, be it either on the Volte or ftrait forward. Whenever you put your Horfe to the Paflage upon the Voltes, he ought to make the fame 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 con- £n'd, his Steps fhould be fliorter. I WILL fuppofe that he defcribes a large Circle with his Fore -feet; the Action of his outward Shoulder ought confe- quently to be free, and the Shoulder much advanced, in order to make the outward Leg pafs over and crofs at every Step the innner Leg, that he may more eaiily embrace his Volte, without quitting the Line of the Circle, and with- out difordering his Hinder-leg ; which ought likewife to be fubjeft to the fame Laws as the Fore-legs, and crofs the out- ^vard Leg over the inner, but not fo much as the Fore-legs,, becaufe they have lefs Ground to go over, and fhould only keep the Proportion. — In working upon Voltes of two Lines, the Horfe fliould make as many Steps with his Hinder as with his Fore-feet; becaufe thofe Horfes whofe Haunches go before the Slioulders, and who cut and fhorten the exadlLine of the Volte, 3 ^e OF HORSE M A N S U I P. Si) are apt to keep their Hinder-feet in one Place, and make at the fame time one or two Steps with their Fore-feet, and hy this means fihify and avoid filHng up the Circle in the Proportion they begun it. The fame Fault is to be found with Horfes who hang back at the End of a Change, and throwing out their Croupe, arrive at the Wall with their Shoulders, and •confequently fail to clofc their Change juftly. Further, in working upon this Leflbn, it is indifpenfably neceffary that at every Step the Horfe takes, he fhould make his outward Leg crofs and come over the inner, becaufe this will prevent a Horfe that is too quick of Feeling, or one, that is rammgue^ from becoming e?itier^ or to bend himfelf, or lean in his Voltes, Vices that are occaiion'd from having the Haunches or Hinder-legs too much conftrain'd. There are Horfes likewife who have their Croupe fo light and uncertain, that from the Moment they have begun the Volte, they lean and widen their Hinder-legs, and throw them out of the Volte. To remedy this, aid with the outv/ard Leg, carrying your Bridle-hand to the fame Side, and not /;?, becaufe it is by the Means of the outward Leg and inner Rein, that you will be enabled to adjiift and bring in the Croupe upon the Line which it ought to keep. If it happens that the Horfe don't keep up to the Line of his Volte, or throws his Croupe out, prefs him forward, letting him go ftrait on two or three Steps, keeping him firm iii theHand, and in a flow and juft Time, and ufe the Aids which I have.- N juft qo ANEWSYSTEM z> juft now diredled. — This Lefibn is equally ufeful in cale your Horfe is naturally inclin'd to carry his Haunches too much in, and where he is ramingtie, or in danger of be- coming fo ; but then the Aids muft be given on the Side to which he leans, and prefTes, in order to widen his Hinder- parts, and to pufh the Croupe out. Above all you fliould remember, that whatever tends to bend or turn the Head on one fide, will always drive the Croupe on the other ; when the Horfe's Croupe don't fol- low his Shoulders equally, the Fault may proceed either from a Difobedience to the Hand, or from his not anfwering the Heels as he ought. If you would remedy this, keep him low before ; that is to fay, keep your Bridle-hand very low, and; while you make him advance upon two Treads, aid him firm- ly with the Calfs of the Legs ; for as the outward Leg will confine and keep his Croupe itiy the inner Leg, operating with the outward, will make him go forward. If you find that your Horfe difobeys the Heel, and throws his Croupe out in fpite of that Aid, in this Cafe make ufe of your inner Rein, carrying your Hand out with your Nails turned upwards ; this will infallibly ope- rate upon the Croupe, and reftrain it. Ufe the fame Re- medy, if in the Pafiiige your Horfe carries his Head out of the Volte, and you will bring it in ; but you muft remem- ber, in both Cafes, to replace your Fland immediately after having carried, it out, in order to make the outward Rein work, which will facilitate and enable the outward Legs to crofs over the inner. If OF HORSEMANSHIP. 91 If the Horfe breaks the Line, and flings his Croupe upon the Right-heel, work him to that Side with your Left ; if he would go fide ways to the Left, make him go to the Right ; if he flings his Croupe out^ put it quietly in ; in fhort, if all at once he brings it /;/, put it quietly out \ and, in a word, teach him by the Pradlice of good Lefl^ons to acquire a Facility and Habit of executing whatever you de- mand of him. The Conlequence of all the different Rules and Prin- ciples, which I have here laid down, and which may be applied equally to the Changes, large and narrow, to Changes upon the Voltes, and Half-voltes ; the Confequence of thefe Inftrudions I fay will be, if pracftifed judicioufly, a moft implicit and exad: Obedience on the Part of the Horfe, who from that Moment, will refign his own Will and In- clination, and make it fubfervient to that of the Rider, which he mufl: teach him to know by making him ac- quainted with the Hand and Heel. N 2 CHAP, 92 A NEW SYSTEM CHAP. XIII. Of the Aids of the Body. t' r "^ H E Perfedion of all the Aids confifls, as I have JL already proved, in their mutual Harmony and Cor- refpondence, for without this Agreement, they muft be always ineffecSlual ; becaufe the Horfe can never work with Exadlncfs and Delicacy, and keep the Proportion and Mea^ fure which is infeparable to all Airs, when juflly and beautifully executed. This Maxim being laid down, we fhall undertake to demonftrate, that the Aids of the Body contribute, and are even capable of themielves, from the Principles of Geometry, to make us acquire the Union of the Aids of the Hand and Leg ; and if fo, we {hall be obliged to own the Conclufion, that they are to be prefer'd to all the reft. The Juftnefs of the Aids of the Body .depends upon the Seat of the Horfeman. — Till he is arrived at the Point of being able to iit down clofc and firm in his Saddle, fo as to be immoveable in it, it v/ould be vain to expedt he fhould be able to manage a Horfe ; becaufe, belides that he would be incapable of feeling his Motions, he would not be poiTeffed of that Equilibre and Firmnefs of Scat, which is the Charaderiftic of a Horfeman. I would define the Equi- libre to be, when the Horfeman fits upon his Twift^ diredly OF HORSEMANSHIP. gn (diredly down and clofe upon the Saddle, and fo firm that nothing can loofen or difturb his Seat ; and by Firmnefs, I exprefs that Grafp or Hold with which he keeps himfelf on' the Horfe, without employing any Strength, but truftino- entirely to his Ballance, to humour and accompany all the Motions of the Horfe. Nothing but Exercife and Pradlice can give this Equilibrc,. and confequently this Hold upon the Horfe. In the Begin- ning,, the Fear which almoft every Scholar feels, and the Conftraint which all his Limbs are under, make him apt to prefs the Saddle very clofe with his Thighs and Knees, as he imagines he fliall by this Method acquire a firmer Seat ; but the very Efforts that lie makes to refifl the Motions of the Horfe, ftiffen his Body, and lift him out of the Saddle, fo that any rude Motion, or unexpeded Shock, would be likely to unhorfe him ; for from the Moment that he ceafes to fit down and quite clofe to the Saddle, every fudden Jirk and Motion of the Horfe attacking him under his Twift, mufi: iliove him out of the Saddle. We will fuppofe thcq a Peifon, the Pofition of whofe Body is juft and regular, and who, by being able to fit dov.n perpendicular and full in his Saddle, can feel and unite him- felf to his Horfe fo as to accompany all his Motions ; let us fee then how this Perfon, from the Motions of his own Body, . will be able to accord and unite the. Aids or Times of the Hands and Legs. Ik- 9^ A N E W S Y S T E M In order to make your Horfe take or go into the Corner X3f the Manage, you mud begin by open'uig it. To open a Corner, is to turn the Shoulder before you come to it, in order to make it cover the Ground ; and then the Croupe which is turn'd m will not follow the Line of the Shoulders, till they are turn'd and brought upon a ftrait Line in order to come out of the Corner. — In order to turn the Shoulder to open the Corner, you muft carry your Hand to the Right or Left, according to the Hand to which you are to o-o ; and to throw in the Croupe, you muft fupport it with the Leg on that Side to which you carry your Hand. — ■■ To make the Shoulders turn and come out of the Corner, you muft carry your Eland on the Side oppofite to that to which you turned it, in order to go into the Corner ; and that the Croupe may pafs over the fame Ground as the Shoulders, you muft fupport with the Leg on the contrary Side to that with which you aided in order to bring the Haunches in ; the Elorfe never can perform any of thefe Adions without an entire Agreement of all thefe Aids, and one fingle Motion of the Body will be fufficient to unite them all with the utmoft Exadnefs* In effed, inftead of carrying your Hand out, and fe- conding that Aid with the Leg, turn your Body but imper- ceptibly towards the Corner, juft as if you intended to go into it yourfelf ; your Body then turning to the Right or Left, your Hand, which is one of its Appurtenances, muft iieceftarily turn likewife, and the Leg of the Side on which you turn, will infallibly prefs againft the Horfe, and aid him. OF HORSEMANSHIP. 