36 CAVALRY HORSEMANSHIP 



acting at the same time backwards and from right to 

 left (actions indirect and indirect of opposition). 



In accordance with these definitions, if when moxing 

 sideways to the right, the rider makes principal use of 

 his left leg and the left rein, he employs the lateral 

 aids ; but the left hand acting backwards and from 

 left to right produces a diagonal effect. 



If in the same movement the rider employs prin- 

 cipally the left leg and right rein he uses the diagonal 

 aids ; but the right rein, in drawing the horse's head 

 slightly into the direction of movement, produces a 

 lateral effect. 



These remarks show how more apparent than real 

 are the distinctions drawn by certain writers between 

 lateral and diagonal horsemanship. True horseman- 

 ship is nothing but the combination of all the aids, 

 and of all the effects, lateral or diagonal, which we 

 have just mentioned. The rider has two hands and 

 two legs which can act separately or together, laterally 

 or diagonally, and thus produce various effects. It is 

 for the rider to use, according to the horse he is riding, 

 or the end he has in view, the aid or the aids which 

 should produce the desired effect. 



Artificial aids. — The whip, martingales, nose bands, 

 the dumb jockey, etc. These different aids may be 

 invaluable, when first breaking a horse, to rapidly 

 regain lost authority, or to give some difficult subjects 

 the work necessary for their training, but it must not 

 be forgotten that most of these means, excellent in 

 certain hands, become dangerous when used by 

 inexperienced horsemen. Besides, the results, ob- 

 tained perhaps very rapidly by means of these aids, 

 are as a rule superficial, they can therefore only 

 supplement the true education of the horse, which 



