The Action of the Gallop is always one, two, three, and four; the Terre-a-Terre consists only of two Lines, one, two.—The Action is like that of Curvets, except that it is more under the Horse; that is, he bends his Haunches more, and moves them quicker and closer than in Curvets.
To work a Horse Terre-a-Terre upon large Circles, take care to keep your Body strait, steady and true in the Saddle, without leaning to one side or the other.—Lean upon the outward Stirrup, and keep your outward Leg nearer the Side of the Horse than the other Leg, taking care to do it so as not to let it be perceived.—If you go to the Right, keep your Bridle-hand a little on the Outside of the Horse's Neck, turning your little finger up, without turning your Nails at the same time; although if need be you must turn them, in order to make the inner Rein work which passes over the Little-finger.—Keep your Arms and Elbows to your Hips, by this means you will assure and confine your Hands, which ought to accompany, and, if I may so say, run along the Line of the Circle with the Horse.
In the Mezair, use the same Aids as in working upon Curvets.—Give the Aids of the Legs with Delicacy, and no stronger than is just necessary to carry your Horse forward.—Remember when you close your Legs to make him go forward, to press with the Outward in such a degree as to keep your Horse confin'd; and to assist the other in driving him forward; it is not necessary to lay so much Stress on the inner Leg, because that serves only to guide the Horse, and make him cover and embrace the Ground that lays before him.
CHAP. XVIII.
Of Curvets.
Of all the high Airs, Curvets are the least violent, and consequently the most easy to the Horse, inasmuch as they require nothing of the Horse but what he has done before. In reality, to make him stop readily and justly, he has been taught to take a good and true Apuy; in order to make him rise, he has been put together, and supported firm upon his Haunches; to make him advance, to make him go backward, and to make him stop, he has been made acquainted with the Aids of the Heels and Hands; so that in order to execute Curvets, nothing remains for him to do, but to learn and comprehend the Measure and Time of the Air.
Curvets are derived and drawn out of the Pesades.—We have already said that Pesades ought to be made slowly, very high before, and accompanied a little by the Haunches. Curvets are lower before, the Horse must advance, his Haunches must follow closer, and beat or mark a quicker Time; the Haunches must be bent, his Hocks be firm, his two Hind-feet advance equally at every Time, and their Action must be short quick, just, and in exact Measure and Proportion.
This Action, when suited to the Strength and Disposition of the Horse, is not only beautiful in itself, but even necessary to fix and place his Head; because this Air is, or ought to be founded, upon the true Apuy of his Mouth. It likewise lightens the Fore-part; for as it can't be perform'd unless the Horse collects his Strength upon his Haunches, it must of consequence take the Weight off from the Shoulders.
It is well known, that in working upon every Air, the Strength, the Vigour, and the Disposition of the Horse should be consider'd; the Importance of this Attention to these Qualities is sufficiently acknowledged; and it is granted and allowed, that Art serves, and can serve, to no other end than to improve and make Nature perfect.—Now it will be easy to discover to what Air a Horse should be destin'd, and to what he is most dispos'd and capable of executing, by seeing his Actions, and by the greater or less Degree of Pains which will be requisite to supple him. When you design a Horse for the Curvets, take care to chuse one, which, besides having the necessary Disposition to that Manage, will have likewise Patience enough in his Temper to perform them well.—A natural Disposition alone will not suffice; there are Horses who will present themselves to them, but being by Nature impatient of all Restraint, from the Moment that they feel any Pain or Difficulty in furnishing what you ask of them, they will disobey and deceive you in the very Instant that you thought them gain'd.—It requires much Skill to know how to begin with such Horses, and to confirm them in their Business.—Take it for a certain Truth, that you will never succeed, if your Horse is not perfectly obedient to the Hand and Heel; if he is not supple, and able to work upon one Line or Path, with Freedom and Ease; and if he is not likewise very well seated upon his Haunches in his Terre-a-Terre, which he ought to be able to execute perfectly well.
Curvets are improper, and never succeed with Horses which have bad Feet, or any Weakness or Complaint in their Hocks, whatever Powers and Qualifications they may otherwise have.—They are likewise apt to encourage a Horse that is ramingue in his Vice, and are capable of teaching one which is not so by Nature, to become ramingue, if he is not adjusted and brought to this Air with great Prudence. Indeed, Impatience and Fretfulness often make a Horse desperate when put to this Manage; and not being able to endure the Correction, nor comprehend the Aids, he betakes himself to all sorts of Defences, as well as that being confounded through Fear, he is bewilder'd, and becomes abject and jadish.—It is almost impossible to say which of these Imperfections are the most difficult to be cured.—Before you put a Horse 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 one and two Lines, to go off readily, and to make a good Stop. After this he should be able to make Pesades easily, and so high before as to be held and supported in the Hand, and always make them upon a strait Line at first, and not on a Circle.—After this ask of him two or three Curvets; let him go then two or three Steps, then make two or three Curvets; and so alternately.—If you find that your Horse is well in the Hand, and that he advances regularly, is patient, and don't break his Line, but keeps even upon it, he will dress very easily, and soon; if he presses forward too much, make him curvet in the same Place, and make him often go backward.—After he has thus made two or three, demand then more of him, afterwards make him go backward, and so successively.