THE FLEXIONS MOUNTED 



the quality of pressure which they exert upon their 

 instruments to make them produce the exact 

 quality of sound which renders the musical phrase. 

 Their instruments, however, are machines which 

 do not tire; whereas the horse is a creature with 

 bones, muscles, nerves, and will, capable of fatigue, 

 and needing relaxation, lest the will move nerves 

 and muscles to resist. It is, therefore, to prevent 

 the state of revolt occasioned by fatigue that we 

 must, though always retaining the contact, render 

 the fingers, so that the horse vibrates under the 

 rider's control, without excessive fatigue. 



The third sort of rendering the hand consists in 

 allowing the horse to place its head and neck in a 

 position other than that which they have been 

 holding under the rider's control. The horse has 

 completed a series of movements, head in position 

 and fixed point at the atlas region. The contraction 

 starting from this point tends to create weariness, 

 so that the horse needs to rest this region. The 

 rider, therefore, by lengthening his reins, lets the 

 horse extend his neck. The fixed point shifts from 

 the atlas region to the shoulders, and the horse 

 rests. This action of rendering has to be learned 

 by the horse, first standing; then progressively at 

 walk, trot, and gallop. (Figure 20.) 



