58 NE\T METHOD OF HORSEMANSHIP. 



I insist that such a bit is sufficient to render passively 

 obedient all horses that have been prepared by supplings ; 

 and I need not add that, as I deny the utility of severe 

 bits, I reject all means not coming directly from the 

 rider, such as martingales, piliers, etc. 



CHAPTER IV. 



CONTINUATION OF SUPPLINGS. 



The hind-parts. — In order to guide the horse, the rider 

 acts directly on two of his parts : the fore-parts and the 

 hind-parts. To effect this, he employs two motive pow- 

 ers : tiie legs, which give the impulse by the croup ; and 

 the hand, which directs and modifies this impulse by the 

 head and neck. A perfect harmony of forces ought then 

 to exist always between these two motive powers ; but 

 the same harmony is equally necessary between the parts 

 of the animal they are intended particularly to impress. 

 In vain would be our labor to render the head and neck 

 flexible^ I'glit, obedient to the touch of the hand ; incom- 

 plete would be the results, the equilibrium of the whole 

 imperfect, as long as the croup remained dull, contracted 

 and rebellious to the direct governing agent. 



I have just explained the simple and easy means of 

 giving to the fore-parts the qualities indispensable to a 

 e:ood management thereof: it remains to tell how we 

 will fashion, in the same way, the hind-parts, in order to 

 complete the suppling of the horse, and bring about a 

 uniform harmony in the development of all his moving 

 parts. The resistances of the neck and croup mutually 

 aiding one another, our labor will be more easy, as wo 

 have already destroyed the former. 



