50 ORDINARY RIDING. 



remedy is to put a small movable plate of the shape of a 

 figure of eight, with its centre on the top of the port of 

 the bit, upon which it can revolve. This apparatus will 

 also prevent horses letting their tongues hang out of their 

 mouths. 



Sometimes a horse foams at the mouth by playing with 

 one of the cheeks of the bit, which we can prevent by putting 

 the mouthpiece a little higher up in his mouth and tightening 

 the chin-strap, so that he cannot reach the cheeks of the bit 

 either with his tongue or lips. 



A good mouth will always continue fresh during work with- 

 out being either dry or wet. 



If the flexion has been made in the manner I have indicated, 

 and by the methods I have described, the horse will have his 

 neck high and bent at the poll ; the axis of the head will be a 

 little beyond the perpendicular, the mouth open, and the curb 

 free (Fig. 3). In order that the flexion may be irreproachable, 

 it is necessary that the muzzle should be on a line with the 

 upper part of the shoulder (Fig. 5). The bending of the neck 

 should bring the direction of the head near to, but not behind 

 the perpendicular, which faulty position can be produced only 

 when the neck is bent at a point too near the withers. By this 

 position I have my horse very lightly on the bit. Whereas 

 Baucher, who liked to have his mount behind the bit, drew 

 the animal's head back beyond the perpendicular, and thus 

 put the horse into this position. 



I will now describe the mechanism of direct flexion, as 

 I understand it, and as I have practised it, with this single 

 difference, that, for the sake of clearness, I take for granted 

 that the horse is halted ; although I will explain later on, 

 that at first I make the direct flexion while going forward. 



The majority of riding masters practise this flexion in 

 an entirely different manner. To give an account of what 

 ought to be the direct flexion, which is the fundamental 



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