THE JAMBETTES 



When this form of the exercise is well understood, 

 the trainer proceeds to the second form, in which 

 the entire fore leg is extended forward. 



For this, the rider's hand, in calling for the par- 

 tial flexion of the neck, is first carried at the regular 

 position, or, if necessary, a little lower. This posi- 

 tion of the hand gives the fixed point at the atlas 

 region, and thus acts directly on the rhomboideus 

 muscle, which by its contraction raises the fore leg, 

 and on the trapezius which holds the fore leg raised 

 and flexed. In the meantime, the low position of the 

 hand, as the flexion is asked, inhibits the action of 

 the mastoido-humeralis. If now the hand is raised 

 progressively from its low position, the tension 

 from the fixed point at the atlas region will be com- 

 municated to the mastoido-humeralis , which will 

 enter into action, extend the entire fore leg forward, 

 and hold it there so long as the fixed point remains 

 at the atlas region. This exercise is, then, the sec- 

 ond form of thejambette. (Figure 28.) 



These jambettes will teach the horse to raise its 

 fore legs and to extend them at the effect produced 

 by the hands of the rider, both in motion and stand- 

 ing still. By this means the fore legs are so placed 

 as to receive and support their proper portion of 

 the entire load. The partial flexions used to obtain 

 a single jambette to the right or left are now re- 

 placed by a direct flexion of the lower jaw and neck, 

 which gives the alternate jambettes of the two limbs. 

 By the two positions of the hands, low for the flex- 



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