2 MODERN HORSEMANSHIP. 



the instinctive muscular actions of the horse until 

 the animal is obedient to every demand of bit or 

 spur, and how to avoid inviting resistances from a 

 horse that has not yet been disciplined. His seat 

 is the strongest that can be acquired, while at the 

 same time he has free use of his arms and his legs 

 in applying the aids. By giving his horse an arti- 

 ficial carriage, the animal is able to move under its 

 burthen in free, regular, and smooth paces, and it is 

 never placed in such a position that obedience is 

 difficult or impossible, as is often the case with a 

 horse badly ridden. It will be seen, therefore, that 

 the first thing a rider should know is how to control 

 the weights and forces of his horse, and then to 

 determine how he shall dispose of these weights 

 and forces to produce that union and balance so 

 necessary for perfect movements. There are, 

 no doubt, men who ride well who have never 

 heard the term, ' union and balance of the forces,' 

 but nevertheless they have practised something 

 that produced it to a certain degree ; for until it 

 is collected the horse cannot go smoothly and well 

 under its rider. In the second part of this 

 work I have treated this subject at length, but I 

 must here say a few words about it, in order that 

 the reader may at the outset know enough of the 

 different forms of collection for ordinary riding. 



