PUNISHMENT IN CASE OF RESISTANCE.
For our young readers we give below a few of the more usual technical terms, of which it will be found convenient to have a knowledge in the course of these lessons:
- Amble.—A gait like pacing, but slower, in which the two legs on the same side are moved together.
- Appel.—The gentle tug on the rein given by the horse at each step.
- Arrière-main.—That part of the horse back of the saddle, called, not quite correctly, in this article, the croup.
- Avant-main.—That part of the horse forward of the saddle—the forehand.
- Bore.—To lean on the bit.
- Bridle-tooth.—Tusk found in the horse’s mouth, though not in the mare’s, between nippers and grinders.
- Bucking.—Leaping vertically into the air with all four feet at once.
- Chin Groove.—That part of underjaw next the swell of lower lip in which curb-chain rests.
- Curb.—Bit without joint, with levers at side and chain, which, passing under jaw, serves as a fulcrum to communicate pressure of bit to bars of mouth.
- Deux Pistes.—To go on deux pistes is to advance with the body placed obliquely, so that the hind feet move on a different line or piste from the fore.
- Elbow.—Joint of fore-leg next above knee, lying next horse’s side.
- Fetlock.—Joint next below knee.
- Forearm.—That part of leg between elbow and knee.
- Forge.—To strike the toe of the fore-foot with the toe of the hind-foot—usually the result of bad shoeing.
- Frog.—Triangular piece of spongy horn in middle of sole of foot, forming a cushion for the navicular bone.
- Grinders.—Back teeth.
- Hand.—Four inches (one-third of a foot).
- Hand-gallop.—A slow gallop.
- Haute Êcole—Haut Manége.—The complete course of training given in the French military riding-schools. To translate this by “high-school,” as is sometimes done, produces a ludicrous impression.
- Hock.—Joint of hind-leg between thigh and shank.
- Interfere.—To strike the fetlock with the foot—often caused by bad shoeing.
- Manége.—Horse-training, also the training-school itself.
- Nippers.—Front teeth.
- Pace.—A rapid gait, in which the fore and hind foot on same side move at same time and strike the ground together.
- Pastern.—Bones between fetlock and foot.
- Passage.—Moving sideways, as to close up or open the ranks, as in cavalry exercises.
- Pirouette.—Wheeling on the hind-legs.
- Pirouette renversée.—Wheeling on the fore-legs.
- Piaffer.—A slow and cadenced trot, in which the horse balances a certain time on each pair of feet.
- Piste.—The imaginary circle (usually, however, a well-beaten track) three feet from the wall of the manége.
- Poll.—Top of head between the ears.
- Rack.—A gait somewhat similar to single-foot.
- Ramener.—To bring the head to the perpendicular.
- Rassembler.—To get the horse together, with his legs well under him and his head perpendicular.
- Shank.—Parts of fore-leg between knee and fetlock, and parts of hind-leg between hock and fetlock.
- Single-foot.—A very rapid gait, taught principally in the Western States of America, in which one foot is put down at a time.
- Snaffle.—Bit jointed in middle, without side levers or chin-chain.
- Spavins and Splints.—Excrescences on bones of legs, usually caused by strain. When they occur on the fore-shanks they are called splints, and may do no harm. If on the hind-legs they are called spavins, and usually result in permanent lameness.
- Stifle.—Joint of hind-leg between hip and hock, lying against horse’s side.
- Surcingle.—A girth extending entirely around the horse.
- Thigh.—Popularly speaking, it comprises the two upper joints of hind-leg from hip to hock.
- Throat-latch.—That strap of the bridle which passes under the throat.
- Withers.—Highest point of shoulder between neck and saddle.
[LESSON V.]
TO BEND THE NECK TO RIGHT AND LEFT, WITH THE REINS HELD BELOW THE BIT (FLEXIONS DE L’ENCOLURE).
Before beginning each lesson it is well, as has been already recommended, to review hastily the instruction previously given.
Now place yourself on the left side of your horse, with your riding-whip tip downward in your right hand, and with your feet firmly planted a little apart. Take the right curb-rein in your right hand at about six inches from the lever of the bit, and the left curb-rein in your left at three inches from the lever, and having brought the horse’s head to a perpendicular position, pull the two hands steadily apart, moving the right hand to the right and the left hand to the left, so as to pry the horse’s head around to the right by means of the twist of the bit in his mouth. If he offers to back, stop him by tapping his breast with the whip; if he tries to pull away his head, hold on tight, until presently he will turn his head to the right, when you will instantly say, “Bravo! bravo!” and after holding it so a few seconds, bring it back to its original position. Very soon he will take the idea, and you will bring his head around until it faces backward, being careful to keep it always exactly perpendicular, and not to allow the horse to move it of his own accord in any direction.
