LOWERING THE HAND. 87 



To the work, then, cavaliers ! If you will follow my 

 principles, I can promise you that your purse will be less 

 often emptied into the hands of horse-dealers, and that 

 you will render the meanest of your hacks agreeable. 

 You will charm our breeders of horses, who will attrib- 

 ute to their efforts of regeneration that elegance and 

 grace that your art alone could have given to your 

 chargers. 



Lowering the hand. — The lowering the hand consists 

 in confirming the horse in all his lightness — that is, in 

 making him preserve his equilibrium without the aid of 

 the reins. The suppleness given to all parts of the 

 horse, the just oppositions of hands and legs, lead 

 him to keep himself in the best possible position. To 

 find out exactly whether we are obtaining this result, 

 we must have recourse to frequent lowering of the hand. 

 It is done in this way : After having slipped the right 

 hand to the buckle, and having assured yourself that the 

 reins are even, you will let go of them with the left 

 hand, and lower the right slowly to the pommel of the 

 saddle. To do this regularly, the horse must neither 

 increase nor diminish the speed of his pace, and his head 

 and neck continue to preserve their proper position. 

 The first few times that the horse is thus given up to 

 himself, he will perhaps only take a few steps while keep- 

 ing in position, and at the same rate of speed ; the rider 

 ought then to make his legs felt first, and the hand after- 

 wards, to bring him into his previous position. The fre- 



of some amateurs. These latter have preferred to be affected by exag- 

 gerated or erroneous reports, rather than satisfy themselves by observation, 

 that this pretended cruelty is in fact the most innocent thing in the world. 

 Must we not teach the horse to respond to the spur as well as to the legs and 

 the hand ? Is it not by this spurring, judiciously applied, that we bring in at 

 will the hind legs more or less near the centre of gravity ? Is not this the 

 only way of increasing or diminishing the leverage of the hocks, whether 

 for extending or raising them in motion, or for the purpose of halting? 



