44 ORDINARY RIDING. 



as I have described, is the best preparation for the use of the 

 spurs. 



According to the system of Baucher, one pulls the horse by 

 his forehand, and if the animal is thus made to move, he will 

 drag his hind quarters after him ; but by my method the 

 horse gets his hind quarters under him, and by their means he 

 pushes the forehand forward, which is the essential principle 

 of good riding. 



COIXECTING A HORSE AND DIRECT FLEXION. 



As soon as my horse goes well with me round the school to 

 the left, I make him change and begin similar work to the 

 •other hand. Then, when I am satisfied with him, I commence 

 collecting him. While going to the left and keeping myself 

 at his left shoulder, I take the bit reins in my right hand, at 

 five or six inches from his mouth. Keeping the buckle of the 

 snaffle reins in the hollow of my left hand, I seize with its 

 fingers the snaffle reins at about eight or nine inches from the 

 mouth, and I carry the left hand in advance of the animal's 

 head, in order to draw him forward. It is absolutely in- 

 dispensable to hold the snaffle reins in this way, if we wish to 

 prevent the horse from stopping, when we feel the curb reins. 

 Merely holding the snaffle reins horizontally will not do, 

 because we want to do more than to simply pull the animal 

 forward. It is also necessary that the pull of the snaffle is in 

 an upward direction ; because it ought to raise his head and 

 neck at the moment when the pressure of the bit prompts 

 him to flex his lower jaw (Fig. 2, jaw contracted ; and Fig. 3, 

 jaw and bit free,) which action on his part should be counter- 

 balanced by the pressure of the snaffle, in order that it may 

 not make him lower his head and neck. 



I feel the snaffle reins in order to raise the head and neck, 

 and I then put equal tension on the curb reins, in order to 

 make him bend his neck and loosen his lower jaw. If the 



