FORCES OF THE HORSE. 57 



overcome unless he is possessed of energy, 

 patience, and, above all, the knowledge ne- 

 cessary to gain his point. The forces of the 

 animal being the element upon which the 

 rider must principally work, first to con- 

 quer, and finally to direct them, it is neces- 

 sary he should fix his attention upon these 

 before anything else. He will study what 

 they are, whence they spring, the parts 

 where they contract the most for resistance, 

 and the physical causes which occasion these 

 contractions. When this is discovered, he 

 will proceed with his pupil by means in ac- 

 cordance with his nature, and his progress 

 will then be rapid. 



Unfortunately, w^e search in vain, in an- 

 cient or modern authors on horsemanship, 

 I w^ill not say for rational principles, but 

 even for any data in connection with the 

 forces of the horse. All speak very prettily 

 about resistances, oppositions, lightness, and 



