62 METHOD OF HORSEMANSHIP. 



at different paces to be sure ; but how dis- 

 connected, how stiff, how ungraceful in their 

 movements, and how ridiculous such steeds 

 make their unfortunate riders look, as they 

 toss them about at will, instead of being 

 guided by them ! This state of things is 

 all perfectly natural, unless we destroy the 

 first cause of it : the bad distribution of 

 tJieir forces, and the stiffness caused by a bad 

 conformation. 



But, it is objected, since you allow that 

 these difficulties are caused by the forma- 

 tion of the horse, how is it possible to re- 

 medy them ? You do not possibly pretend 

 to change the structure of the animal, and 

 reform the work of nature ? Undoubtedly 

 not ; but while I confess that it is impossi- 

 ble to give more breadth to a narrow chest, 

 to lengthen too short a neck, to lower too 

 high a croup, to shorten and fill out long, 

 weak, narrow loins, I do not the less insist 



