HANDS 43 



when necessary, or to bring the hind legs under the 

 body, and whilst using them kept only half tension on 

 the reins. This half-stretehed rein, which Baucher 

 so strongly recommends, is that slackness of rein which 

 causes the hand to feel a gentle tug every time the 

 horse puts a fore foot to the ground, whilst the hand is 

 strengthened or eased by closing or leaving open the 

 fingers when this tug is felt : this is certainly the right 

 way to handle a puller in the gallop. The advantage 

 of the half-stretched rein is that the horse, feeling no 

 constraint, answers to the pressure of the legs at once, 

 and in so doing stretches his neck, meets the bit, and 

 places himself under the guidance of the hands. 



John Allen also writes : " Lightness of hand con- 

 sists in an almost imperceptible alternate feeling and 

 easing of the bridle, regulated by the motion of the 

 horse. By proper attention to this practice the natural 

 delicacy of feeling of the horse's mouth will be preserved, 

 and a constant correspondence between the horse and 

 the rider will be established." 



Baucher overcome the resistance of the mouth and 

 neck by actions of the hand called " demi-arrets " and 

 " vibrations,'' using the one or the other according as 

 the resistance felt by the hand was merely a dull, heavy 

 weight, or an active contraction of the neck and lower 

 jaw ; he employed the demi-arret or half -halt in the 

 first case, and vibrations in the second. In both cases 

 the heels should be carried slightly back, so as to bring 

 the hind legs under the horse's body, but no pressure 

 should be applied by the legs. 



The demi-arret is thus given : close the fingers on 

 the reins strongly without easing the hands ; turn the 

 nails upwards sharply, and give an upward pull 

 proportioned to the resistance to be overcome, and 



