THE SCIENTIFIC EQUITATION 



mistake. The hind leg is the one which gives the 

 impulse and is the cause of every movement. The 

 action of the fore leg is merely the consequence. It 

 would, therefore, have been more logical to have 

 named the bipeds from the hind legs; and more in 

 accord with the equestrian maxim, "Forward, 

 forward, always forward." This means impulsion, 

 and impulsion is possible only by the effects of the 

 rider's legs acting on the hind limbs of the animal. 



It must, of course, be understood that when I 

 discuss these motions in diagonal, I am considering 

 only a horse in the state of equilibrium. Moreover, 

 when any master speaks, let us say, of the right 

 diagonal effect and the use of the right rein and the 

 left leg, he does not mean that the left rein and the 

 right leg are to cease their effects. What he means 

 is that this rein and that leg are to increase theirs. 

 Otherwise, the horse will turn its body, its spine 

 in the dorsal region will no longer remain straight, 

 and the forward impulse will disappear. 



To accustom horse and rider to the diagonal ef- 

 fect, they should execute mounted the lateral and 

 direct flexions, and mobilization by the reversed 

 pirouette and backing. If, however, at the begin- 

 ning of practice in the diagonal effect, a young 

 rider training a young horse is confused in his ef- 

 forts, it is better to begin the rotation by the 

 diagonal effects on foot. For this, supposing that 

 the movement is from left to right, the trainer 

 places himself exactly as for the direct flexion, ex- 



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