138 ROAD, PARK, AND SCHOOL 



CHAPTER XV. DESCENT OF THE HAND. 

 UNION WITHOUT SUPPORT. 



THESE lessons should never be carried so far as to 

 fatigue the horse, for by such a course the trainer 

 would defeat his object in obtaining light and easy 

 action. But the trainer should endeavour to reach 

 the highest standard, and the horse should be 

 ridden, in all the paces, to the union until that state 

 of collection becomes a habit. To confirm the 

 horse in this carriage, and to prevent a disorder in 

 the pace at any changes of the aid, the horse should 

 be taught to bear itself collected in the union with- 

 out the support of either the hand or legs of the 

 rider. The trainer will find that in the vigorous 

 action of the united trot the horse will best carry 

 itself without support, and in that pace he will first 

 drop the hand but aid the horse with the pressure 

 of the legs. The horse being in a united trot, the 

 rider will use both aids to bring it to the highest 

 point consistent with the pace, and will then release 

 the tension of the hands for a few steps, increasing 



