lOo ORDINARY RIDING. 



and faces the side upon which the flexion was made. The 

 neck, of course, remains high, as in direct flexion, the 

 muzzle being at the height of the upper part of the shoulder 

 and the head in, or a little beyond, the perpendicular* 



(Fig. 33)- 



Thus, as we have seen by the right flexion, this flexion is 

 generally done in quite a different manner. The only way 

 to find out what the lateral flexion ought to be, is to consider 

 the result we wish to obtain from it. 



OBJECTS OF LATERAL FLEXIONS. 



1. To preserve, by the high position of the neck, the equili- 

 brium of direct flexion in changes of direction. 



2. To strengthen and bind the entire forehand in the changes 

 of direction, by arranging all the parts in such a manner as to 

 make the whole as compact and supple in the turning move- 

 ments, as in the direct movements. 



In changes of direction, the shoulders naturally cover 

 the ground, while the hind quarters give the propulsion ; but 



* In doing the lateral flexion we should take care not to alter the distribution 

 of weight. To counterbalance the effect of the flexion, the horse has a natural 

 tendency to make an opposition with the shoulder of the side away from which 

 the head is turned, and to put the weight of the forehand on the left leg if the 

 head is bent to the right. This is inevitable as long as the jaw resists, but the 

 moment it yields, its flexion, involving that of the neck, brings about an equal 

 distribution of weight on both legs. If we allow the horse to contract the habit 

 of opposing the shoulder of the side opposite to the flexion, the equilibrium, and 

 consequently the lightness, will be destroyed. In changes of direction, as in 

 movements, on two tracks, the shoulder of the side opposite to that of the flexion 

 will always be late. The great difiiculty in these exercises is to make this 

 shoulder move. Hence we should always try to relieve it by making only a 

 slight bend, whilst the snaffle rein of the side opposite to the change transfers the 

 weight to the inward shoulder (which has less ground to cover), by throwing the 

 weight at each stride to the side towards which the animal is proceeding. This 

 method enables us to obtain great propulsion in work on two tracks. A too 

 complete flexion will stop this propulsion by overloading the outward shoulder. 

 At first one is always astonished to learn that the flexion to the right overloads 

 the near shoulder, which is the natural result of the attempt made by the horse to 

 counterbalance the effort demanded of him. 



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