HANDS 



whether he stops nicely in the gallop without 

 any support from them.* 



Most horses go best when they have plenty 

 of rein. Too short a rein makes a horse try to 

 get behind the bridle and jib, and as a horse 

 balances himself by means of his neck, the free 

 use of it enables him to move gracefully and to 

 stop easily. 



Good hands are shown by the opportune 

 and right combination of the aids — " On appelle 

 jeu combine des aides le travail combine des 

 jambes, des mains, du corps, et de l'assiette "f — 

 and not by weakly yielding to every solicitation 

 on the part of the horse for fear of upsetting 

 his temper ; a man who wishes to become a 

 good horseman, and to give his horse good 

 manners will risk this, and firmly check every 

 effort of the horse to gain the upper hand, 

 whilst yielding to him the moment he shows 

 inclination to obey. 



* " To test whether a horse naturally brings his hind legs 

 well under him, and, in fact, to train him to do so, start him 

 off in a gallop and then stop him with the hands alone, and 

 just as he comes to a stop ease the hands and press him 

 gently forward with the spurs \ if the hind legs are not well 

 under, the horse will have difficulty in restarting and, in 

 future, knowing what to expect he will learn to collect himself 

 better." — Capitaine de Champsavin. 



f E. Barroil. 



37 



