HANDS 45 



necessary impulsion, the hands bring the horse through 

 the rider's legs on to his hind legs, and then the ankles 

 close in and develop the action. 



Some go further on these lines and say that when 

 using the reins on one side, those on the other side 

 should be passive but ready to act ; in the same way 

 when one leg is closed in for any purpose the other leg 

 should be passive, but ready to balance the action of 

 the other. The rider's whole body should convey the 

 same message to the horse. Some riders force open 

 the thighs when reining in their horses, so as to bring the 

 whole weight of the body on to the seat of the saddle. 



Baucher's pupils, though firmly believing in the 

 system, and recommending that it should be acted upon 

 as much as possible, could not make it an absolute rule. 

 Mr. Fillis says that a rider should be able to press his 

 horse's head up with the legs without having to ease 

 his hands in the slightest, and that this is one of the 

 results of good training. 



The other school are all for leg work, the hands being 

 more or less passive agents, closing strongly on the 

 reins when the horse bears on the bit, or pulls, and 

 allowing the legs to gently press him against the bit. 

 Their chief maxims are : " hands fixed, fingers supple, 

 reins stretched and legs closed in pressing the horse 

 forward." " The hand indicates the movement desired 

 and the leors make the horse carrv it out." " Licrhtness 

 in hand is produced by the action of the legs and spurs 

 near the girths." If the horse bears on the hand, the 

 hands should be raised, maintaining a light firm feeling 

 on the mouth by pressing the back of the fingers against 

 the body, whilst the legs, by touching lightly with the 

 spurs close behind the girth, make the horse bring the 

 hind legs under him, arch his neck, mobilise his lower 



