34 Horse and Man. 



clear that no horse can execute any pace with- 

 out becoming, at momentary intervals, com- 

 paratively sensitive to the bit. And therefore 

 a horseman who knows how to take advantage 

 of this, by yielding his hands when the horse 

 extends himself so that he is able to resist the 

 bit, and by pulling the rein when the horse 

 bends or contracts himself so that he becomes 

 sensitive to the bit, is able to regulate the 

 paces of any horse in the world. The prac- 

 tice of this invaluable knack is commonly 

 known as Giving and Taking. 



The whole equestrian art may be said to 

 consist in these two simple words. The horse- 

 man whose delicate tact enables him never to 

 rLk a pull which the horse is prepared to 

 resist, and never to miss a pull which the 

 horse is unprepared to resist, is absolutely 

 perfect. His horse can make no movement 

 which he will not foresee, and therefore none 

 which he cannot if necessary baffle. Such 

 perfection of handling as this cannot always 

 be learnt, and is far from necessary ; but no 

 horseman who regards his own safety or com- 

 fort ought to be satisfied until he has acquired 

 a certain degree of it. We have now to con- 