95 fjim. — If you would come out of the Corner, turn your Body again, your Hand will follow it, and your other Leg- approaching the Horfe, will put his Croupe into the Corner,, in fuch a manner, that it will follow the Shoulders, and be upon the fame Line. — It is by thefe means that you will be enabled to time the Aids of the Hand and Legs with greater Exa6lnefs, than you could do, were you not to move your Body ; for how dextrous and ready foever you may be, yet when you only ufe your Hand and Legs, without letting their Aids proceed from, and be guided by your Body, the)5 can never operate fo effedlually, and their Adlion is infinitely lefs fmooth, and not fo meafured and proportioned, as vvhem it proceeds only from the Motion of the Body. The fame Motion of the Body is likewife neceffary in turning entirely to the Right or Left, or to make your Horfe, go fideways on one Line, or in making the Changes. If when you make a Change, you perceive tlie Croupe to be too much m, by turning your Body in, you will drive it out, and the Hand following the Body, determines the Shoulder by means of the outward Rein, which is fhorten'd ; if the Croupe is too much ouf,. turn your Body oui, and< this Pofture carrying the Hand out, fhortens the inner Rein,, and confines the Croupe, ading in concert with the out- ward Leg, which works and approaches the Side of the Horfe. — This Aid is by fo much better, becaufe if exe- cuted with Delicacy, it is imperceptible, and never alarms the Horfe ; I fay, if executed as it ought to be, for we are not talking here of turning the Shoulder, and fo falfifying 3 the-- ■9'6 A . N E W S Y $ T E M the Pofturc. In order to make the Hand and Leg Work together, it is neceffary that the Motion {hoiild proceed from the Horfeman, which in turning carries with it the reft of the Body infenfibly ; without this, very far from being affifted by the Ballance of your Body in the Saddle, you would lofe it entirely, and together with it the Grace- fulnefs of your Seat ; and your Ballance being gone, how can you exoed: to find any Juftnefs in the Motions of your. Horfe, fnice all the Juftnefs and Beauty of his Motions muft depend upon the Exadnefs of your own ? The fecret Aids of the Body are fuch then as ferve to prevent, and accompany all the Motions of the Horfe. If you will make him go backward, throw back your own Body, your Hand v/ill go with it, and you will make the Florfe obey by a iingle Turn of the Waift. — Would you have him go forward, for this purpofe put your Body back, but in a lefs degree ; don't prefs the Horfe's Fore-parts with your Weight, becaufe by leaning a little back you will be able to approach your Legs to his Sides with greater Eafe. — if your Horfe rifes up, bend your Body forward ; if he kicks, leaps, or ftrikes out behind, throw your Body back ; if he gal-^ lops when he fhould not, oppofe all his Motions, and for this purpofe pufli your Waift forward towards the Pummel of the Saddle, making a Bend or Hollow at the fame time in your Loins : In fhort, do you work your Horfe upon great Circles, with the Head ?>? and Croupe out f let your Body then be a Part of the Circle, becaufe this Pofture bringing your Hand zVz, you bring in the Llorfe's outward Shoulder, over which the inner Shoulder crofles circularly, 3 .. and OF HORSEMANSHIP. 97 and your inner Leg being likewife by this Method near your Horfe's Side, you leave his Croupe at liberty. I call it becoming a Part of the Circle yoiirfelf, when you incline a little the Balance of your Body towards the Center ; and this Balance proceeds entirely from the outward Hip, and turning it in. The Aids of the Body then are thofe which conduce to make the Horfe work with greater Pleafure, and confe- quently perform his Bulinefs with more Grace ; if then they are fuch, as to be capable alone of conftituting the Juftnefs of the Airs ; if they unite, and make the Hand and Legs work in concert ; if they are fo fine and fubtle, as to be imperceptible, and occafion no vifible Motion in the Rider, but the Horfe feems to work of himfelf ; if they comprize at the fame time, the moft eftablifhed and certain Principles of the Art ; if the Body of the Horfeman, which is capable of employing them, is of confequence firm without Con- ftraint or Stiffnefs, and fupple without being weak or loofe ; if thefe are the Fruits which we derive from them, we muft fairly own, that this is the fhorteft, the mofl certain, and plaineft Method we can follow, in order to form a Horfeman. O CHAP. 98 ANEWSYSTEM CHAP. XIV. Of the Gallop, T^ H E Trot is the Foundation of the Gallop ; the Proof of its being fo is very clear and natural. The Adion of the Trot is croffwife, that of the Gallop is from an equal Motion of the Fore and Hinder-legs ; now, if you trot out your Horfe briikly and beyond his Pitch, he will be compell'd when his Fore-feet are off the Ground, to put his Hinder- foot down fo quick, that it will follow the Fore-foot of the fame Side ; and it is this which forms the true Gallop : The Trot then is beyond difpute the Founda- tion of the Gallop. As the Perfection of the Trot confifts in the Supple- nefs of the Joints and Limbs, that of the Gallop depends upon the Lightnefs and Adivity of the Shoulders ; a good Apuy, and the Vigour and Refolution of the Career, muffc depend upon the natural Spirit and Courage of the Horfe. It fhould be a Rule, never to make a Horfe gallop, till he prefents and offers to do it of himfelf. — Trotting him out boldly and freely, and keeping him in the Hand, fo as to raife and fupport his Fore-parts, will affift him greatly ; for when his Limbs are become fupple and ready, and he is fo far advanced, as to be able to unite and put himfelf together without Difficulty, he will then go off readily in ills Gallop \ whereas, if on the contrary he fliould pull or OF HORSEMANSHIP. 99 or be heavy, the Gallop would only make him abandon himfelf upon the Hand, and fling him entirely upon his Shoulders. To put a Horfe in the Beginning of his LefTons from the Walk to the Gallop, and to work him in it upon Circles, is demanding of him too great a degree of Obedience. In the firft place, it is very fure that the Horfe can unite him- felf with greater Eafe in going ftrait forward, than in turn- ing ; and, in the next place, the Walk being a flow and diftind: Pace, and the Gallop being quick and violent, it is much better to begin with the Trot, which is a quick Adion, than with the Walk, which is flow and calm, how- ever raifed and fupported its A6lion may be. — Two things are requifite to form the Gallop, viz. it ought to be juj}^ and it ought to be even or equal. — I call that Gallop jufl, in which the Horfe leads with the Right-leg before, and I call that the Right-leg which is foremoft, and which the Horfe puts out beyond the other. For Inftance — A Horfe gallops and fupports himfelf in his Gallop, upon the out- ward Fore-foot, the Right Fore-foot clears the Way, the Horfe confequently gallops with the Right-foot, and the Gallop is juft, becaufe he puts forward and leads with his Right- foot. This Motion of the Right-foot is indifpenfably neceflary, for if the Horfe were to put his Left Fore-foot firft, his Gallop would be falje ; fo that it is to be underftood, that whenever you put a Horfe to the Gallop, he fliould aKvays go ofl" with his Right Fore-foot, and keep it forc- O 2 moft, 100 A N E W S Y S T E M moft, or he can never be faid to gallop jujl and true. — I underftand by an cveji or equal Gallop, that in which the Hind-parts follow a id accompany the Fore-parts ; as for Ex- ample — If a Horfe gallops, or leads with his Right-leg before, the Hind Right-leg ought to follow ; for if the Left Hind- leg were to follow, the Horfe would then be difunited : The Jufinefs then of the Gallop depends upon the Adlion of the Fore- feet, as the Union orEvennefs of it does on the Hind-feet. This general Rule which fixes the Juftnefs of the Gallop, that is to fay, this Principle which obHges the Horfe to lead with the Right Fore-foot when he gallops, flrid as it is, yet fometimes parts with its Privileges in deference to the Laws of the Manage. — The Defign of this School is to make equally fupple and adlive all the Limbs of a Horfe. — It is not re- quifite then that the Horfe fhould lead always with the fame Leg, becaufe it is abfolutely neceffary that he fhould be equally ready and fupple with both his Shoulders, in order to work properly upon the different Airs. — It feems but rea- fonable that this Rule fliould be obferved likewife out of the Manage ; and therefore it has of late obtain'd that Hunting- horfes fhould lead indifferently with both Legs ; becaufe it has been found on Trial, that by ftridly adhering to the Rule of never fuffering a Horfe to gallop but with his Right Fore-leg, he has been quite ruin'd and worn out on one Side, when he was quite frefh and found on the other. — Be that as it will, it is not lefs certain, that in the Manage a Horfe may gallop falfe, either in going ftrait forward, or in going round, or upon a Circle ; for inftance — He is going ftrait, and to the Right-hand, and fets off with the 3 Left OP HORSEMANSHIP. loi Left Fore -foot ; he then is falfe, juft as he would be, if in going to the Left, he fliould lead with his Right Fore- foot. The Motions of a Horfe, when difunited, are fo diforder'd and perplex'd, that he runs a rifque of falling, becaufe his Adlion then is the Aftion of the Trot, and quite oppofite to the Nature of the Gallop. It is true, that for the Rider's Sake he had better be falfe. If a Horfe in full Gallop changes his Legs fi'om one fide to the other alternately, this Adion of the Amble in the Midft of his Courfe, is fo different from the Adion of the Gallop, that it occafions the Horfe to go from the Trot to the Amble, and from the An^ble to the Trot. When a Horfe gallops ftrait forward, however fliort and eonfin'd his Gallop is, his Hind-feet always go beyond his Fore feet, even the Foot that leads, as well as the other. — To explain this. — If the inner Fore-foot leads, the inner Hind-foot ought to follow, fo that the inner Feet, both that which leads, and that which follows, are preft, the other two at liberty. — The Horfe fets off", the outward Fore-foot is on the Ground, and at liberty, this makes one Twie ; immediately, the inner Fore-foot which leads and is preft, marks a fecond, here are two 'Times \ then the outward Hind-foot which was on the Ground, and at liberty, marks the third Time \ laftly, the inner Hind-foot which leads and is preft, comes to the Ground, and marks the fourth \ fo that when a Horfe goes; ftrait. 102 A NEW SYSTEM ftrait forward and gallops juft, he performs it in four diflind Times^ oncy two, three^ four. It is very difficult to feel exadly, and perceive thefe Times of the Gallop ; but yet by Obfervation and Pradice it may be done. — The Times of a Horfe, u^ho covers and embraces a good deal of Ground, are much more eafy to mark than his who covers but little. — The A6lion of the one is quick and fhort, and that of the other long, flow, and diftind ; but whether the natural Motions and Beats of the Horfe are flow or quick, the Horfeman abfolutely ought to know them, in order to humour and work conformably to them ; for fhould he endeavour to lengthen and prolong the Adlion of the one, in hopes of making him go forward more readily, and to fhorten and confine that of the other, in order to put him more together \ the Adion of both would in this Cafe not only be forced and dif- agreeable, but the Horfes would refift and defend them- felves, becaufe Art is intended only to aflift and correal, but not to change Nature. — In working your Horfe upon Cir- cles, it is the outward Rein that you muft ufe to guide and make him go forward ; for this purpofe turn your Hand in from time to time, and aid with your outward Leg.