120 NEW METHOD OF HORSEMANSHIP. 



A. Because the skillful hand of the rider, having pre- 

 vented all displacings of the head, never lets the forces 

 escape outwards ; it concentrates them by fixing them. 

 The equal struggle of the forces, or if you prefer it, their 

 ensemble^ sufficiently explains the apparent dullness of 

 the horse in this case. 



Q. Xi it not to be feared that the horse may become 

 insensible to the legs and lose all that activity necessary 

 for accelerated movements ? 



A. Although this is the opinion of nearly all the peo- 

 ple who talk of this method without understanding it, 

 there is nothing in it. Since all these means serve only 

 to keep the horse in the most perfect equilibrium, 

 promptness of movement ought necessarily to be the 

 result of it, and, consequently, the horse will be disposed 

 to respond to the progressive contact of the legs, when 

 the hand does not oppose it. 



Q. How can we judge whether an attaque is regular ? 



A. When, far from making the horse get out of hand, 

 it makes him come into it. 



Q. How ought the hand to be supported at the mo- 

 ments of resistance on the part of the horse ? 



A. The hand ought to stop, fix itself, and only be 

 drawn sufficiently towards the body to give the reins a 

 three-quarter tension. In the contrary case, we must 

 wait till the horse bears upon the hand to present this 

 insurmountable barrier to him. 



Q. What would be the inconvenience of increasing 

 the pressure of the bit by drawing the hand towards 

 the body in order to slacken the horse in his paces by 

 getting him in hand ? 



A. It would not produce an effect upon a particular 

 part, but would act generally upon all the forces, in dis- 

 placing the weight instead of annulling the force of 



