120 



PRINCIPLES OF 



P. V. 



ward, or the hand relinquish its severity, he 

 must back till he fell : therefore, the instant 

 the horse yields to the hand, the body and 

 hand yield to the horse, that he may recover 

 his balance. He should then be gently in- 

 vited or pressed to back again. 



In reining back, the hand must preserve 

 its centrical situation, so that it may not com- 

 pel the croupe to traverse off the line. If the 

 hand is from the centre to the left, the croupe 

 will traverse to the right ; and if to the right, 

 the croupe will traverse to the left. 



With the greatest exactness of the hand, 

 however, some horses' croupes will traverse, 

 and require the particular attention of the 

 heel to support and direct them on the line. 

 The hand and heel are always to support and 

 assist each other. Thus : should the croupe 

 traverse to the right, you must, of course, lay 

 the right leg on ; then to give assistance or 

 cooperation, the hand must be carried a little 

 to the right j but this must be done with the 



