46 ORDINARY RIDING. 



short, so that the horse may not be inclined to bear his weight 

 on the bridle. 



If he yields, even in the slightest manner, I give to him 

 and pat his neck. I then try to get him to yield still more, 

 without asking too much from him. I again give to him and 

 pat him ; and so on. 



We should take particular care to get the horse to give to 

 us, not only with his neck, but also with his jaw, which he will 

 do by opening his mouth. The bending of the jaw is the last 

 stage of flexion. Several horses, in yielding the lower jaw, 

 whether in direct or lateral flexions, bring the jaw from one 

 side to the other side. Although the jaw in this case does 

 not resist the hand, it yields by going to the right or left, 

 instead of yielding in the direction of the axis of the head. 

 This incomplete method of yielding can be corrected only by 

 stimulating the animal to go forward. 



We can easily understand that if the lower jaw is carried 

 ro the right or left, the horse will not be correctly in hand, 

 although his head and neck will be in a good position. His 

 appearance of being in hand is not real, because the contrac- 

 tion of the muscles of his lower jaw makes it impossible for his 

 mouth to be light. In these conditions the horse will never 

 go freely up to his bridle, despite the stimulus of the legs. 

 If I require an increase of impulsion, it is because the horse, 

 by escaping from the straight line, brings his head too near 

 his breast, in which case he will have a tendency to get behind 

 his bit. It is therefore necessary to send him up to it. 



Finally, if the jaw does not yield, the bending of the neck 

 will only cause the weight to be brought back, and con- 

 sequently to make the horse rein back or get behind the 

 bit. 



The entire principle of direct flexion consists in the alternate 

 opposing actions of the curb and snaffle. Whilst the snaffle 

 draws the forehand forward, a light pressure of the curb 



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