106 



19. — When you bend your horse to the 

 right and left, whether on foot or 

 mounted, is it sufficient that he should 

 champ the bit ? 

 Not quite, he should open his mouth and 



take no hold of it. 



20. — Do you continue these bending lessons 



long ?^ 



Until the horse yields and opens his 

 mouth at the slightest feeling of the reins. 



21. — In " reining back " which comes first, 

 " the 23ressure of the legs," or " the feel- 

 ing of the reins " ? 

 First, the pressure of the legs, and then 



the feeling of the reins. 



22.— Why ? 



Because the support (the hind leg) must 

 be displaced before the weight is thrown on 

 it. If the reins are felt first the whole 

 weight of the horse is thrown on his hind 

 legs ; and how can he lift them and step 

 back ? If he succeeds in lifting one leg it 

 is with a great effort, and he will fall hack 

 on it rather than step back, and thus injure 

 his hocks, if forced to repeat it often ; 

 whereas, by a pressure of both legs, I make 

 him raise one hind leg, at that moment, by 

 feeling both reins, I oblige him to put that 



