ANGLO-FRENCH HORSEMANSHIP 



I venture to think that the principal duty of 

 the hand is to keep the attention of the horse 

 fixed by maintaining a steady, even, light feeling 

 on the mouth ; and that knee pressure alone 

 should be used to strengthen the hand, the 

 lower part of the leg being only used, either to 

 drive the horse forwards, or to punish him for 

 disobedience or unruly conduct, or to cause him 

 to relax the muscles of the lower jaw ; and 

 when the lower part of the leg is being used for 

 any reason but punishment, the hand should be 

 very slightly eased so that the horse can answer 

 to the leg or spur by moving forward and yield- 

 ing the lower jaw. 



As it is with the neck and hind quarters 

 that a horse resists the action of the reins, it is 

 best, instead of pulling the horse about when 

 he does not answer to the hand helped by knee 

 pressure, to ease the hand very slightly so as 

 to relax the muscles of the neck, and use the 

 legs to bring the horse's hind legs under him, 

 so that he cannot resist the indications of the 

 reins. This is Baucher's teaching that the 

 hands and legs should be used separately, a 

 system which seems based on common sense, 

 as it is hard for a horse to obey the legs and 

 spurs and relax the muscles of the neck if a 

 tight rein keeps them contracted, but it is the 



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