HANDS 



and relaxed ; muscular contraction in any part 

 of the body should be avoided. 



The rider should be careful to keep his 

 eyes up instead of looking down at his horse's 

 withers ; the sense of touch becomes much 

 more acute in the hands, if the eyes do not 

 assist them in watching the movements of the 

 horse ; and consequently, the handling of the 

 reins becomes lighter and more accurate. 

 Riding when it is dark, for the same reason, 

 also helps to make the hands light. 



When going round corners, the rider should 

 support the horse with his legs and ease the 

 hand very slightly as soon as the horse has 

 begun to turn, so that he can balance himself. 

 To commence the turn, the inside hand should 

 be slightly raised, while the outside hand draws 

 the rein across the withers so as to brine the 

 horse's weight on to the inside hind leg, which 

 is the pivot. 



As to the employment of hands and legs 

 there are two distinct schools. Baucher in his 

 later writings claims that the secret of obtain- 

 ing the most perfect balance is to use the hands 

 and legs separately and not in combination. 

 He says that the function of the hand is to 

 control the head and neck, and to place or 

 restrain a horse, whilst the legs and spurs bring 



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