— If the Croupe fhould be turn'd too much out, you muft carry your Hand on the outward Side of your Horfe's Neck ; and you will confine it, and keep it from quitting its Line. — I would be underftood of Circles of two Lines or Treads, where the Haunches are to be attended to. — Before you put your Horfe to this, he fhould be gallop'd upon plain, or Circles of one Liine only. — In this LefTon, in order to fupple your Horfe, 3 make OF HORSEMANSHIP. 103 make ufe of your inner Rein to pull his Head towards the Center, and aid with the Leg of the fame Side, to pufh his Croupe out of the Volte j by this means you bend the Ribs of the Horfe. The Hind-feet certainly defcribe a much larger Circle than his Fore-feet ; indeed they make a fecond Line : but when a Horfe is faid to gallop only upon a Circle of one Line or Tread, he always and of neceflity makes two ; becaufe, were the Hind-feet to make the fame Line as the Fore-feet, the Leffon would be of no ufe, and the Horfe would never be made fupple ; for he only becomes fupple in proportion as the Circle made with his Hind- feet is greater than that defcribed by his Fore-feet. When your Horfe is fo far advanced, as to be able to- gallop lightly and readily upon this fort of Circle, begin then to make frequent Stops with him.: — To make them well in the Gallop, with his Head in, and Croupe out, the Rider muft ufe his outward Leg, to bring in the outward Leg of the Horfe ; otherwife he would never be able to ftop- upon his Haunches, becaufe the outward Haunch is always. out of the Volte. To make a Stop in a Gallop ftrait forwards, you Ihould carefully put your Horfe together^ without altering or di-^ fturbing the Apuy, and throw your Body back a little, in, order to accompany the Adion, and to- relieve the Horfe's- Shoulders. — You fhould feize the time of making the Stop,, keeping your Hand and Body quite ftill, exadly when youi fbei 1.04- A NEW S Y S T E M feel the Horfe put his Fore-feet to the Ground, In order that by raifmg them immediately, by the next Motion that iie would make, he may be upon his Haunches. — If on the contrary, you were to begin to make the Stop, while the Shoulders of the Horfe were advanced, or in the Air, you would run the Rifque of hardening his Mouth, and muft throw him upon his Shoulders, and even upon the Hand, and ■occafion him to make fome wrong Motions with his Head, being thus furprized at the Time when his Shoulders and Feet are coming to the Ground. There are fome Horfes who retain themfelves, and -don't put out their Strength fufficiently • thefe fhould be galloped brifkly, and then flowly again, remembring to gallop them fometimes faft, and fometimes flow, as you judge neceffary. — Let them go a little Way at full Speed, make a half Stop, by putting back your Body, and bring them again to a (iow Gallop ; by thefe means they will ■moft certainly be compelled both to obey the Hand and Heel. In the flow Gallop, as well as in the Trot, it is neceffary fometimes to clofe your Heels to the Horfe's Sides, this is called pinching ; but you muft pinch him in fuch a manner, as not to make him abandon himfelf upon the Hand, and take care that he be upon his Haunches, and not upon his Shoulders, and therefore whenever you pinch him, keep ihim in the Hand. To OF HORSEMANSHIP. 105 To put him well together, and make him bring his Hind-legs under him, clofe your two Legs upon him, putting them very back ; this will obHge him to flide his Legs under him ; at the fame Inftant, raife your Hand a little to fupport him before, and yield it again immediately. Support him and give him the Rein again from time to time, till you find that he begins to play and bend his Haunches, and that he gallops leaning and fitting down as it were upon them ; prefs him with the Calfs of the Legs, and you will make him quick and fenfible to the Touch. If your Horfe has too fine a Mouth, gallop him upon fioping ground, this will oblige him to lean a little upon the Hand, the better to put himfelf upon his Haunches ; and the Fear that he will be under of hurting his Bars, wiU prevent his refifting the Operation of the Bitt. If Galloping upon a fioping Ground affures and fixes a Mouth that is weak and fickle, make ufe of the fame Ground in making your Horfe afcend it, in cafe he is heavy in the Hand ; and his Apuy be too ftrong, and it will lighten him. There are fome Horfemen who mark each xMotion of the Horfe in his Gallop, by moving their Bodies and Heads • they ought, however, without Stiffnels or Conftraint to confent and yield to all his Motions, yet with a Smooth- nefs and Pliancy fo as not to be perceived, for all great or rude Motions always diilurb the Horfe. — To do this you muft advance or prefent your Breafi, and ftretch yourfelf firm in your Stirrups ; this is the only Way to P ' fix io6 ANEWSYSTEM fix and unite yourfelf entirely to the Animal who car- ries you. The Property of the Gallop is, as may be gathered from all that has been faid of it, to give the Horfe a good Apuy. In reality, in this Adlion he lifts at every time both his Shoulders and Legs together, in fuch a manner, that in making this Motion his Fore-part is without Support, till his Fore-feet come to the Ground ; fo that the Rider, by fupporting or bearing him gently in Hand, as he comes down, can confequently give an Apuy to a Mouth that has none. You muft take care, that by retaining your Horfe too much in his Gallop, you don't make him become ramifigue^ and weaken the Mouth that is light and unfteady ; as the full or extended Gallop is capable on the other Hand, to harden an Apuy which was ftrong and full in the Hand before. The Gallop does not only afTure and make ftcady a weak and delicate Mouth, but it alfo fupples a Horfe, and makes him ready and adlive in his Limbs. — It fixes the Memory and Attention of Horfes likewife, who from too much Heat and Impetuofity in their Temper, never attend to the Aids of the Rider, nor the Times of their fetting off ; it teaches thofe who retain themfelves, to go forward, and to fet off ready and with Spirit ; and laftly, it takes off all the fuperfluous Vigour of fuch Horfes as, from too much Gaiety, avail themfelves of their Strength and Courage OF HORSEMANSHIP. 107 Courage to refift their Riders. — Take care, however, to proportion this Leffon to the Nature, the Strength, and Inclination of the Animal ; and remember, that a violent and precipitate Gallop would hurt an impatient and hot Horfe, as much as it would be proper and ufeful to one who retains himfelf, and is jadifh and lazy. CHAP. XV. Of Parades. THE Paflades are the trueft Proofs a Horfe can give of his Goodnefs. — By his going off you judge of his Swiftnefs ; by his Stop, you difcover the Goodnefs or Imper- fedion of his Mouth ; and by the Readinefs with which he turns, you are enabled to decide upon his Addrefs and Grace ; in fhort, by making him go off a fecond time you difcover his Temper and Vigour. — When your Horfe is light and adlive before, is firm upon his Haunches, and has them fupple and free, fo as to be able to accompany the Shoulders, Is obedient and ready to both Hands, and to the Stop, he is then fit to be work'd upon Paflades. Pailade to the Right. P z Walk io8 .ANEW SYS T E M Walk him along the Side of the Wall in a fteady even Pace, fupporting and keeping him light in the Hand, in order to fliew him the Length of the PafTade, and the Roundnefs of the Volte or Demi-volte^ which he is to make at the End of each Line. — Stop at the End, and when he has finifli'd the lafl: Time of the Stop raife him, and let him make two or three Pefades. After this make a Demivolte of two Lines in the Walk ; and while he is turning, and the Moment you have clos'd it, demand again of him two or three Pefades, and then let him walk on in order to make as many to the other Hand. Paffade to the Left. You muft take care to confirm him well in this Leflbn. — From the Walk you will put him to the Trot upon a ftrait Line ; from the Trot to a flow Gallop, from that to a fwifter ; being thus led on by degrees, and ftep by ftep, he will be able to furnifh all forts of Pafiades, and to make the Demi- volte in any Air that you have taught him. You fhould never put your Horfe to make a Volte or Demi-volte at the time that he is difunited, pulls, or is heavy in the Hand, or is upon his Shoulders ; on the contrary, you fhould flop him at once, and make him go backward till you perceive that he is regulated and united upon his Haunches, light before^ and has taken a good and jufl: Apuy. A. OF HORSEMANSHIP. 109 A PERFECT Paffade is made in this Manner. — Your Horfc Handing ftrait and true upon all his Feet, you go ofF with him at once, you flop him upon his Haunches ; and in the fame T'iine or Cadence in which he made his Stop, being exaflly obedient to the Hand and Heel, he ought to make the Demi-volte, balancing himfelf upon his Haunches, and fo waiting till you give him the Aid to fet ofF again »• It is requifite then that the lead Motion or Hint of the. Rider fhould be an abfolute Command to the Horfe. — If you would have him go off at full Speed, yield your Hand, clofe the Calves of your Legs upon him ; if he don't anfwer to this Aid, give him the Spurs, but you muft give them fo as not to remove them from the Place where they were, and without opening or advancing your Legs before you ftrike». The high Paffades are thofe which a Horfe makes, when, being at the End of his Line, he makes his Demi-volte in any Air he has been taught, either in the Mezair or in Cu?'