88 Of the Hand. 



must jerk her hand, and give a violent shock to 

 the horse's mouth : — rough and irregular motions 

 which would be sufficient to falsify the firmest ap- 

 pui, and to ruin a good mouth. 



The hand, moreover, must be sensible and dis- 

 criminating whether the horse wishes to disengage 

 himself from its restrictions, or whether he wants 

 a momentary liberty for his accommodation and 

 ease. He will remove the rider's hand if he wants 

 to cough ; he will move his head if cramped by 

 too long confinement, or to dislodge a fly, and the 

 like. The rider, discovering the cause of such 

 removal, will not correct (unless the horse, pre- 

 suming on her compliance, takes too much liberty,) 

 but rather allow a reasonable accommodation, and 

 be gentle and pleasant while the horse is united 

 and obedient. 



III. A light hand is that which lessens still more 

 the feeling between the rider's hand and the horse's 

 mouth, which was before moderated by the gentle 

 hand. 



The appui being always in the same degree, would 

 heat the mouth, would dull the sense of feeling, 

 would deaden the horse's bars,, and render them 

 insensible and callous. Lightness of hand con- 

 sists, then, in an almost imperceptible alternate 



