98 NEW METHOD OF HORSEMANSHIP. 



his equilibrium may present the perfection of that bal- 

 ance of which I have spoken in another place. When 

 the centre of the forces is thus disposed in the middle of 

 the body, and when the 7'assemhler is perfect, it is suffi- 

 cient, in order to induce a commencement of piaffer, to 

 communicate to the horse with the legs a vibration at 

 first slight, but often repeated. By vibration I mean an 

 iiivigoration of forces, of which the rider ought always 

 to be the agent. 



After this first result, the horse will be put at a walk, 

 and the rider's legs gradually brought close, will give the 

 animal a slight increase of action. Then, but only then, 

 the hand will sustain itself in time with the legs, and at 

 the same intervals, in order that these two motive pow- 

 ers, acting conjointly, may keep up a succession of 

 imperceptible movements, and produce a slight contrac- 

 tion which will spread itself over the whole body of the 

 horse. This reiterated activity will give the extremities 

 a first mobility, which at the beginning will be far from 

 regular, since the increase of action that this new exer- 

 cise makes necessary will for the moment break the har- 

 monious uniformity of the forces. But this general 

 action is necessary in order to obtain even an irregular 

 mobility, for without it the movement would be disor- 

 derly, and there would be a want of harmony among the 

 difierent springs. We will content ourselves, fior the 

 first few days, with a commencement of mobility of the 

 extremities, being careful to stop each time that the 

 horse raises or puts down his feet, without advancing 

 them too much, in order to caress him, and speak to him, 

 and thus calm the invigoration that a demand, the object 

 of which he does not understand, must cause in him. 

 Nevertheless, these caresses should be employed with 

 discernment, and when the horse has done well, for if 



