356 THE HORSE. 



" It is then only in the education of these last that the real 

 difficulties of horseuianship consist. With the otliers the break- 

 ing ouglit to be, so to say, instantaneous ; since, all the springs 

 being in their places, there is nothing to be done but to put them 

 in motion ; this result is always obtained by my method. Yet the 

 old principles demand two or three years to reach this point. 

 And when, by feeling his way without any certainty of success, 

 the horseman, gifted with tact and experience, succeeds at last in 

 accustoming the horse to obey the impressions communicated to 

 him, the rider imagines that he has surmounted great difficul- 

 ties, and attributes to his skill a state so near to that of nature, 

 that correct princij^les would have obtained it in a few days. 

 Then as the animal continues to display in all his movements 

 the grace and lightness natural to his beautiful formation, the 

 rider does not scruple to take all the merit to himself; thus 

 showing himself as presumptuous in this case as he was unjust 

 when lie made the badly formed horse responsible for the fail- 

 ure of his attempts. 



If we once admit these truths ; — 



That the education of the horse consists in the complete sub- 

 jection of his powers ; 



That we can only make use of his powers at will, by amiul- 

 ling all resistances; 



And that these resistances have their source in the muscular 

 contractions occasioned by physical defects ; 



The only thing necessary will be to seek out the parts in 

 which these contractions arise, in order to endeavor to oppose 

 and destroy them. 



Long and conscientious observations have shown me that, 

 whatever be tlie taults of formation that prevent a just distribu- 

 tion of forces in the horse, it is always in the neck that the most 

 immediate effect is felt. There is no improper movement, no 

 resistance, which is not preceded by the contraction of this part 

 of the animal ; and as the jaw is intimately connected with tlie 

 neck, the rigidity of the one is instantly communicated to the 

 other. These two points are the fulcrum upon whicli the horse 

 relies, in order to defy and overpower all the rider's efforts. We 

 may easily conceive the immense obstacle they must present to 

 the exertions of the latter, since the neck and head being the 



