CHAP. XV.
Of Passades.
The Passades are the truest Proofs a Horse can give of his Goodness.—By his going off you judge of his Swiftness; by his Stop, you discover the Goodness or Imperfection of his Mouth; and by the Readiness with which he turns, you are enabled to decide upon his Address and Grace; in short, by making him go off a second time you discover his Temper and Vigour.—When your Horse is light and active before, is firm upon his Haunches, and has them supple and free, so 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 Passades.
Walk him along the Side of the Wall in a steady even Pace, supporting and keeping him light in the Hand, in order to shew him the Length of the Passade, and the Roundness 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 finish'd the last Time of the Stop raise him, and let him make two or three Pesades. 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 Pesades, and then let him walk on in order to make as many to the other Hand.
You must take care to confirm him well in this Lesson.—From the Walk you will put him to the Trot upon a strait Line; from the Trot to a slow Gallop, from that to a swifter; being thus led on by degrees, and step by step, he will be able to furnish all sorts of Passades, and to make the Demi-volte in any Air that you have taught him.
You should never put your Horse to make a Volte or Demi-volte at the time that he is disunited, pulls, or is heavy in the Hand, or is upon his Shoulders; on the contrary, you should stop 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 just Apuy.