8 CAVALRY HORSEMANSHIP 



the riding school, or to short rides out of doors ; that 

 is, as a suppHng exercise, and a proof of decontraction. 

 All the work in the school, including jumping, should 

 be carried out without stirrups, and, on the other 

 hand, all long work out of doors, sword instruction 

 and field work, active service, etc., should be done 

 with stirrups. 



Special gymnastic exercises. — Control of the " Re- 

 flexes." The reflexes are the nervous reactions, 

 unconscious and involuntary, which arise in man 

 from exterior impressions. 



The control of the horse depends upon the inde- 

 pendence of the aids, on which rests their future 

 harmon}^ From the commencement of the pre- 

 paratory work, one should accordingly make use of 

 the exercises which the young soldier has to go 

 through as a means of acquiring the elementary 

 control of his reflexes, which the handling of the reins, 

 when Avorking with the bridoon and the bit, will 

 enable him to completely obtain. The instructor 

 concentrates his attention on securing — 



(1) The independent action of the hands with 

 regard to the movements of the body and legs. 



To attain this result he teaches the bending of 

 the body forward, backward, to the right, and to 

 the left, and suppling exercises for the shoulders. 



In all these movements the hand or the hands 

 which hold the reins, should be held without stiffness 

 in their proper position, in contact with the horse's 

 mouth, but independent of the movement of the 

 body. One should act in the same way in dealing 

 with the legs and the elevation and rotation of the 

 thighs ; the bending of the legs should not in any way 

 affect the horse's mouth. 



