350 THE HORSE. 



be made to hold at arm's-length, progressively, weights iiicreas 

 iiig from ten to forty pounds. This exercise should commence 

 with the least fatiguing position, the arm being bent, and the 

 hand near the shoulder, and this flexion should be continued to 

 the full extent of the arm. The position of the chest and truidc 

 must not be affected by this exercise, but must be kept steady 

 in its attitude. 



Tne strength of pressure of the knees may be judged of, 

 and even produced, by the following method. This, which at 

 first sight will perhaps appear of slight importance, will, never- 

 theless, bring about great results. The instructor should take a 

 narrow piece of leather about twenty inches long, and place one 

 end of it between the pupil's knee and the flap of the saddle. 

 The pupil will exert the force of his knees on the saddle to pre- 

 vent its slipping, while the instructor will draw it toward him 

 slowly and progressively. This process will serve as a dyna- 

 mometer to judge of the increase of power. 



The strictest watch must be kept that each force acting 

 separately shall not put other forces in action. That is to say, 

 that the movement of the arms shall not affect the shoulders, or 

 put them in motion. It should be the same with the thighs, in 

 respect to the body ; with the legs, in respect to the thiglis, and 

 so with the rest. The power of displacing and flexing, at will, each 

 several limb, having been thus separately obtained, the chest 

 and seat are to be temporarily displaced, in order to teach the 

 rider to recover his proper position without assistance., This is 

 to be done as follows. The instructor, being placed on one side, 

 must push the pupil's hip, so that his seat will be moved out of 

 the seat of the saddle. The instructor will then allow him to 

 get back into the saddle, being careful to watch that, in regain- 

 ing his seat, he makes use of his hips and knees only, in order to 

 make hiin use only those parts nearest to his seat. In fact, the 

 aid of the shoulders would soon aff'ect the hand, and this the 

 horse ; the assistance of the legs would have still worse results. 

 In a word, in all the displacements, the pupil must be taught 

 not to have recourse, in order to direct the horse, to the means 

 which keep him in his seat, and vice versa, not to employ, in 

 order to keep his seat, those means which direct the horse. 



Here but a month has elapsed, and these equestrian gym- 



