90 Manual of Equitation and Hokse Training 



canons, the presence or absence of the curb, the tightness 

 of the curb chain, permit us to combat many resistances. 



Nevertheless, under the action of a brutal or merely 

 awkward hand, the best bitted horse will take up positions 

 or habits which are true defenses, since they permit him 

 to avoid the constraint of the bit. 



In these particular cases it is necessary to reeducate 

 the mouth by aid of appropriate supplings. The object is 

 to destroy the bad habits, in order to replace them by 

 good ones. 



A horse is said to yield to the action of the hand, when, 

 being in gentle contact with it, he half opens the mouth 

 under the pressure of the fingers, moves for an instant his 

 tongue and the bits, and immediately retakes the contact. 

 The yielding should be confined to the mouth, without pro- 

 voking the least movement of the head or neck. The first 

 elements of this suppling may be taught dismounted, with 

 the horse at the walk; but, as impulsion in this position and 

 gait is nil or nearly so, its use in secondary equitation may 

 be dangerous. 



To obtain this demonstration, the rider should engage 

 his horse in a free gait. By gentle fixity of hand he will 

 lead him to take a confident bearing in the position, even 

 vicious, which is most familiar to the horse. 



Having obtained this the rider will have recourse to 

 the division of supports. 



To divide the supports is to break the normal symmetry 

 of the bearing of the bits by relaxing one or several reins 

 while the fingers are closed on the others. The rider uses 

 successively the different combinations of the reins by 

 actions more or less close together; for example, give and 

 take, play the snaffle from side to side, alternate the snaffle 

 and curb. 



These different actions tend to defeat the resistances by 

 constantly changing their bearing point and to reduce the 

 contraction of the muscles by their incessant movement. 



Following the kind of resistance offered by the horse, 

 the half halt or the vibrations executed on one or several 

 of the reins of the combination in play will lead sooner or 

 later to the relaxation demanded. 



When by repetition the horse obeys without hesitation 

 and when all the combinations of reins lead to this same 

 submission, the education of the mouth is finished. 



