106 XEW METHOD OF HORSEMANSHIP, 



supple and rassemhU. To make him raise, for example, 

 the riglit leg, it is sufficient to incline his head slightly 

 to the right, while making the weight of his body fall 

 upon the left side. The rider's legs will be sustained 

 firmly (the left a little more than the right), that the 

 efiect of the hand which brings the head to the right 

 should not react upon the weight, and that the forces 

 which serve to fasten to the ground the over-weighted 

 part may give the horse's right leg enough action to 

 make it rise from the ground. By a repetition of this 

 exercise a few times, you will succeed in keeping this 

 leg in the air as long a time as you wish. 



2. Mobility of the haunches, the horse resting on his 

 fore legs, while his hind legs balance themselves alter- 

 nately the one over the other ; when the hind leg which 

 is raised from left to right is moved, and is placed on 

 the ground to become pivot in its turn, the other to be 

 instantly raised and to execute the same movement. 



The simple mobility of the haunches is one of the exer- 

 cises that I have pointed out for the elementary educa- 

 tion of the horse. We can complicate this performance 

 by multiplying the alternate contact of the legs, until we 

 succeed in easily carrying the horse's croup, one leg 

 over the other, in such a way that the movement from 

 left to right and from right to left cannot exceed one 

 step. This exercise is good to give great nicety of touch 

 to the rider, and to prepare the horse to respond to the 

 lightest effects. 



3. Passing instantly from the ^o^ piaffer to the preci- 

 pitate p26(^er, and vice versd. 



After having brought the horse to display great mobil- 

 ity of the legs, we ought to regulate the movement of 

 them. It is by the slow and alternated pressure of his 

 legs that the rider will obtain the &low piqffer. He will 



