i io Horse and Man. 



M. Baucher might easily appear superfluous 

 if not injurious. The object of that method 

 is, as we have seen, to balance the horse upon 

 his centre, so that his forehand and haunches 

 shall shift lightly and easily at the slightest 

 impulse. Now there certainly are purposes 

 for which a horse may be used, whose effec- 

 tual fulfilment requires him to throw his 

 weight vigorously upon his forehand ; and no 

 doubt it is a natural inference that such pur- 

 poses will be best achieved by a horse which 

 has not been taught to balance his weight upon 

 his centre. 



All horses used exclusively for harness are 

 instances of this kind. They cannot draw 

 smoothly, or avoid perpetual shocks and 

 jerks, unless they learn to carry forward their 

 weight and set it steadily against the collar. 

 But surely a docile and well-shaped horse 

 might be made to acquire this knack without 

 losing the equally important one of sinking 

 his haunches and bringing his hind legs under 

 his body. We are apt to forget how essen- 

 tial this latter faculty may be to the safety of 

 an animal which has frequently to descend 

 steep hills with a heavy carriage pressing upon 



