38 ANGLO-FRENCH HORSEMANSHIP 



point that the horse must be so placed that he ^^ feels 

 like " carrying out his rider's wishes ; that it is the legs 

 and spurs, which by bringing the hind legs well under 

 the horse, make it natural for him to raise and arch 

 his neck and move in a collected and well-balanced 

 form, and that a long lightly stretched rein still further 

 helps him to do so; while it also leaves him nothing to 

 pull against. 



The position of the hands regulates the height at 

 which the horse carries his head, which can be trained 

 to follow the hand up or down, in the following way : — 

 Whilst walking, raise the hands and take a " feel " 

 on the bridoon reins, then if the horse does not respond, 

 draw the bridoon quietly from side to side through the 

 mouth, and when the head begins to rise, close the legs, 

 or touch with the spurs close behind the girths, so as to 

 bring it well up ; when he has carried it in this position 

 for a short time, reward him by letting the reins gently 

 run through the fingers — the horse should not be 

 allowed to snatch them — so that he can lower his head 

 and stretch his neck ; the touch of the legs being also 

 removed. On this subject Baucher writes — 



" I have just said that to reward a horse one should 

 ease the hands, but I do not mean that the reins should 

 be suddenly and completely slackened. The rider should 

 imperceptibly diminish the tension on the reins ; so 

 as to be always ready to check opportunely the undue 

 haste with which the horse would naturally stretch 

 out his neck. He should be taught to draw the reins 

 through the fingers very gently." 



The rider should also be careful when taking up the 

 reins again to be equally gentle and gradual in his 

 action ; neither horse nor rider should ever snatch at 

 the reins. 



