NOTES ON K(^nT.\Tl()N fil 



</ire does not mean carrying the lian.l forward .md rrl<:isinu 

 the reins. 



Assuming the permanent contact wliich should cxit^t 

 l)etween the horse's mouth and the rider's hand, fnh' means 

 to fix the wrist and tighten the fingers at tlic nioninit of 

 lialting or of half halting; givf means to ndax tlic wrist and 

 loosen the fingers without losing touch with tlic Ijorsc's 

 mouth; if the horse has heen well trained touch will not he 

 lost because the horse will himself feel for his rider's iiand. 

 Any slowing of gait should therefore he the result of the 

 action of the fingers on the reins. If this action is insufli- 

 cient it must be reinforced by carrying the upper part of the 

 ))ody backward; but any movement of the elbows should be 

 avoided as this is the unfailing symptom of the unskilled 

 horseman. 



Necessity of Frequently Returning to the Lesson of Going 

 Straight Ahead. All these bending lessons made on the curb 

 l)it, these halts and half halts, only too often result in slowing 

 the horse and in diminishing any desire to go ahead that he 

 may have acquired. (This is commonly called "steam" and 

 is manifested by a proper voluntary tightening of tlie reins. 

 The horse with "no steam" is voluntarily l)ehind the hit. — 

 The Board). It is therefore necessary to resume fre(ju<'ntly 

 the first lesson of the legs, the lesson of moving straight 

 ahead. The horse should be attacked vigorously with the 

 calves, being careful to fully loosen the fingers so that he 

 shall have complete liberty to escape to the front. 



Lesson With the Spurs. With horses that hold l»ack. that 

 are too cold (phlegmatic), or that do not respond to the 

 legs, the spurs should be used. The lesson with the spurs 

 does not occur at any fixed period but is given when the 

 occasion presents itself. If the horse is behind the legs.' 

 pat him at a trot in order to have him securely in motion (not 

 liable to stop) and then let him feel the spurs by viL^on.us 

 and repeated action until lie leaps to the front. 



Here it is particularly important to pay atl<'iitioii ic the 

 * See Question XXVIII. 



