THE REASONED EQUITATION 



not wonted to the pressure of the girths and the 

 weight on its spine, it contracts its body and is 

 heavy. But a horse of good conformation, breeding, 

 and temper is naturally energetic, so that it is very 

 easy to lighten such an animal by a wise and pro- 

 gressive education. A more ordinary horse, with- 

 out these native qualities, requires the training of 

 an able master. Yet any horse can, by education, be 

 sufficiently lightened to be mounted with pleasure. 



The old equitation advocates for a heavy animal, 

 great vigor and energy in the effects of hand, and 

 still more of legs, helped out by spurs. Nothing can 

 be more wrong. If the horse is heavy because it does 

 not understand the meaning of hands and legs, and 

 therefore contracts itself, surely it is not by still 

 severer effects that the horse will be cured of its 

 apprehension. On the contrary, it is only by es- 

 pecial lightness of effects, applied cautiously and 

 progressively, that the trainer will make these so 

 pleasant to the animal that it will receive them 

 without fear, contraction, or heaviness. 



Thus we come back always to the same principle, 

 strength of effects, not effects of strength: intelli- 

 gence, not brute force. The rider who understands 

 and puts into practice the principles of an eques- 

 trian method with a heavy horse, will very soon find 

 himself with a light one. 



THE INTELLIGENT HAND 



AN intelligent hand is one which, at all times, under 



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