- vetSj which is very beautiful. — Therefore in high Pafiades let your Horfe go off at full Speed ; let your Stop be fol- low'd by three Curvets; let the Demi- volte conlifl: of the fame Number, and demand of him three more before he fets. off again. — It is ufual to make nine Curvets when you work. a Horfe alone and by himfelf.. The furious or violent Paffades, are when a Horfe gal- lops at his utmoft Speed ftrait forward, and makes his, half Stop, bending and playing his Haunches two or three times, before he begins his Deir.i-volte, which is made uponi no ANEW SYSTEM upon one Line, in three Times ; for at the third Time he ftiould finifli the Demi- volte, and be ftrait upon the Line of the Paflade, in order to go off again and continue it. This fort of Paffades was heretofore ufed in private Combats, and altliough it may appear that the Time that is employed in making the half Stop is loft, and only hinders you from gaining the Croupe of the Enemy ; yet the half Stop is indifpenfably necefiary, for unlefs a Horfe is balanced upon his Haunches, and they bend and play under him, he could never make his Demi-volte, vt^ithout being in danger of Falling. C H A P. OF HORSEMANSHIP. m CHAP. XVI. Of Pefades. ^ I ^ H E Pefade takes its Name from the Motion of the A Horfe, which, in this Adion, leans and lays all the Weight of his Body upon his Haunches. — To be perfed:, the Hind-feet which fupport the whole ought to be fix'd and immoveable, and the Fore-part of the Horfe more or lefs rais'd, according as the Creature will allow, but tlic Fore -legs, from the Knee to the Feet, mufl always be extremely bent and brought under him. The Property of the Pefade is to difpofe and prepare a Horfe for all forts of Manages ; for it is the Foundation of all the Airs : Great Caution, however, mud be had not to teach your Horfe to rife up or ftand upon his Haiinchcs,^ which is making a Pefade^ il he is not quite exact and obedient to the Hand and Heel ; for in this Cafe you would throw him into great Difordcr, fpoil his Mouth, and fal- sify the Apuy, would teach him to make Points^ as they are called, and even make him become rejiive ; inafmuch as the generality of Horfcs only rife up to refift their Rider, and becaufe they will neither go forward nor turn.. Your Horfe then being fo far advanced as to be fit to be tried and exercifcd in the Pefade, work him upon the Walk^ the Trot, and Gallop • ftop him in the Hand, keep him -? firm ,t 12 A N E V/ S Y S T E M firm and moderately together ; aid with the Tongue, the Switch, and your Legs ; the Moment you perceive he com- prehends what it is you would have him to do, though never fo little, encourage and carefs him. — If in the Beginning of this Lefibn you were to ufe Force or Rigour, he would confider the Stridnefs of your Hand, and the Aids of the Le^Ts, as a Punifhment, and it would difcourage him. It is therefore proper to work gently and by degrees ; when- ever then he makes an Attempt to rife, carefs him ; make him go forwards, try to make him rife a fecond time, either more or lefs, and ufe him by degrees to rife higher and higher ; you will find that he will foon be able to make his Pefades perfed, and to make four, or even more, with Eafe and Readinefs ; fluggifh and heavy Horfes re- quire in the Beginning ftronger and fliarper Aids. There are other Horfes who are apt to rife of themfelveSj without being requir'd to do fo ; drive them forward in order to prevent them. — Some in making the Pefade, don't bend and gather up tlieir Fore-legs, but ftretch them out, paw, and crofs them one over the other in the Air, refem- bling the Adion of a Perfon's Hands who plays upon tlie Spinnet ; to thefe Horfes you muft apply the Switch, ftriking them brifkly upon the Shoulders or Knees. — There are others, who in the Inftant that you endeavour to make them rife, availing themfelves of the Power which they have from being put together^ in order to perform this Adion, throw themfelves forward in hopes of freeing them- •felves from all Subjection ; the only Way to corredt fuch -Vices, is to make the Horfe go backward the fame Length 3 of OF HORSEMANSHIP. 113 of Ground, that he forced and broxke through. — There is another kind of Horfes, who to avoid being put together in order to make a Pefade, as well as to refift the Rider, will fling their Croupe in and ota^ fometimes to one fide, fome- times to the other ; in this Cafe, if you perceive that your Horfe is apt to fling his Croupe more to the Left than to the Right, you muft put him to the Wall, the Wall be- ing on the Left-hand, and there fupport and confine him with your Right-leg, and ei^en pinch him if there fhould be occaflon ; taking care to carry your Hand to the Right, but imperceptibly, and no more than what will juft ferve to fliorten the left Rein. If he throws himfelf to the Right, you muft put him fo as to have the Wall on the Right ; you muft fupport and pinch him with your Left -leg, and fliorten your Right- reir by carrying your Hand to the Left, — I muft however re^ peat it over and over, that in a LeflTon of this kind, ii which a Horfe may find out Methods and Inventions to refif and defend himfelf; I fay, in giving fuch LeflxDus, the Ridei ought to be Mafter of the fureft Judgment and moft con fummate Prudence. Moreover, you fliould take care not to fall into thf Miftake of thofe who imagine that the higher a Horfe rifes, the more he is upon his Haunches. — In the Pefade, the Croupe is pufhed back, and the Horfe bends his Haunches ; but if he rifes too high, he no longer fits upon his Haunches, for from that Moment he becomes ftiff", and ftands ftrait Q^ upon 114 A N E W S Y S T E M upon his Hocks ; and inftead of throwing his Croupe back,, he draws it towards him. Those Sort of Pefades, in which the Horfe rifes too high,, and ftiffcns his Hocks, are call'd Goat-Pejades^ as they re- femble the Adion of that AnimaL The Aids that are to be given in Pefades are derived from thofe ufed to make a Horfe go backward. — Place your Hand- as if you intended to make your Horfe go backward, but clofe your Legs at the fame time, and he will rife. — For this reafon nothing is more abfurd than the Method which fome Horfemen teach their Scholars, who oblige them, in order to make their Horfes rife, to ufe only their Switch ; they muft certainly not know that the Hand confining the Fore- part, and the Rider's Legs driving the Hinder-parts forward, the Horfe is compell'd, whether he will or no, to raife his Shoulders from the Ground, and to throw all the Weight of his Body upon his Haunches, C H A P. OF HORSEMANSHIP. 115 CHAP. XVII. Of the Mezai?'. t 11 ^HE Gallop is the Foundation of the Terre-a-Terre ; JL for in thefe two Motions the Principle of the A6tion. is the fame, fince the Terre-a-Terre is only a fhorten'd Gal- lop, with the Croupe /«, and the Haunches following in a clofe and quick Time. The Mezair is higher than the A6lion of Terre-a-Terre, and lower than that of Curvets', we may therefore con- clude, that the Terre-a-'Terre, is the Foundation of the Mezair, as well as of Curvets. — In the Terre-a-'Terre, the Horfe fhould be more together than in the Gallop, that he may mark his 'Time or Cade7ice more diftindlly ; although in a true Terre-a-Terre^ there are no Times to be mark'd, for it is rather a gliding of the Haunches, which comes from the natural Springs in the Limbs of the Horfe. I HAVE faid, that the Terrc-a -Terre is the Foundation of the Messair ; in effeft, the higher you raife the Fore-parts of the Horfe, the flower and more diftind; his A6lion will be, and by making him beat and mark the Time with his Hind - feet, infcead of gliding them along as in the Terre- a-Te?'re, you put him to the Mezair, or Half-curvets, Q^-2 When ii6 A N E W S Y S T E M When a Horfe works Terre-a~'\terre^ he always oiiglit^ the fame as in the Gallops to lead with the Legs that are within the Volte, his two Fore- feet being in the Air, and the Moment that they are coming down, his two Hind-feet foUowins. 'O* The Adion of the Gallop is always one, two, three, and four ; the 'Terre-a-'Terre conlifts only of two Linos , one, two. — The Adion is like that of Curvets^ except that it is more under the Horfe ; that is, he bends his Haunches more, and moves them quicker and clofer than in Curvets. To work a Horfe Terre-a-'Terre upon large Circles, take care to keep your Body ftrait, fteady and true in the Sad- dle, without leaning to one fide or the other. — Lean upon the outward Stirrup, and keep your outward Leg nearer the Side of the Horfe than the other Leg, taking care to do it fo as not to let it be perceived. — If you go to the Right, keep your Bridle-hand a little on the Outfide of the Horfe's Neck, turning your little Finger up, without turning your Nails at the fame time ; although if need be you mufl: turn them, in order to make the inner Rein work which pafles over the Little-finger. — Keep your Arms and Elbows to your Hips, by this means you will aflure and confine your Hands, which ought to accompany, and, if I may fo fay, run along the Line of the Circle with the Horfe. In the Mezair^ ufe the fame Aids aa in working upon Curvets. — Give the Aids of the Legs with Delicacy, and no ftronger than is juft neceffary to carry your Horfe forward. — Remember OF HORSEMANSHIP. 117 Remember when you clofe your Legs to make him go forward, to prefs with the Outward in fuch a degree as to keep your Horfe confin'd ; and to affift the other in driving him forward ; it is not neceffary to lay fo much Strefs on the inner Leg, becaufe that ferves only to guide the Horfe, and make him cover and embrace the Ground that lays before him. CHAP. XVIIL Of Curvets. OF all the high Airs, Curvets are the leaft violent, and? confequently the moft eafy to the Horfe, inafmuch as. they require nothing of the Horfe but what he has done before.. In reality, to make him ftop readily and juftly, he has been taught to take a good and true Apuy ; in order to make him rife, he has been put together , and fiipported firm upon, his Haunches^ to make him advance, to make him go back- ward, and to make him ftop, he has been made acquainted with the Aids of the Heels and Hands ; fo that in order to execute Curvets, nothing remains for him to do, but to learn and comprehend the Meafure and Time of the Air. Curvets are derived and drawn out of thePefades. — We have already faid that Pefades ought to be made llowly, very high before, and accompanied a little by the Haunches. Cur- vets ii8 A NEW SYSTEM V€ts are lower before, the Horfe muft advance, his Haunches muft follow clofer, and beat or mark a quicker I'ijne ; the Haunches mufi; be bent, his Hocks be firm, his two Hind-feet advance equally at every Time, and their Aftion muft be fhort quick, juft, and in exad Meafure and Pro- portion. This Adion, when fuited to the Strength and Difpofition of the Horfe, is not only beautiful in itfelf, but even necef- fary to fix and place his Head ; becaufe this Air is, or ought to be founded, upon the true Apuy of his Mouth. It like- wife lightens the Fore- part ; for as it can't be perform'd un* lefs the Horfe collects his Strength upon his Haunches, it muft of confequence take the Weight off from the Shoulders. It is well known, that in working upon every Air, the Strength, the Vigour, and the Difpofition of the Horfe fhould be confider'd ; the Importance oi this Attention to thefe Qualities is fufficientiy acknowledged ; and it is granted and allowed, that Art ferves, and can ferve, to no other end than to improve and make Nature pcrfed:. — Now it will be eafy to difcover to what Air a Horfe fhould be deftin'd, and to what he is moft difpos'd and capable of executing, by feeing his Adlions, and by the greater or lefs Degree of Pains which will be requifite to fupple him. When you defign a Horfe for the Curvets, take care to chufe one, which, befides having the neceftary Difpofi.tion to that Ma- nage, v/ill have likewife Patience enough in his Temper to perform them well. — A natural Difpofition alone will not fuftice ; there are Horfes who Vvdll prefent themfelves to them, OF HORSEMANSHIP. 