TRAINING 97 



tlic rider ovcr^vhclms the hoeks and the loins, and the 

 horse loses the freedom of his paces. 



Lowering the head. — When the line of the horse's 

 face is shghtly beyond the vertical, the head is in the 

 position that gives the greatest control over the horse, 

 and the rider should endeavour to obtain it from the 

 first day the horse is bridled. In secondary equitation, 

 it is principally by work on straight lines, by increasing 

 and reducing the speed of the paces, that the horse 

 is trained to j^lace his head in this desirable position. 

 The legs play a very important part in this : they 

 should always act before the hand, because the head 

 does not lower itself, nor does the neck bend, except 

 as the result of forward movement. Immediately the 

 horse commences to go forward he meets the hand, 

 which, by remaining fixed and low, gives the mouth a 

 light sui^port, which restrains the extension of the neck, 

 fixes the head, and causes the horse to bring his chin in. 



The moment the horse obeys, the legs remove their 

 pressure, and the fingers also ease their pressure on the 

 reins ; the legs and the hands do not renew their 

 action unless the head retakes of itself a defective 

 position. The alternate effects of closing and easing 

 the fingers of the hand, providing they do not take 

 from the impulsion, will soon give to the neck the 

 suppleness which it should have. 



Special exercises for the young horse. — These 

 exercises are intended to develop the power and 

 suppleness of the young horse. They also serve to 

 overcome any resistances which may arise. 



Resistances. — Fatigue, resulting from conditioning 

 work, and from the constraint which the young horses 

 have to submit to during their education, provokes 

 on their part certain resistances. These resistances 



H 



