334 COMMENTARIES ON BAUCHER. 



Thus, in the first place, I say that Baucher's method, which 

 consists in keeping the horse completely and constantly closed 

 between the hands and legs of the rider, is dangerous for 

 people who are indifferent riders, and also for those who work 

 or break their first horses without being under the eye of a 

 master.* It is, therefore, not within the compass of everyone, 

 and perhaps it cannot be practised without trouble, except by 

 those who have seriously studied it. 



Baucher says that the mouths and sides of all horses are the 

 same, which is an entirely erroneous idea. I maintain, on the 

 contrary, that it is impossible to find two horses whose mouths 

 and sides are equally sensitive. Without doubt, the difference, 

 like that between the leaves of a tree, may not be very apparent 

 in all cases, but it exists, and cannot be denied. 



It is possible that we can succeed in making all horses 

 light in hand and sensitive to the spurs, but I deny that we 

 can give them all the same lightness and sensitiveness. 



Baucher adds that in the case of a puller, his mouth is not 

 at fault, and that it is sufficient to change his equilibrium. 

 Let us test his statement by taking, for instance, racehorses 

 in training, and leaving them to make their own distribution 

 of weight, with their heads low, necks stretched out, and 

 croups high. What will happen ? Some will not go up to 

 the bridle and will run badly ; others will pull just enough to 

 run well ; and a third variety will pull too hard, and will run 

 away, notwithstanding the strength of their riders' arms. What 

 does this prove, except that they all have not the same 

 sensitiveness of mouth, as they are all in the same position ? 



We should note that all horses in training are bitted in the 

 same way, namely, with a plain snaffle. We therefore cannot 

 blame the curb for their different ways of pulling. 



The experiments I have made have thoroughly cleared up 



* This is probably the reason why many true followers of Baucher have made 

 their horses restive. 