119 them, but being by Nature impatient of all Reftraint, from the Moment that they feel any Pain or Difficulty in furnifli- ing what you afk of them, they will difobey and deceive you in the very Inftant that you thought them gain'd. — It requires much Skill to know how to begin with fuch Horfes, and to confirm them in their Bufinefs. — Take it for a cer- tain Truth, that you will never fucceed, if your Horfe is not perfedly obedient to the Hand and Heel ; if he is not fupple, and able to work upon one Line or Path, with Free- / dom and Eafe ; and if he is not likewife very well feated upon his Haunches in his T'erre-a-'Terre^ which he ought to be able to execute perfeftly well., Curvets are improper, and never fucceed with Horfes which have bad Feet, or any Weaknefs or Complaint in their Hocks, whatever Powers and Qualifications they may other- wife have. — They are likewife apt to encourage a Horfc that i? ramhigue in his Vice, and are capable of teaching one which is not fo by Nature, to become ran2mgue^ ii he is not aciju fl- ed and brought to this Air with great Prudence, Indeed,. Impatience and Fretfulnefs often make a Horfe defperate when put to this Manage ; and not being able to endure tlie Corredion, nor comprehend the Aids, he betakes himfclf to all forts of Defences, as well as that being confounded through Fear, he is bewilder'd, and becomes abject and jadidi. — It is almofl: impofTible to fay wliich of thefe Imperfections are the moft difficult t6 be cured.— Before you put a Horfe to make Curvets^ he ought to work Terre-a-Terre ; and if he can: do this, he ought to be able to change Hands upon c?i2 and two Lines ^ to go ofr readily, and to make a good Stop. After.- 'J this I20 A NEW SYSTEM this he fliould be able to make Pefades eafily, and fo high before as to be held and fupported in the Hand, and al- ways make them upon a ftrait Line at firft, and not on a Circle. — After this afk of him two or three Cwvets ; let him go then two or three Steps, then make two or three Curvets ; and fo alternately. — If you find that your Horfe is well in the Hand, and that he advances regularly, is pa- tient, and don't break his Line, but keeps even upon it, he will drefs very eafily, and foon ; if he prefies forward too much, make him curvet in the fame Place, and make him often go backward. — After he has thus made two or three, demand then more of him, afterwards make him go back- ward, and fo fucce (lively. One fees but {^w Horfes which in making Curvets, plant thcmfelves well upon their Haunches and Hocks, at leaft that are not apt to hang back, and who beat and mark equally and fmartly the Meafure of the Air, and keep their Heads true and fteady ; for this Reafon the firft LefTons fhould be flow and gentle, making your Horfe rife very high before, becaufe the longer time the Horfe is in the Air, the eafier it will be to him to adjuft himfclf upon his Haunches, and to aflure his Head, and bend or gather up his Fore- legs ; on the contrary, if he don't rife high before, he only beats and throws about the Duft, and fhuffles his Legs, and can never affemble the different Parts of his Body and be united, as he ought to be in this Manage. When a Horfe in his firft Curvets makes of himfelf his Beats, or Times, diligent and quick, it is to be fear'd that 3 this OF HORSEMANSHIP. 121 this is only owing to Fire and Impatience ; in this Cafe there will be reafon to fufpedt, that he has not Strength fufficient for this Manage, that he will foon do nothing but fhuffle and throw about his Legs without riling as he ought, or elfe that he will become entier ; but if he rifes freely and fufficiently high, without being in a hurry, or ftiffening himfelf, and bends his Hocks, it will then be very eafy to fhorten, re- duce, and adjuft the Meafure of his Air, and to make it per- fedl in proportion to his Refolution, his Strength, and Ac- tivity. — If when you are going to raife him, he rifes fuddenly of himfelf, confider whether this hafty Adlion be not a Proof likewife of what I have jufi: now told you. The Beauty and Perfedlion of the fine Airs when neatly executed, and their Time jufl: and true, don't confift fo much in the Diligence and Quicknefs with which the Horfe brings his Hind-feet to the Ground and makes his Beats ; for W. that were the Proof, the Horfe would not have fufficient Time to raife his Fore- part, and to gather his Fore-legs under him ; but the true Meafure, and the Harmony of his "Tiine^ is when the Hind-feet follow fmoothly, and anfwcr immediately to the Fore-feet, and that thefe rife again in the Inftant that the others touch the Ground. To teach a Horfe to hmt his Curvets neatly, and in an equal 'Tiine and Meafure, take care to keep him in a good and juft Apuy ; keep yourfelf ftrait and well flretch'd down in the Saddle, but without any Stiffiiefs, preferving always a certain Eafe and Freedom, wliich is the Charaderiftic of an Horfeman : let your Hand be about three Fingers Breadth R above 122 ANEWSYSTEM above the Pommel of the Saddle, and a little forward or ad- vanced, keeping your Nails up, and be diligent and readj to raife your Horfe ; when you do this, put your Body a little forward, but fo as not to let it be perceived : above all put no Strefs in your Legs, but let them be eafy and loofe, they will catch the Titne of themfelves better than you can give it. I am now fpeaking of an high-dreft and per- izdi Horfe, who works with the greatefh Exa6lnefs ; for if he was to break the Line, to throw himfelf from one Side to the other, refufe to advance, or not to lift his Legs, you would then be obliged to give tlie Aids in proportion to his Underftanding and Feeling. It is not requifite that a Horfe fhould be abfolutely perfedl in Curvets ftrait forward, before you put him to make them upon Voltes. By being accuftom'd to make them ftrait for- ward, when he is put to do them differently, he would feel a frefli Conftraint ; in this Cafe he might break and perplex his Air in the Adion of turning, he would falfify the Volte^ and perhaps fall into many Diforders ; it is therefore right, as foon as he is grounded a little in Curvets ftrait forwardsj to begin to teach, him the Time and the Proportions of the Volte. Walk him then upon a Volte that is fufficiently large, and exactly round, taking care that he walks neither too flow nor too faft, and making him bring i?! his Head to the Volte^ fo that he may acquire a Habit of looking always into the Volte^ without letting his Hind-feet however go off the Line of his Fore-feet, Having OF HORSEMANSHIP. 123 Having thus taught him in the Walk to both Hands the Space or Ground of the Volte^ let him make three Pefades, then three more, and let him make them with Patience and lightly, but without flopping. Trot him then upon the Volte, flop him without letting him rife, carefs him, and begin with him again to the other Hand, and repeat the fame. — When he begins to underftand this LefTon, let him make two Pefades together, then let him walk as before ; obferve thefe Rules and this Method, without hurrying or prefTmg him ; increafe by degrees by the Number of Pefades, and let him walk lefs as he begins to work with more Eafe ; by thefe means he will foon be brought to furnifli an entire V-olte. When your Horfe is fo far advanced as to work upon the large Voltes in this flow Manner, begin then by degrees to contract his Compafs of Ground, and the Meafure of the Pefades, till the Volte and the Air are reduced to their exadt Proportion ; preventing him by Aids and Corredion from putting his Croupe out, or bringing it too much withifi the Volte, and taking care that he makes no wrong or aukward Adion with his Head. It is impofTiblc that a Horfe fhould furnifli his Air high, without fliortening and contrading his Body a good deal be- yond his natural Pollure or Make ; becaufe the Adion ot itfelt is contraded and fupported on the Plaunches, in fuch a manner that the Hind-feet muft of neceility advance, and widen the Line which they made in the Walk : or elfe the Fore-feet muft go back, and keep up the Line and Roundnefs R 2 of 124- A N E V/ S Y S T E M of the Volte ; or elfe that the Hind or Fore-feet keeping an equal Proportion, and anfwering each to each fhorten it equally. — Thefe different Effeds are very effential and v^'orth remarking. — The firfl: Aid to be given fhould be witli the Legs, in order to make the Horfe's Fore-feet keep thro' this high Air the Line of the Volte^ which he had mark'd out before in the Walk. If he goes large, or quits the Line, or abandons himfelf upon his Shoulders, or upon the Hand, tiffe firft Aid then fliould come from the Fland ; this by confining will operate fo as to raife him, and the Hind-feet will come upon the Line defcrib'd in the Paffage ; laftly, if the Horfe is obedient, the Rider will be able to unite him both behind and before, by the ufual Aids of the Hand and Heel adins; too;ether. When a Horfe walks or trots upon the Volte^ he is fup- ported in his Adion by one of his Fore and one of his Hind- feet, which are both upon the Ground together, while the other two are in the Air ; fo that according to this Method the Line of the Fore-feet, and that of the hind, are made at the fame time; but when he raifes his Air and advances upon the Volte^ all his Actions are changed ; for then the two Fore-feet are lifted up the firft, and while they are com- ing down, he lifts the two Hind-feet from the Ground to- gether, to finifli and continue the Beats or 'Tijne of his Air. The Fore-feet being more advanced than the hind, muft neceffarily come down firft, and confequcntly the Horfe can never be upon ftrait Lines croffing each other, as he is when he walks or trots upon the Volte. Moreover, in a high Air the Horfe does not only fhorten and contrad his whole Ac- tion : OF HORSEMANSHIP. 