EQUITATION AND HORSE TRAINING. 59 



give and take has a certain significance which should be 

 clearly stated. 



Talce does not consist in drawing the hand back and 

 give does not mean carrying the hand forward and releas- 

 ing the reins. 



Assuming the permanent contact which should exist 

 between the horse's mouth and the rider's hand, talce 

 means to fix the wrist and tighten the fingers at the mo- 

 ment of halting or of half halting ; give means to relax the 

 wrist and loosen the fingers without losing touch with the 

 horse's mouth; if the horse has been well trained, touch 

 will not be lost, because the horse will himself feel for his 

 rider's hand. 



Any slowing of gait should therefore be the result of the 

 action of the fingers on the reins. If this action is insuffi- 

 cient, it must be reinforced by carrying the upper part of 

 the body backward; but any movement of the elbows 

 should be avoided, as this is the unfailing symptom of the 

 unskilled horseman. 



Necessity of frequently returning to the lesson of going 

 straight ahead. — ^All these bending lessons made on the 

 curb bit, these halts and half halts, only too often result 

 in slowing the horse and in diminishing any desire to go 

 ahead that he may have acquired. 



(This is commonly called '^steam," and is manifested 

 by a proper voluntary tightening of the reins. The horse 

 with ''no steam" is voluntarily behind the bit. — The 

 Board.) 



It is therefore necessary to resume frequently the first 

 lesson of the legs — the lesson of moving straight ahead. 

 The horse should be attacked vigorously with the calves, 

 being careful to fully loosen the fingers, so that he shall 

 have complete liberty to escape to the front. 



Lesson with the spurs. — With horses that hold back, 

 that are too cold (phlegmatic), or that do not respond to 

 the legs the spurs should be used. The lesson with the 



