Part 10

TO make this Air just and perfect, it is necessary that the Action of the Leap be finish'd as in the _Caprioles_, except that it ought to be more _extended_, and the _Pesade_ which is made between the two Leaps should be changed into a _Time_ of a quick and short Gallop; that is, the two Hind-feet ought to follow the Fore-feet, together in a quick Time and briskly, as in _Curvets_ in the _Mezair_; but in this the Horse should advance more, not be so much _together_, nor rise so high.

THE Perfection of this _Time_ of the Gallop depends upon the Justness of the Horseman's Motions.--They ought to be infinitely more exact in this Lesson, than in the Caprioles, or any other Airs, which are performed strait forward.

IN reality, if the Horseman is too slow, and don't catch the exact Time which parts the two Leaps, the Leap which follows will be without any Spring or Vigour, because the Animal so restrain'd and held back, can never extend himself, or put forth his Strength; if he don't support and raise his Shoulders sufficiently high, the Croupe will then be higher than it ought to be; and this Disproportion will force the Horse to toss up his Nose, or make some other bad Motion with his Head as he is coming to the Ground in his Leap; or else it will happen that the succeeding Time will be so precipitate, that the next Leap will be false and imperfect, as the Horse will not be sufficiently united, but will be too heavy and lean upon the Hand.--If he is not together, the Leap will be too much extended, and consequently weak and loose, because the Horse will not be able to collect his Strength, in order to make it equal to the first.

LEARN then in a few Words what should be the Horseman's Seat, and what Actions he should use in this Lesson.

HE should never force, alter, or lose the true _Apuy_, either in raising, supporting, holding in, or driving forward his Horse.--His Head should be not only firm and steady, but it is indispensably necessary that his Seat should be exactly strait and just; for since the Arm is an Appendix of the Body, it is certain that if the Motions of the Horse shake or disorder the Body of the Rider, the Bridle-hand must inevitably be shook, and consequently the true Apuy destroy'd.

IN this Attitude then approach the Calves of your Legs, support and hold your Horse up with your Hand, and when the Fore-part is at its due Height, aid with the Switch upon the Croupe.

IF your Horse rises before, keep your Body strait and firm; if he lifts or tosses up his Croupe, or yerks out, fling your Shoulders back without turning your Head to one side or the other, continuing the Action of the Hand that holds the Switch.

REMEMBER that all the Motions of your Body should be so neat and fine as to be imperceptible; as to what is the most graceful Action for the Switch-hand, that over the Shoulder is thought the best; but then this Shoulder must not be more back than the other; and care must be taken that the Motion be quick and neat, and that the Horse do not see it so plainly as to be alarm'd.

I HAVE said, that when the Horse made his Leaps too _long_ and _extended_, you should then aid with your Hand-spur; and for this Reason, because the Hand-spur will make the Horse raise his Croupe without advancing, as the Effect of the Switch will be to raise the Croupe, and drive the Horse forward at the same time; it should therefore be used to such Horses as retain themselves.

REMEMBER that you should never be extreme with your Horse, and work him beyond his Strength and Ability; indeed one should never ask of a Horse 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 compell'd to give your Aids roughly and openly; and when that happens, neither the Rider or the Horse can appear with Brilliancy and Grace.

THE END.

End of Project Gutenberg's A New System of Horsemanship, by Claude Bourgelat