125 tion ; but the better to ftrengthen and afllft the Attitude in which he fupports and goes through his Air, he opens and widens his Hind-feet, keeping them at leaft twice the Di- ftance one from the other, that he did when he only walk'd or trotted upon the Folte^ and by confequence defcribes dif- ferent Lines. — There are three Adions, and three Motions, ftill to be coniider'd in making Curvets. Thefe arc, to raife him, to fupport him while he is in the Air, and to make him go forwards. — To raife him, is to lift him up as it were by the Adion of the Hand, and put him upon an high Air ; to fupport, is to hinder him from bringing his Fore-part too foon to the Ground ; and carrying him forward, is to raife,. fupport, and go forward at the fame time, while the Horfa; is off the Ground. To make a Horfe go in Curvets fideways, aid only with-. the Hand, keeping his Head to the Wall. For inftance, to- the Right, aid him chiefly with the outward Rein ; that is to fay, turn your Hand to the Right, for then the Left- lein, which Is the outward Rein, will be fhorten'd and ope- rate upon the Shoulders fo as to work them. — li they go too much, ufe your inner Rein, carrying your Hand out^ and In fuch a manner that the Shoulders may go before the Croupe. — Let him make three Curvets fideways, pafTage him after- wards, always fideways ; then let him make the fame Num- ber of Curvets fideways, and obliquely, again, and begin by little and little to dlmlniui his Pajfage^ and augment the Curvets^ till he Is able to furnlfli without Inter'/als an entire Volte of two Lines. The fame Method muft be followed in working to the Left, as has been prefcribed for the Right. 3 Curvets: 126 A NEW SYSTEM Cu7'vets made backward are more fatiguing, and more apt to make a Horfe rebel, than Curvets ftrait forward upon the Voltes^ Demi-voltes^ or Jidcways. — To teach him to make them backwards, you muft make him go backward ; afterwards put him to make three or four Curvets in the fime Place, that is, without advancing. — Then make him go forward again, let him make the fame Number again ; ■and fo fucceffively till he makes them readily and without Afliflance. • By Habit he will expedl to be made to go backward im- mediately after the Lift Curvet : now, the Moment he has made one in the fame Place, when he is making the fecond, feize the Moment juft as he is coming down, and pull him back, marking a Time with your Hand, juft as you would pull to make a Plorfe go backward which refifted the Hand ; and this Time of the Hand being made, eafe it immediately. In this Manner continue the 'Cu?'vets, pulling more or lefs, according as he obeys or reftfts ; obferving to lefTen the Times of pulHng him back, and to increafe the Number of the Curvets backwards. — If he drags his Haunches, that is, if the Hind-feet don't go together, but one after the other, pinch him with both Spurs ; but you muft put them very back, applying them with great DeHcacy, and taking care that he be in the Hand when he comes down. — If with all this he continues difu7tited^ aid on the Croupe with the Switch, turning the bigger End of it in your Hand ; and this will make him work and keep his Titm or Beats very ..exadly. . To OF HORSEMANSHIP. 127 To go backwards in Curvets^ aid with the outward Rein, you will confine the Fore-part, and widen the Hind-lefrs, which ought to be at liberty, bccaufe it is with them that lie leads. They are follow'd by the Fore- parts, which fliould keep the fame Ground or Tra(5t. — You muft keep your Hand low, that the Horfe may not go too high. — Let your Body be a little forward to give the greater Liberty to the Hind- legs, which are thofe that lead ; and don't aid with your Legs, unlefs he drags his Haunches. — If the Horfe does not unite of his own accord, you mufl catch the 7/W with your Bridle-hand, as the Horfe is coming to the Ground ; in that Inftant, put your Hand to your Body, and fo pull him back, — Let us now fee how you fliould be placed in thiS Saddle, to make Curvets upon the Voltes. — Let only your- outward Hip and outward Haunch be a little advanc'd ; and remember to loofen always, and relax the Infide of your • Knees, or your Legs from the Knees. When you intend to- change to the Left, let your Hand accompany and corre- fpond with your Right-leg, which is to operate ; when you would change to the Right, let it anfwer to your Left-leg : Having given this Aid, replace yourfelf, ftretch yourfelf down in your Saddle, take away your Legs, one or the- other, forbear to aid, and let the Balance of your Body be- fomewhat on the Indde. Understanding thus, and beino; Mafter of the Aids for working a Horfe in Curvets ftrait forwards, backwards,., fideways, to the Right and Left, you will be able eafily to teach your Horfe to make a Cro.^s, or even dance 3:; tlie. 128 A N E W S Y S T E M the Saraband in this Air ; but this requires as much Juft- nefs and A£livity in the Horfe, as Exadlnefs and DeHcacy in the Rider to be able to give the Aids, and very few Horfes are able to execute all thefe Leffons which I have de- fcribed : the utmofl: Efforts of Art, and the greateft Sup- plenefs that a Horfe can acquire, will be in vain, and un- fuccefsful, if he is not by Nature inclin'd and difpofed to the Manage. That fort of Exercife which hits the Temper, and beft fuits the Strength of a Horfe, will appear grace- ful, and preferve his Health ; while that which is oppo- fite to his Temper and Genius will difhearten him, make him timid and abjed, and plunge him into numberlefs Ails and Vices. CHAP. OF HORSEMANSHIP. 129 CHAP. XIX. Of Croupades and Balotades. THE Croupade is a Leap, in which the Horfe draws up his Hinder-legs as if he meant to (horten and trufs them up under his Belly. The Balotade is likewife a Leap, in which the Horfe fecms as if he intended to kick out, but without doing it ; he only- offers or makes a half Kick, fhewing only the Shoes of his Hind-feet. The Horfes that are deftin'd to thefe Airs ought to have a light and fteady Mouth, and an adlive and lively Difpo- fition, with clean and nervous Strength ; for all the Art and Knowledge of the Horfeman can never confer thefe Quali- ties, which are effentially neceffary to the Perfedion of this Manage. The Croupades and Baioiades are different from Curvets, in- afmuch as that they are much higher behind, and confequently their Time and Meafure not fo quick and clofe, but flower and more extended. Therefore the Rider fhould keep his Horfe's Croupe ready and in awe, by ftriking it from time to time with the Switch, fupporting him not quite fo high be- S fore. I30 A NEW SYSTEM fore, and obferving to aid with his Legs flower, and not fo forward, as in the Curvets. As the Perfection of Curvets, both upon the Voltes and flrait forwards, is owing to the Eafe and Juftnefs of the Pe- fades, the Goodnefs of Croupades and Balotades depends likewife upon the fame Rules. Your Horfe being made Hght before by the means of Pefades and Curvets, begin by mak- ing him rife, as well before as behind, lefs however in the firft Leffons than afterwards ; for you will never bring him to the true Pitch, were you to exhauft all his Strength at once, fmce while he is preft and compeU'd to put forth all his Strength, he will never be able to catch and mark the 7*ime, the Cadence, and the juft Beats of his Air, both behind and before. I HAVE already faid, that the Croupades and the Balota- des are higher than the Curvets, they neverthelefs partake of it • for though a Horfe that makes Balotades, makes the Meafure of each Time as high behind as before, yet he fol- lows the Beat of his Fore-feet with that of his Hind-feet, the fame as in Curvets ; for this Reafon, a Horfe that is intended for the Croupades and Balotades, ought to be more adive, light, and ftrong than one that is to be dreft for Curvets, as he fhould have lefs Strength than one who is put to make Caprioles ftrait forwards, or on Voltes of one Line, and to repeat them in the fame Place. To manage the Strength and Vigour of the Horfe you in- tend to work upon the Voltes in Croupades and Balotades, let the OF HORSEMANSHIP. 131 the Line of the F'olte be larger than for CurvetSy and let the Adion of the Shoulders not be quite fo high ; thus you will not only check and confine his Activity and Light- nefs ; but by railing his Shoulders in a lefs Degree, you will give Liberty to his Croupe, and he will be enabled by this Method to furnilh his Airs all together, that is before and behindy better, and with more Eafe ; there is ftill another Reafon for this, for when the Shoulders come to the Ground from too great a Height, the Shock alarms and diforders the Mouth ; and then the Horfe lofing the Steadinels of his Apuy^ he never will raife his Croupe fo high as he ought, to make perfedl Balotades, S 2 CHAP. 132 A NEW SYSTEM CHAP. XX. Of Caprioles. THERE is no fuch Thing as an univerfal Horfe ; that is, as a Horfe who works equally well upon all Airs, the T'erre-a-Terre^ the Curvets, Mezair, Croupades, BalotadeSy and Caprioles, each Horfe having a particular Difpolition, which inclines to fome certain Air which fuits him beft. A Horfe that is naturally inclin'd to the high Airs, ought to be managed with great Gentlenefs and Pa- tience ; inafmuch as he will be in greater Danger of being difgufted and fpoil'd, as his Difpofition to the high Airs is owing generally to the Gaiety and Sprightlinefs of his Tem- per ', and as fuch Tempers are ufually averfe to Subjedion, Conftraint and Corredion, Rigour and Severity would make ■ him become timid and angry, and then he could not at- tend to and catch the 7'ime, Order, and Meafure of the high Airs ; therefore if you would reduce him to the Juftnefs of the high Airs, and teach him their Harmony and Meafure, you muft not exped to fucceed by any other ways than by giving your Inftru6tions with great Patience and Judgment, and foon or late he will be gain'd. The Feet are the Foundations upon which all the high Airs, if I may ufe the Word, are built. They ought then to be attended to very ftridly ; for if your Horfe has any Pain, Weaknefs, or other Defed in his Feet, he will be fo much OF HORSEMANSHIP. 