FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE 



The bending, suppling, and mouthing of the 

 horse need only patience and common-sense. 

 The horse must yield every time, not you, and 

 if you make a mistake and give before he does, 

 you will have much to do to repair your error. 

 Caress always that part that yields (or that per- 

 forms) : the jaw, the neck, the shoulders, the 

 croup, with whatever he accomplishes your wish ; 

 reward that part immediately by caress (never 

 word). As a clever teacher once said to his 

 pupil, " If your little boy pleases you, do you 

 kiss your little girl P " and that is the whole thing 

 in a sentence, the secret of Baucher, the essence 

 of equestrianism, which, if you regularly practise 

 and believe, simplifies everything about horse- 

 manship. 



When the jaw, neck, etc., yield easily and pli- 

 antly at a stand, proceed at a walk straight, in 

 circles, figure eights, etc., and at the passage both 

 right and left, always returning to the halt if the 

 animal gets out of hand, always beginning and 

 ending the ride with a moment or two of station- 

 ary bitting. The same manoeuvres at trot and 

 canter naturally follow, and form the last stages 

 of the training of the average hack. 



Never tire the horse ; two lessons of thirty 



154 



