HANDS 



the same bit. This system Baucher called 

 " Mains sans jambes et jambes sans mains" and 

 he claimed that by working on it the rider 

 learns to use his hands and legs with exactly 

 the amount of force necessary to attain his 

 object, the legs not being required to counteract 

 the excessive action of the hands, nor the hands 

 to render the same service to the legs. 



Baucher's pupils, though firmly believing in 

 the system, and recommending that it should 

 be acted upon as much as possible, could not 

 make it an absolute rule. The ability to work 

 on it successfully is, in fact, the reward of long 

 practice, as it requires a very delicate and 

 accurate use of both the hands and legs.* 



It must be remembered that towards the end 

 of his life Baucher lost the power of his legs, 

 and he consequently trained his horses to work 

 entirely to the hand, the legs merely sending 

 forward impulses for the hands to work upon ; 

 this method was thus very suitable for training- 

 ladies' horses. 



When using the legs alone at the trot the 

 rider should sit well down in the saddle, rising 

 and falling on each leg. 



* " The ideal of the independent use of the aids is to be 

 able to roll a cigarette between the ringers whilst using the 

 legs with the utmost vigour." — James Fillis. 



45 