133 much the more improper to leap, as the Pain which he mufl feel when he comes to the Ground, would fhoot quite to his Brain. Asa Proof of this, when a Horfe whofe Feet are bad or tender trots upon the Stones, or hard Ground, you will fee him fliut his Eyes, drop his Head at each Step, and fhake his Tail from very Pain. The Capriole is the moft violent of the high Airs. To make it perfedl, the Horfe is to raife his Fore-parts and his Hinder to an equal Height ; and when he ftrikes out be- hind, his Croupe fhould be upon a Level with his Withers, In rifing and in coming down his Head and Mouth fhould be quite fteady and firm, and he fhould prefent his Forehead quite ftrait. — When he rifes, his Fore-legs fhould be bent under him a good deal, and equally. When he ftrikes out with his Hind-legs, he ought to do it nervoufly, and with all his Force ; and his two Feet fliould be even, of an equal Fleight^. and their Adion the fame when he ftrikes out :, laftly, the Horfe fhould at every Leap fall a Foot and a half, or the Space of two Feet diftance from the Spot from which he rofe. — I don't affert, that in order to make Caprioles a Horfe muft neceflarily pafs through Curvets and Baioiades ; for there are Horfes who are naturally more light and adive in their Loins than ftrong, and who are brought to leap with more Difficulty, than to the other Airs in which their Strength muft be much more united, and their Difpofition attended to ; but yet it is certain, that if the Horfe is brought to rife by Degrees^, and is work'd in the intermediate Airs, before he undertakes the 3> CaprioleSy, 134- A NEW SYSTEM Caprioksy he will not weaken and ftrain himfelf fo much, and will be fooner confirm'd in his LefTon than one who begins at once with the Caprioles. Having thus explain'd to Demonftration the Motions of a Horfe^ when he makes a perfect Capriole, you may hence gather that they have an Effed diredlly oppofite to that of Curvets and Pefades. — Thefe two Airs are proper to afTure the Head of the Horfe, and to make it light, and this by fo much the more as the principal Adion depends upon the Haunches, and a moderate yipiiy of the Mouth ; but Ca- prioles are apt to give too great an Apiiy, becaufe the Horfe when he makes the ftrongeft Adlion of his Air, that is, when he flrikes out as he is coming to the Ground, is en- tirely fupported by the Hand ; therefore before he is put to leap, he ought to have a perfeft Apuy, and his Shoulders fliould at leaft be fuppled and lighten'd by having made Pe- fades ; and he fhould be without Fear, Anger, or any kind of Uneafinefs, becaufe, as I have already faid, by leaping he learns to know his own Strength and Power ; and he may put it to bad Purpofes to free himfelf from Obedierice, and indulge his Caprice and Ill-humour. Some Horfes have a DifpoHtion to this Air, and fufficient Strength to go through it ; yet have their Mouth fo delicate, fenfible, and averfe to the Hand, that you can't fupport them without hindering them from advancing ; hence it follov/s that their Adion before is cold and flow, and never fufficiently high, and they can't be carried forward when they raife their Croupe and flrike out ; and it is impoiTible to keep them firm as they come down. To remedy this, begin their LefTon upon the Trot. OF HORSEMANSHIP. 135 Trot, and prefs them in it fo fmartly as to make them often go into the Gallop ; obferve a Medium however in order to fave their Strength and Vigour, that they may furnilli as many Leaps as is requifite to the Perfedion of the Air. Do the fame with a Horfe that has too much Strength, and who retains and avails himfelf it, fo as not to make his Leaps freely and readily ; by this means you will abate his fuper- fluous Vigour, which ferves only to difunite and make hi^^•. troublefome. It is ufual to fupple a Horfe that is light in the Hand by means of the Trot, before you teach him to leap : but a con- trary Method muft be obferved with thofe which are heavy and clumfey, or that are heavy in the Hand. Gallop and trot them, and when they are made obedient and dreft to the., Caprioles^ their Apuy in leaping will grow by degrees lighter and more temperate. The Exercife of the Trot and Gallop- will take away all Fear of the Aids and Corredlions, and the Day following they will prefent themfelves more freely and. willingly. With refpeft to the Horfe who pulls or wants to force the Hand, don't try to correal him by making him go- backward, becaufe by woiking upon his Bars too much with: the Bit, you would make them become hard and infenfible ;, but compel him to make fome Caprioles with his Face to> the Wall, and keep him up to it clofer or further off, as you find him heavy, or endeavouring to force the Hand ;, by thefe Methods you w^ill conftrain him to fhorten his Leaps,, and give more Attention to his Bufinefs. If he abandons, himfelf, or bears too hard upon the Hand, hold him firm: at the End of his Leap j and in the Inftant that his Feet are 3. coming:; 136 A N E W S Y S T E M coming to the Ground, yield it immediately to him, and he will abandon himfelf much lefs upon the Bit. — If he retains himfelf, and hangs back, ealing your Hand to him alone will not be fufficient ; but to make him advance you muft pufh him up to his Bit, by aiding him brifkly and in %ms with your Legs. To drefs a Horfe to the Caprioles, the Pillars may be em- ploy'd, or they may be difpens'd with : let us explain the Rules we fhould follow with refpedt to both thefe Methods. It is certain that the Pillars are of ufe in putting a Horfe to this Air. — Tie him to them, make him keep up to his Bit properly, or what is call'd jill up the Cords, and endea- vour by little and little to make him rife before, taking care to make him bend his Knees, and gather up his Legs as much as you poffibly can. For this purpofe ufe your Switch brifkly ; for if you can teach him to bend his Legs well, his Manage v/ill be infinitely more beautiful ; as well as that he will be much lighter in the Hand. Having thus gain'd the Fore-part, put him in the Pillars again, making the Cords fomewhat fhorter in order to make him raife his Croupe from the Ground, and yerk out equally at the fame time with both his Hind-legs, which you muft teach him to do, by attacking and ftriking him upon the Croupe with the Switch or Chambriere. When he is fo far advanced as to rife before, and lafh out behind, it will be proper to teach him to unite thefe two OFHORSEMANSHIP. i3^ two Times, and perform them together. — Let him then be mounted, and always in the Pillars ; let the Rider fiipport him in the Hand, and try to make him make one or two Leaps, without hanging upon the Cords of the Cavefon, ia order that he may learn to take a juft Apuy, and to feel it. As foon as he begins to know and obey the Hand, he fliould be aided gently with the Calves of the Legs, fhould be fup- ported, and you fhould pinch him delicately and finely with both Spurs. If he anfwers once or twice to thefe Aids, with- out loiing his Temper, or being angry, you will have great Reafon to expert that he will foon furnifli his Leaps equallj and juftly with refpedl to the Hand and Heel. Having brought him thus far between the Pillars, walk him ftrait forward for a certain Space, and if he don't offer to rife of himfelf, try to make him. If he himfelf takes the right Time, leize the Moment, avail yourfelf of it, and make him make two or three Caprioles, or one or two, ac- cording as you judge it neceffary ; by letting him walk thus calmly and quietly, in a fhort time he will of him- felf begin to make Caprioles ftrait forward ; but in cafe he fliould difcover any Signs of Reiiftance to the Hand or Heel, or the other Aids, immediately have recourfe to the Cavefon and Pillars. This is in fhort the Method of adjufting and drefling a Horfe for Caprioles by the means of the Pillars. — A Me- thod extremely dangerous in itfelf, and capable of fpoiling and making a Horfe become defperate and ungovernable, if T it 138 A N E W S Y S T E M it is not pradifed by Perfons of the moft confummate Skill and Experience. The Method which I prefer is indeed more difficult and painful to the Horfe, but more perfed and fure. The Horfe having been well exercifed in Pefades, walk him ftrait forward, keeping him together, and fupporting him fo as to hold and keep him in the Hand, but not to fuch a degree as to ftop him entirely. After this ftrike him gently with the End of the Switch upon his Croupe and Buttocks, and continue to do it till he lifts up his Croupe, and kicks. — You fhould then carcfs him, and let him walk fome Steps, and then attack him again, not minding to make him rife before, nor hindering him from it, if he offers fo to do. Remember to encourage and coax him every time that he anfwers to the Aids, and obeys. — Being thus acquainted with the Aid of the Switch, put him to make Ptfades of a moderate Height ftrait forward, and at the fecond or third, attack him behind with your Switch to make him lafh out. If he obeys, make him rife before again in the Minute that his Hind -legs come to the Ground, in order to make him furnifh two or three more Pefades, to work his Haunches. After this coax and carefs him without letting him ftir from the Place, if his ylpuy be firm and good ; and in cafe it is hard, make him go backward, or if it is light and juft, let- ting him advance quietly and llowly. To enable him to make his Leaps juft, and to know the exad Time of making them, you fhould no longer regard what OF HORSEMANSHIP. 