ANIMATIONS. 23 



scarcely ever require animations, while others are 

 so dull, and deficient in mettle, as to call them 

 frequently into use. The slightest movement of 

 the body, the hand, or the leg, is enough to rouse 

 the well bred, and thoroughly trained animal ; but 

 it is necessary with sluggish horses, that the anima- 

 tions, to be so spirited and united, as almost to be- 

 come corrections : in fact, what is mere animation 

 to the one horse, would be a positive correction to 

 another. 



Animations should be used in all cases, when 

 the horse, contrary to the rider's inclination, 

 either decreases his speed, droops his head, bears 

 heavily and languidly upon the bit, or begins to be 

 lazy and slovenly in the performance of his pace, 

 A good rider foresees the necessity for an anima- 

 tion, before the horse actually abates his speed, or 

 loses the ensemble of his action, and the grace and 

 spirit of his deportment. 



It is much easier to maintain, than to restore a 

 horse's animation ; therefore, the whip, the hand, 

 the leg, or the voice, should do its office a few mo- 

 ments before, rather than at a time, when doing 

 so has become indispensable. A slight motion of 

 the fingers of the bridle hand, serves as an excel- 

 lent animation ; it reminds the horse of his duty, 

 awakens the sensibility of his mouth, and preserves 

 a proper correspondence between that, and the 



