28 



STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION 



not only be trained to make him pliysically fit for the race but he 

 nnist be tauglit to step. The same is true of actors, saddle horses, 

 jumpers, and others. They are all given the natural aptitude to 

 begin Avith, but that is not sufficient to get the best out of them. 

 Handling. — Handling is but the application of the school- 

 ing. It is painful to see a well-schooled saddle horse, to whom 

 every little movement of hand or heel has a meaning, with some 

 awkward man up who is reaping the fruits of his ignorant hand- 

 ling in a ride that is most distressing both to himself and his 



Fig. 2G. — Bow -kneed. 



Fig. 27. — Too close at 

 ground. 



IiG. 28.— Too wide at 

 ground. 



mount ; or to see a horse, on whom much effort has been spent in 

 teaching him to flex his neck, knees, and hocks in a proud, col- 

 lected, high way of going, put in light harness, with the omni- 

 present Kimball Jackson overdraw, and a heavy-fisted driver up 

 who boasts of how fast the horse can step. It is as essential that 

 the handling be in accord with the schooling as that the schooling 

 should follow the line of natural aptitude. The handling offers 

 the stimulus, the schooling makes possible the response; har- 

 mony is, therefore, imperative. There are individual differences 

 in the methods of different handlers, though the same gen- 

 eral system may be employed. Among all race and show riders 



