IO2 . ROAD, PARK, AND SCHOOL 



The object of the rider in collecting the horse in 

 place is to have the weight of the mass evenly 

 divided between the fore-legs and the hind-legs, and 

 in action to have this balance as closely observed 

 as the motions of the animal in action will admit. A 

 horse naturally well-balanced would stand, at liberty, 

 with the legs almost perpendicular to the horizontal 

 plane upon which the animal is placed that is, a 

 perpendicular line falling from the upper outside 

 end of the haunch-bone would fall at the heel of the 

 hind-leg, and a similar line would fall from the middle 

 of the socket of the fore-arm to the heel of the fore- 

 leg. But how the mounted horse should carry 

 itself can only be determined when the rider finds 

 it light and balanced between his hand and heels. 

 Any malformation of the horse would require an 

 artificial balance to be obtained by elevating or 

 depressing one or other of the extremities, according 

 to the position the horse takes when bearing the 

 weight of its rider. 



The Poise. If, after the horse has been brought 

 * in hand,' the rider wishes to collect the forces as 

 closely as possible, he will continue the pressure of 

 the legs, and restrain a forward movement or heavi- 

 ness of the forehand with the bit. When the neck 

 bends, the crest rises, the face is held vertically, the 

 jaw is pliant, the horse grows under the rider, and 



