breaker ought to consist, throughout the whole course of breaking, in discovering the defences which the horse is preparing, and in anticipating and counteracting them before they are made. This is more especially necessary in the properly-called defences of the horse, which are not always produced in the form of violent or unruly movements. It constantly happens during breaking, that the horse, in order to refuse to do what is asked of him, obstinately does what he was previously taught. This is the history of every lesson. During all the breaking, the defences of the horse are produced alternately to the right and left. When, by the force of insistence, we have rendered one side supple, we may be greatly astonished to see the horse use, as a defence, what we have just taught him with much trouble, and to refuse to do that which he did without any hesitation the day before. In this case we must recommence the work and carry it on until obedience is equally obtained on both sides. If there is a difficulty in making such a horse canter with, for example, the near fore leading, as soon as we make him do so, we will find that in every case he canters with that fore-leg leading, and refuses to lead with the off fore. In order to make him canter with the off fore leading, we must begin over again all the work we did in teaching him to canter with the near fore leading, and alternate these two forms of canter, while making him do the canter in which there is greater difficulty, more frequently than the other kind of canter. We should continue in this way until obedience is perfect on both sides.

When a horse makes a defence always on the same side, we may be sure that he does so on account of pain or of faulty conformation.

Later on, when the breaking is more advanced, we shall see the horse use, for example, the Spanish trot as a defence against doing the passage or the piaffer. In every case he will try a less energetic work, in order to escape from a more