94 Modern Riding and Horse Education 



his only means of recovering it is to momentarily 

 take the weight off his shoulders by dropping his 

 head very low, thus affording a practical example 

 of an important principle in mechanics. This 

 science also tells us that action and reaction are 

 equal in opposite directions, so that the power em- 

 ployed to raise the head through the reins will react 

 through the seat and sink the horse's knees. Green- 

 wood puts this well, and Whyte Melville says that 

 " interference with a horse's head often converts 

 a severe blunder into a fall.^ " 



Before quitting the subject of mechanics it will be 

 relevant to discuss a not altogether exploded fallacy 

 — namely, that the rider can assist the horse at a 

 fence by " lifting " him. If he forces the animal to 

 throw up his head and neck he not only prevents 

 him from seeing where to take off at the fence, but 

 also disturbs a poise of the forequarters which is 

 purposely assumed by the horse to facilitate the 

 making of his best effort. We can but steady him, 

 we cannot lift him — it is an obvious impossibility. 

 He must do the lifting for both of us, so that the less 



1 The Italians claim to have proved the truth of this by instantane- 

 ous photography. 