139 what Number of Pefades he makes before or after his Leap, but in the Moment that you feel him ready and prepared, and whilft he is in the Pefade, aid him brifkly behind, letting him in the Beginning not rife fo high before, when you intend he ihould yerk out behind, as you would were he only to make a Pejade^ that fo his Croupe may be more at liberty, and. he may yerk out with greater Eafe ; in proportion as hii Croupe becomes light and aftive, you may raife his Fore- parts higher and higher, and fupport him while in the Air, till he makes his Leaps true and in juft Proportion. When you have fufficiently pradifed thefe Leffons, you may retrench by degrees the Number of the Pefades which feparated and divided the Leaps. You may demand now of him two Leaps together ; from thefe you may come, with Patience and Difcretion, to three, from three to four Leaps J and laftly, to as many as he can furnifh in the fame Air, and with equal Strength. Remember always to make him finifli upon his Haunches, it is the only fure way to prevent all the Diforders a Horfc may be guilty of from Impatience and Fear. There are fome Horfes who will leap very high, and with great Agility ftrait forwards, which when put to leap upon the Voltes^ lofe all their natural Grace and Beauty ; the Reafon is, that they fail for Want of Strength, and are not equal to" the Taik, in which all their Motions are forced and conftrain'd. T 2 If j,40 • A N E W S Y S T E M If ypu find a HorCb who has a good and firm Afuy, and who. \^ Strength, fufficient to furnifla. this Air upon tJi^ Voltes- \ begin with him by making him know the Space ajQbd Roundae^ of the. Volte to each Hand ; let him walk round it in a flow and diil-inftft Pace, keeping his Croupe ¥ery much prefb-'d and confin'd upon the Line of the Vokey which ought to be much larger for this Air than for Crotc- packs and Bcdotades. This being done, make him rife, and Ijet him. make one or two Caprioles^ foUow'd by as many Pefades ; then- walk on two ox three Steps upon the fame Line ; then raife him again, fupporting him more and more, and keeping him even on the Line of the VoJtCy fo that it may be exadly roundj and co^i|H^n^ hi§; Croupe with your out- ward Leg. If this Leiipn be given with Judgment, your Horfe will foon make all the Volte, in the fame Air ; and to make him furnifh a fecond^ as foon as he has clofed and finifli'd the firft, raife him again, and without letting him flop get from him as many as you can, working him always upon this Volte ^ in which he walks and leaps alternatively, till he clofes and ^nds it with the fame Vigour and Refolution as he did the fiift. Aid always with the outward Rein, either upon the VolteSy or when you leap flrait forwards, you will narrow and confine the Fore-parts, and enlarge the Hind-parts, by which means- the Croupe will not be prefs'd, but free and unconftrain'd. I OF H O R S £: M A N S Fr I P. i4r I WILL enlarge no further upon his Chapter ; for what regards the making Caprioles upon the Voltes^ you may look back to what has been already faid on tlie Subjed: of Cur- vets : remember that the fureft way to fucceed, when you undertake to drefs a Horfe to Caprioles^ is to arm yourfelf with a Patience that nothing can fubdue or fhake ; and to prefer for this purpofe fuch Horfes as have a Difpofition, are adlive, light, and have a clean finev/y Strength, to fuch as are endowed with greater Strength and Force ; for thefe lafl: never leap regularly, and are fit for nothing but to break, their Riders Backs, and make them fpit Blood, by their ir- regular, violent, and unexpeded Motions. CH AP^ 142 A N E W S Y S T E M CHAP. XXI. Of the Step and Leap. THE Step and Leap is compofed of three Airs ; of the Step, which is the A6tion of the lerre-a-lerre ; the rifing before, which is a Curvet ; and the Leap, which is a Capriole. This Manage is infinitely lefs painful to a Horfe than that of the Capriole ; for when you drefs a Horfe to the Capriole, he will of himfelf take this Air for his Eafe and Relief; and in time thofe Horfes, which have been dreft to the Caprioles, will execute only Balotades and Croupades, unlefs particular Care is taken to make them yerk out. It is this likewife, which, next to running a brifk Courfe, enlivens and animates a Horfe mofl:. — To reduce a Horfe to the Juftnefs of this Air, you muft begin by emboldening and making him lofe all fear of Correction ; teaching him to keep his Head fteady, and in a proper Place ; lightening his Fore-parts, by putting him to make Pefades ; teaching him to know the Aids of the Switch, the fame as in the LefTon of the Caprioles ; and by giving him a firm and good ylpuy, full in the Hand ^ though it is certain, that the Step contributes to give him this Apuy, inafmuch as that it puts him in the Hand ; befides that it gives him Strength and Agility to leap, juft as we ourfelves leap with a quicker Spring OF HORSEMANSHIP. i^^ Spring while running, than if we were to ftand quite ftill and leap ; therefore moft old Horfes generally fall into thia Air. When your Horfe is fufliciently knowing in thefe feverat^ Particulars, teach him to rife, and fupport or hold him in the Air ; then let him make four Pefades^ and afterwards let him walk four or five Steps flow and equal ; if he forces- the Hand, or retains himfelf too much, he fhould be made to trot thefe four or five Steps rather than walk ; after this make him rife again, and continue this Leflbn for foma Days. When he is fo far advanced as to comprehend and under* ftand this fufficiently, begin by putting him to make a Pc~ faddj demand then a Leap, and fijiifh by letting him make two Pefadei together. There are two things to be obferv'd,. which are very effential in this LelTon ; one, that when he is to make the Leap he lliould not rife fo high before as when he makes Pefades only, that fo he may yerk out with greater Eafe and Liberty ; the other Caution is always to make your la ft Pefade longer and higher than the other, in order to prevent your Horfe from making any irregular Mo- tions by fhuffling about his Legs, if he fhould be angry and impatient, as well as to keep him in a more exact Obedience ; and to make him light, if he is naturally heavy and loaded in hisr Fore-parts, or apt to lean too much upon the Hand. Again, reduce the fourth Pefade into a Leap, as you did the firft j liien make two P^«f'44- ^ NEW SYSTEM this let him walk, quietly four or five Steps, that he may make again the fame Number of Pefades^ and in the fame Order. In proportion as the Horfe begins to underftand, and is able to execute thefe Leflons, vou fliould augrment likewife the Leaps one by one, without hurrying or chang- ing the Order, making alv/ays between the Leaps a fingle Pe- Jade^ but lower than thofe in the firft Leffon ; and then two more again after the laft Leap, fufficiently high. By degrees the Horfe will grow active and light in his Hind-parts, you mufi: raife him then higher before, and fupport him longer in the Air, in order to make him form the Leaps perfect, by means of prudent and judicious Rules, often pradifed and repeated. If your Horfe forces the Hand, or prefTes forward more than you would have him, either from Heavi- nefs of Make, or from having too much Fir^ in his Tem- per .; in this cafe you fhould oblige him to make the Pefades in the fame Place, without ftirring from it ; and inftead of letting him advance four or five Steps, you fhould make him go backwards as many. This Corre6lion will cure him of the Habit of prefiing forward, and forcing the Hand. Upon this Occafion likewife you fhould ufe a Hand-fpur to prick Kis Croupe, inftead of a Switch. To make this Air juft and perfecSt, it is neceiTary that the Adlion of the Leap be finifh'd as in the Caprioles, ex- cept that it ought to be more extended, and the Pefade which is made between the two Leaps fhould be changed into a Time of a quick and fhort Gallop ; that is, the two Hind- feet ought to follow the Fore-feet, together in a quick Time aod brifkly, as in Curvets in the Mezair ; but in this the 3 Horfe OF HORSEMANSHIP. 145 Horfe fhould advance more, not be fo much together^ nor rife fo high. The Perfedion of this lime of the Gallop depends upon the Juftnefs of the Horfeman's Motions. — They ought to be infinitely more exadl in this Leffon, than in the Caprioles^ or any other Airs, which are performed ftrait forward. In reality, if the Horfeman is too flow, and don't catch the exadl Time which parts the two Leaps, the Leap which follows will be without any Spring or Vigour, becaufe the Animal fo reftrain'd and held back, can never extend him- felf, or put forth his Strength ; if he don't fupport and raife his Shoulders fufficiently high, the Croupe will then be higher than it ought to be ; and this Diiproportion will force the Horfe to tofs up his Nofe, or make fome other bad Motion with his Head as he is coming to the Ground in his Leap ; or elfe it will happen that the fucceeding Time will be fo precipitate, that the next Leap will be falfe and imperfed, as the Horfe will not be fufficiently united, but will be too heavy and lean upon the Hand. — If he is not to- gether, the Leap will be too much extended, and confe- quently weak and loofe, bccaufe the Horfe will not be able to colledl his Strength, in order to make it equal to the firft. Learn then in a i^vj Words what fhould be the Horfe- man's Seat, and what Anions he fhould ufe in this LefTon. U He 1+6 A NEW SYS T E M ■He fKould never force, alter, or lofe tlie true ^puj^ cither in raifing, fupporting, holding in, or driving forward his Horfe. — His Head fliould be not only firm and fteady, but it is indifpenfably neceflary that his Seat iliould be cxadlly ftrait and juft ; for fmce the Arm is an Appendix of the Body, it is certani that if the Motions of the Horfe fhake or diforder the Body of the Rider, the Bridle-hand muft inevitably be fhook, and confequently the true Apuy deftroy'd.. In this Attitude then approach the Calves of your Legs, fupport and hold your Horfe up with your Hand, and when the Fore-part is at its due Height, aid with the Switch upon . the Croupe. If your Horfe rifes before, keep your Body ftrait and firm ; if he lifts or tofles up his Croupe, or yerks out, fling your Shoulders back without turning your Head to one fide or the other, continuing the Adion of the Hand that holds the Switch. Remember that all the Motions of your Body fhould be fo neat and fine as to be imperceptible ; as to what is the mofb graceful Adtion for the Switch-hand, that over the Shoulder is thought the beft ; but then this Shoulder muft not be more back than the other ; and care muft be taken that the Motion be quick and neat, and that the Horfe do not fee it fo plainly as to be alarm'd. I HAVE faid, that when the Horfe made his Leaps too k?ig and extended^ you fliould then aid with your Hand- 3 fpuf; OF H O R S E M A N S FI I P, 147 fpur ; and for this Reafon, becaufe the Hand-fpur will make the Horfe raife his Croupe without advancing, as the Effedt of the Switch will be to raife the Croupe, and drive the Horfe forward at the fame time ; it fhould therefore be ufed to fuch. Horfes as retain themfelves. Remember that you fhould never be extreme with your Horfe, and work him beyond his Strength and Ability ; in- deed one fhould never afk of a Horfe above half of what he can do ; for if you work him till he grows languid and tired, and his Strength and Wind fail him, you will be com- pell'd to give your Aids roughly and openly j and when that happens, neither the Rider or the Horfe can appear witL Brilliancy and Grace. THE END. .^. - \ 1 \ ^ ^ < I ■..^ ■ p