THE REASONED EQUITATION 



still upon his legs, so that I lost a great deal of 

 time and the data were less accurate. To remedy 

 this, I built a stall, three feet by twelve, with parti- 

 tions four feet high. The scales, I placed under 

 ground, the platforms level with the surface, and 

 over them a thin layer of earth or tanbark to give 

 the horse confidence and to keep it from slipping. 

 If, however, the apparatus is set in a floor, solid 

 wooden platforms should be built upon the scales, 

 at the correct distance apart, and surfaced with 

 tanbark or dirt. All these extra weights will, of 

 course, have to be allowed for. The indicators of 

 the scales should be outside the stall. 



It must not be thought, however, that Baucher, 

 in devising this experiment, or the author in re- 

 peating it, had any idea of having it used as a 

 means of training the horse to take the correct 

 position. Its only object is to prove to the student 

 that the state exists, and that it is possible to ob- 

 tain it by means of the effects and aids. 



The deductions from the experiment are highly 

 important. It proves the necessity of the work on 

 the flexions of mouth and neck, since without these 

 there would be no way of obtaining the " in hand." 

 It proves, also, the necessity of mobilizing the 

 front and hind hands, since without this the horse 

 could not be placed with its legs vertical, and 

 therefore the weight could not be made equal on 

 the two scales. Finally, it proves the necessity of 

 the suppling of the loins by movement backward, 



184 



