THE REASONED EQUITATION 



mechanism, the rider is exerting, let us say, a force 

 of twenty pounds, ten pounds on the fore hand to 

 maintain the "in hand," and ten pounds with the 

 legs, to maintain the contact with the bit. Other- 

 wise the "in hand" will cease and the state of 

 equilibrium be lost. 



Suppose, now, that, in order to send the horse 

 forward at a walk, the rider, keeping always the 

 pull of ten pounds at the reins, increases the pres- 

 sure of his legs to fifteen pounds and then to 

 twenty; but the horse still keeps its center of 

 gravity where it was, and remains standing still. 

 If at this point the rider gives the hand, the center 

 of gravity will pass forward and the horse will start; 

 but the "in hand," which is part of the equilibrium, 

 will be lost. If, therefore, the legs alone have not 

 the power needed to push the center of gravity 

 forward while the reins continue to act, the rider 

 must have spurs with which to multiply their 

 effect. 



The horse having, if I may so express myself, let 

 the center of gravity pass forward, would fall if it 

 did not at once extend a fore leg to receive the 

 weight. This constitutes one step. As the horse 

 moves forward, the spurs abandon their contact; 

 but the legs still maintain their pressure as before 

 the spurs were applied. The center of gravity will 

 return to the middle point; but the horse will 

 continue to move forward, still in the state of 

 equilibrium. All this is in accord with Newton's 



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