slightest sign of obedience, he immediately stops the work, in order to make the horse understand, by pats on the neck, that he has done well. The quickness with which he perceives the slightest signs, saves him from overtaxing and disgusting the horse, and provoking him to battle, which will wear them both out.

The unskilful rider, who is slow in catching the cadence, will continue to use the spur, in order to obtain several cadenced times, and to be sure he is right, and will thus punish the horse, who, not knowing why he is punished, will defend himself, while the rider is spurring him. The result will be, that when he wants the horse to again do the passage, the animal will think he is going to be punished, and will become mad at the approach of the spurs.

Hence, the important point is to recognise the slightest signs of good will, and to be content with little. If the horse does not fear the approach of the legs, and if we are not too exacting, a time will always arrive when he will take up the cadence of the passage with ease and pleasure. We may then ask more ; because, as the horse understands us, there will be no fear of over-exciting his nervous system.

All the work on " two tracks " can be made at the passage, but it is difficult to do it correctly.^[1]

The artificial passage is another form, which is only an adjunct of the Spanish walk. It is an uncollected passage, and consequently it is opposed to all the principles of equitation. I practised it in my youth, when I had not