EQUESTRIAN TACT. 123 



When I say that I use a certain rein or a certain leg, I 

 mean the leg or rein which ought to have the stronger action. 

 During the entire work both reins should be lightly felt, and 

 both legs ought to be kept close to the side. Continual 

 co-operation ought always to exist between the hands and legs. 



It is certain that a horse can rein back without the help of 

 the diagonal aids, and that a rider who knows nothing about 

 the principles which I have just enunciated, can make him do 

 so. But he will never succeed in having his horse in hand, 

 with the head high, as if he were going forward, the hind legs 

 being raised as high as the fore ones, and, above all things, 

 \\ith the points of the buttocks not further to the rear than 

 the hocks.* We should thoroughl}^ understand that these 

 conditions are essential in retrograde movements. 



THE " RAMENER," COLLECTION, " RASSEMBLER," AND 

 EQUESTRL\N TACT. 



Before going further, we may recapitulate as follows the 

 results we have obtained : The horse carries himself very 

 freely forward on the legs being brought close to his sides ; 

 he correctly does the direct and lateral flexions of the jaw ; 

 is well in hand ; yields immediately to the action of each leg ; 

 easily executes the respective rotations of the haunches and 

 shoulders ; and performs all the changes of direction with 

 facility. 



It must be well understood that during all the time m}' 

 horse does these suppling exercises while I am on foot, I had 

 also given him the same work mounted, and that I only seek 

 b\' general effects to confirm and improve the results obtained 

 on foot. 



Respecting flexions and collection when mounted, I ought 

 to remark that it is more easy to profit by acquired 

 propulsion than to create it. B}' this I mean that, if I am at 



* If this condition is not fulfilled the horse will be behind the bit. 



