54 ORDINARY RIDING. 



equilibrium of the levers. Head, neck, and shoulders fixed 

 in the axis of the well-balanced body, and making a supple 

 and homogeneous whole. This is the action of flexion. 



3. To obtain lightness by the relaxation or -flexion of the 

 jaw. Having the body balanced and connected in all its 

 parts, the flexion of the jaw enables us to regulate collectively 

 with extreme lightness all the movements from rear to front, 

 and from front to rear, by receiving on the hand the impul- 

 sion of the mass which the legs throw on the bit, and which 

 the hand, in its turn, partly sent back to the rider's legs. 

 The hand only retains and sends back to the centre the 

 amount of impulsion which is necessary to maintain equili- 

 brium. The greater portion of the impulsion is naturally 

 employed to propel the body forward. The flexibility from 

 front to rear of the arm of the bent and jointed lever formed 

 by the neck, head, and jaw, progressively increases from rear 

 to front ; that is to say, from the shoulders to the neck, from 

 the neck to the head, and from the head to the jaw. In other 

 words, we hold the fishing-rod by its butt end. 



Thus, all the force developed by the horse is concentrated 

 in the hand, the slightest action of which on the bar bends, 

 first, the jaw, proportionately to the impulsion ; secondly, the 

 head* by the jaw ; and thirdly, by the head, the neck ; the 

 neck reacting with its greatest effect on the shoulders. The 

 expression employed to define the reciprocal position of the 

 horse and rider is most exact. We have really our horse in 

 hand. 



With respect to these remarks it is necessary to point out 

 that the position of the head is singularly favourable to the 

 action of the reins. In fact, the curb, which acts almost like 



* The head ought to oscillate from a position a little beyond the per- 

 pendicular to the perpendicular, but never in rear of it. The position which 

 I have indicated enables us to get by the shortest way to the end of the 

 lever, and to obtain the greatest effect by the smallest effort. 



Digitized by Microsoft® 



