BACKING. 65 



ment would become painful, impossible in fact, and oc- 

 casion, on the part of the animal, sudden, violent move- 

 ments which are always injurious to his organization. 



On the other hand, the displacements* of the croup, 

 by destroying the harmony which should exist between 

 the relative forces of fore and hind-parts, would also 

 hinder the proper execution of the backing. The pre- 

 vious exercise to which we have subjected the croup will 

 aid us in keeping it in a straight line with the shoulders, 

 in order to preserve the necessary transferring of the 

 forces and weight. 



To commence the movement, the rider ought first to 

 assure himself that tlie haunches are on a line with the 

 shoulders, and the horse light in hand ; then he will 

 slowly close his legs, in order that the action they will 

 communicate to the hind-parts of the horse may make 

 him lift one of his hind legs, and prevent the body from 

 yielding before the neck. It is then that the immediate 

 pressure of the bit, forcing the horse to regain his equi- 

 librium behind, will produce the first part of the back- 

 ing. As soon as the horse obeys, the rider will instantly 

 give the hand to reward the animal, and not to force the 

 play of his fore-parts. If his croup is displaced, the 

 rider will bring it back by means of his leg, and if neces- 

 sary, use for this purpose the snaffle-rein on that side. 



After having defined what I call the proper backing 

 {reculer)y I ought to explain what I understand by back- 

 ing so as to avoid the bit (V acculement). This move- 

 ment is too painful to the horse, too ungraceful, and too 

 much opposed to the right development of his mechan- 

 ism, not to have struck any one wlio has occupied him- 

 self at all with horsemanship. We force a horse back- 



* These displacements of the croup mean sideway displacements, or the 

 horse's croup not being in a line with the shoulders.— Translatob. 



