THE WALK.
The rider should not suffer his horse to move till his clothes are adjusted, and whip shifted, when, collecting his reins, and taking one in his right hand, he must close his legs, to induce the horse to move slowly forward in the walk. If he wish to increase the pace, the pressure of the knees must be increased. When the horse moves, the legs must resume their former position,—the hands remain perfectly steady,—and the body yield to the movement.
As to character, the walk is the pace performed with the least exertion; only one leg at a time being off the ground, and three on. In this pace, accordingly, four distinct beats are marked, as each foot comes to the ground in the following order:—first the off fore foot, next the near hind foot, then the near fore foot, and lastly, the off hind foot.[67]
[67] The amble may perhaps be considered as a natural pace, as most foals, following their dams, amble more or less to keep up with them. The difference between the walk and the amble is, that two legs of a side are raised in the latter at the same instant.
The perfection of the walk consists in its being an animated quick step, measuring exact distances, and marking a regular time, by putting the feet flat to the ground. Its excellence depends on that uniting of the horse which supports his head and raises his feet, without shortening or retarding the step; and that animation which quickens the step and sharpens the beats without altering the time or the action.
In performance, if the rider do not support the horse sufficiently, his head will be low, and his walk slovenly: if he support him too much, he will shorten his step so that he cannot walk freely. If the rider do not animate him, he will not exert himself: if he animate him too much, he will trot. If the horse trot when the rider designs him to walk, he will find either his hand or the degree of animation communicated by the whip, tongue, legs, or bracing of the body, too high, and this he must instantly modify, as well as check the horse. ([Plate XXXVIII.] fig 1.)
PLATE XXXVIII
The Walk.
The Stop.
Turns in the Walk.
Turns in general should be made slowly; and all the aids should combine in producing them.
In performance, the hand to which we turn, or inner hand, is to be a little below the outer one, and the inner rein held with double the force of the outer one, which is to be exerted by the little finger pulling gently upwards and towards the body, while the outer hand retains a steady hold of the outer rein. At the same time, the legs, by a slight pressure with the calves, must support the horse, keep him up to the bridle, make him bring his haunches under him, and obey the leading rein. The pressure of the inward leg alone would make him throw his haunches too much outwards. All this is to be done in proportion to the effect meant to be produced; and great precision and delicacy are required in the execution.
Wheels may also be briefly noticed here. A horse may wheel or turn on his own ground, on three pivots,—on his centre, on his fore feet, and on his hind feet. In all these, the hand directs all before the horseman, and the heel all behind him. In wheeling on centres, the hand and heel operate together—the hand leading the shoulder round—the leg directing the croupe, by which means, in going about, the fore feet describe one half-circle, and the hind feet another. Here the aids of the hand, body, and legs, must exactly correspond; and the degree of appuy must be merely such as will carry its aid into effect; for, if the appuy is too weak, the horse will advance over his ground, and if too strong, he will retire from it.
On terminating the wheel or quarter circle, the about or half-circle, or the about and about, or whole circle, the hand, the body, and leg, must instantly resume their proper position. The wheel on the fore, and that on the hind feet, are still more rarely of use in common practice.
Stops in the Walk.
Horses and horsemen generally stop by a gradual cessation of action, in a time and distance which depend on circumstances. As to character, however, the stop, when properly performed, is an instant cessation of advance, without any previous indication.
When the stop is properly performed, it shows the great superiority of the rider’s hand over the horse. It confirms him in obedience, unites him, supples the haunches, and bends the houghs. Much mischief, however, may occur from a too frequent or injudicious practice of it. The perfection of the stop consists in the action ceasing at the finish of a cadence, without breaking the previous time; and in the horse being so balanced on his haunches, and so animated, that, with liberty given, he can advance with the same rapidity as before.
In performance, the time to be seized is when the first part of the cadence is coming to the ground; so that its finish completes the stop. If this is not done, the cadence will be broken, and the stop rendered irregular. At such a moment, the stop is performed by the rider bracing his arms to his body, holding both reins equally and firmly, drawing the fingers towards the body, closing for an instant both legs, to press the horse up to the bridle, and throwing the body back, with precisely such strength of all the muscles as is proportioned to the effect; all this being done at the same instant, and making but one motion. If the rider do not close his legs, the horse may not bring his haunches under, the stop will be on the shoulders, and its effect will be destroyed.
If, in stopping, a horse toss up his nose, or force the hand, the bridle hand must be kept low and firm, no liberty must be given, his neck must be pressed with the right hand till he has brought down his nose, and immediately all his bridle may be given him. ([Plate XXXVIII.] fig. 2.) If the horse has not readily obeyed, he should be made to go backwards, as a proper punishment for the fault.
Going Backward in the Walk.
The action of the horse when he goes backward is to bend his haunches, to have always one of his hinder legs under his belly, on which to rest and balance himself, and to push his croupe backward. In performance, the horse’s head must be steady and right, his body gathered up under him, he must be upon his haunches, and his feet be even. To aid him in this, there should be an equal and steady feeling of both reins; the hand must be held centrically, and kept from rising, with the knuckles a little down, inviting the horse to back; the body bent a little forward, with the belly drawn in; and the legs gently pressing the sides of the horse, in order to keep him up to the bridle, and to prevent him from swerving.
The instant he yields to the hand, the body and hand yield to the horse, that he may recover his balance; and he may then be pressed to back again. If either the deviation of the hand from its centrical situation, or any other cause, make the croupe go off the line in an opposite direction, the heel must support and direct him. Thus, should the croupe traverse to the right, the right leg must direct; and, to assist, the hand must be carried a little to the right; but this must be done with delicacy, lest the croupe be thrown too much to the left. Here the hand and the heel change their functions; the hand compels the action, and the heel directs it.