THE REASONED EQUITATION 



It is, then, somewhere between a horse that is 

 forward of the hand and one that is behind, that 

 we find the ideal condition, " upon the hand.'* The 

 first two sorts of horse are out of the man's control. 

 The one because it takes the initiative for itself; 

 the other because it does not respond to that of the 

 rider. The third is under control, because the 

 forward impulse of the rider's legs is received by 

 the rider's hand, which, by means of the fingering, 

 accepts it and lets it pass forward, or denies it and 

 sends it back, accepts and raises, accepts and directs. 



The first sort, therefore, pulls on the bit, because 

 it pushes by its own will. The second sort does not 

 pull, because it cannot or will not push. The third 

 pushes just so much as is indicated by the legs of 

 the rider, who, by his fingering, accepts or prevents 

 the pulling. The first horse will push, pull, and run 

 away. The second horse will stop, kick, and rear. 

 The third cannot perform other movements than 

 those asked by its rider. 



LIGHT IN HAND 



Lbger a la main has long been used by masters 

 of equitation to describe a horse which responds 

 calmly and readily to the gentle and progressive 

 effects of the rider's hand. 



But the horse light in hand is not at all the 

 animal which escapes the contact of the bit on its 

 bars by shaking its head in every direction. Noth- 

 ing is easier for a human being than to be a law- 



172 



