28 HAND-BOOK FOR HORSEWOMEN, 



teacher leads the horse at a walk in a circle to the 

 left, his right hand being always ready to replace her 

 foot in position if she should extend it forward. 



This exercise will indicate at once to the teacher 

 any muscular rigidity on the part of the pupil, which 

 he can therefore correct by the following move- 

 ments : Stiffness of the neck may be removed by 

 flexions to the right, to the left, back and to the 

 right, back and to the left, straight forward, and 

 straight back, always gently and without any abrupt- 

 ness. For stiffness in the spine, the pupil should 

 lean far forward and then backward, bending easily 

 at the waist and keeping the shoulders well down 

 and back. If the shoulders are stiff, the pupil should 

 keep her elbows close to her body, the fore-arm be- 

 ing curved, and the wrists on a level with the elbow ; 

 then let her move her shoulders as far forward, back- 

 ward, up, and down as she can, first separately, then 

 together, and at last in different directions at the 

 same time. Very often rigidity in the shoulder comes 

 from stiffness in the arm, when the following flexion 

 will be found useful : The arm should be allowed 

 to fall easily by the side, and afterward lifted until 

 the wrist is on a level with the elbow, the fingers 

 being shut. The elbow should then be moved out 

 from the sides and raised until it is on a level with the 

 shoulder, with the fore-arm horizontal ; after which 

 the wrist should be raised in the air, keeping the 

 elbow bent at a right angle, and the fingers in front, 

 the arm being afterward stretched to its full length 



