THE REASONED EQUITATION 



deficient conformation, its position is variable, and 

 this hinders the union of the animal's forces at any 

 center. Though its proper place is at the middle of 

 the spine when the horse is collected, it seldom is 

 actually located here until after the horse has been 

 trained. The beautiful conformation only makes 

 the training easier. But, of course, the horse has 

 also its instinctive center of gravity, when at 

 liberty, without a rider to direct its movements, 

 gaits, and speed. 



With these principles in mind, it becomes easy to 

 understand the defenses of the horse. If the horse 

 kicks, rears, or runs away, the cause is always the 

 wrong location of the center of gravity. Kicking 

 means that the center is in the shoulders; rearing, 

 that it is in the haunches; running away, that it is 

 in the spine, but too much forward of the middle. 



The constant object of the rider is, then, to keep 

 the center of gravity where it belongs. Equitation 

 cannot completely alter bad construction of the 

 locomotor organs; but it can ameliorate the effect 

 by modifying the cause. By uniting the animal's 

 forces at the proper point, one can paralyze the 

 defenses of a badly conformed animal. This is the 

 reason why the masters have maintained that a 

 well-conformed horse cannot defend itself, without 

 destroying the harmony of its conformation, and 

 at the expense of a very great increase of muscular 

 effort, to give the power needed to displace the cen- 

 ter of gravity. 



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