PARK RIDING. 35 



^'^ In vicious restiveness the hand is your whole 

 security, it baffles every intention of the horse to 

 foil the rider; by a judicious use of the powers 

 of the hand you outwit every effort of the horse^ 

 and subdue him." 



The hand raises the forehand, lightens the 

 mouth, supports the position, directs the time, 

 action, &c. ; in short, everything that is desire- 

 able or brilliant must result principally from the 

 hand, and first the hand being connected with the 

 reins, the reins to the bit, the bit operating on the 

 bars in the horse's mouth, the curb operating on 

 the lip, you cannot move the hand nor scarce a 

 fino;er but the mouth is more or less affected 

 thereby according to circumstances. This in 

 called the correspondence. 



Unskilful hands make bad mouths ; your hands 

 should correspond with the appui by making it 

 light. A vicious horse, by a skilful management 

 of your hand, is deprived of half his powers. 

 Were it not for the hands, the horse would soon 

 conquer the rider. In all violent contentions, by 



d2 



