238 PRECEPT AND PEACTICE. 



but that by such carriage we lose all commaud over 

 his mouth. His head once beyond a certain eleva- 

 tion, is, as would be the pole of a carriage ' without 

 the pole-pin. We can no more control the action 

 of the horse's body by the hand in such position 

 than we can the impetus of the carriage with a pole 

 so circumstanced. It is by the hold we have of his 

 head, and urging him forward at the same time, we 

 produce that grand desideratum '* action ;" relax 

 our hold, he relaxes his action, unless naturally 

 good or grand, as the case may be ; but even then 

 we give it a stimulus by the same means as we im- 

 prove bad or middling action, by holding the horse 

 and at the same time exciting him — as he cannot 

 increase his pace beyond what we wish him to do, 

 the excitement causes him to do something^ so he 

 lifts his legs higher than he would do if left to 

 himself. This is technically termed action. We 

 only can keep this necessary hold of his head, or 

 rather hold on the mouth, while it is in such posi- 

 tion as enables us to keep the bearing on the right 

 place. 



