The Use of the Lower Part of the Leg 109 



junction with the other indications either to make a 

 horse move his quarters in a requisite direction or 

 prevent them from flying out ; to make him bend, or 

 passage sideways. The pressure of the leg also 

 assists in making the horse strike off on the desired 

 leg at a canter, or change the leading leg at the same 

 pace. The collecting and the correct circling of the 

 untrained horse can also only be ensured by the 

 proper use of the leg. 



Undoubtedly a horse can be made to take off 

 when going at a fence by the combined use of the 

 hand and leg; a blindfolded horse at the Netheravon 

 Cavalry School was recently taught to jump by the 

 pressure of the legs, and " Thormanby " tells us 

 that a Dr. Minster, of Cheltenham, had a stone- 

 blind horse who used to jump stiles on the w^ay to 

 the doctor's patients ; but once the horse is properly 

 trained the less he is interfered with the better when 

 jumping. If he requires rousing it should be done at 

 some distance from the obstacle. Fillis would have 

 us support the horse in the air, but he cannot have 

 been a student of mechanics, or he would have rec- 

 ognized the impossibility of this without at the same 

 time solving the problem of flight. 



