LUNGING THE HORSE. 83 



into the form of the curve upon which he is . travelling. 

 Although his body from the withers to the root of the tail 

 is capable of but little flexion, the head and the neck have a 

 large amount of lateral " play." The degree to which the 

 horse should bend himself will of course be proportionate to 

 the sharpness of the turn. <* i 



From the remarks just made, we may see the necessity, 

 in the turn, of the hind-quarters following the movements 

 of the head and neck. Being impressed with the correctness 

 of this principle, I would venture to condemn those 

 " suppling " lessons by which the horse is taught to bring 

 his head round to one side or the other, while his hind- 

 quarters remain fixed. The horse, as I have said before, 

 should learn to obey the side pull fc of the rein with his hind- 

 quarters, as well as with his head and neck. 



In most Continental maneges, an attempt is made, when 

 lunging a horse, to counteract the tendency the hind- 

 quarters have of flying outwards, by tightening the out- 

 ward side-rein more than the inward one, or by using only 

 the outward side-rein, so as to turn the head outwards. 

 Although the hind feet can be made by this arrange- 

 ment to describe the same circle as the fore ones ; the 

 head and neck, being bent outwards, are carried wrongly. 

 In the method of circling the horse with the long reins 

 (see Fig. 89), the two necessary conditions are fulfilled ; 

 for the head and neck are bent inward by the inward rein, 

 and the hind-quarters are prevented from flying outwards 

 by the outward rein. The same principle is adopted by thr 

 capable rider who preserves the bend of the head and neck 

 with the inward rein, and keeps the hind-quarters in position 

 by means of the pressure of the outward leg, which is drawn 

 back as may be required. One pre-eminent advantage 

 which circling the horse with the long reins has over any 

 method of lunging with leading rein and cavasson, is that 



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