obey the legs, and be amenable to the bit. The method of supplying the croup, and of teaching obedience to the pressure of the legs, will be treated at length in the chapter upon "The Pirouettes." We

shall now turn our attention to the forehand and to its seat of feeling, the mouth.

The horse must first be taught that he cannot pass beyond the limit put by the hand without bringing pain upon himself, but that so long as he is obedient to the bit he finds comfort. To this end the hand will firmly resist any attempts of the horse to go beyond the limit fixed, but it will make a concession whenever he yields his opposition. The next step will be to make him relax his jaw and bring his head into position, so

that there will be no opposition to the bit. To accomplish this, the rider will be mounted and the horse will be kept upon the ground. Taking the curb-reins in his left hand, the rider will make gentle vibrations of the right rein with the right hand until the horse gives the jaw. A word of encouragement will be given and the tension will be released. Then changing the curb-reins into the right hand, the same thing will be done with the left rein in the left hand. After the horse will yield to either side, he will be induced to give up the opposition of the jaw, and bring the head into position by the same vibratory motions of the two reins at equal length. If the horse hangs upon the bit, he will be induced to bring up his head and carry

his own weight by a few pulls upon the snaffle-bit, from below upwards. But there is never to be a steady tension upon the bit, the horse is to be kept in hand by a series of slight touches that are to be relaxed the moment the resistance ends. When there is a steady pull, no matter how light it may be, the equilibrium is destroyed.

By a pressure of the legs the horse will be made to bring his hind-legs in under him, a forward movement being prevented and lightness in front being secured by the means above recited. When these forces from the fore-hand and from the croup are gathered and balanced, the horse is in equilibrium, and is ready for any movement without further preparation.

After these lessons have been repeated at the halt until he desists from opposition, he will be put into the walk, the trot, and the gallop, the approximate equilibrium being at all times demanded. If he attempts to go beyond the bit he must be restrained, and lightness must be kept up by the gentle, intermittent tensions of the curb-reins. If he hangs back, the heels must keep the forces of the croup up to the point that is required. by the desired speed.

It is through ignoring the fact that a horse's fore-hand may be lightened by the play of the bit, that induces some writers upon riding to adopt crude and improper means for producing the different movements depending upon that condition. A badly trained horse will

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bear upon the bit of the heavy hand, and instead of becoming light in the front at its pressure upon the mouth, the fore-hand will be the heavier for this opposition. It is for such horses and such riders that some writers upon the art advocate that the head should be pulled to the left to lighten the right shoulder, when the rider wishes his horse to lead in the gallop with the right side. Now it is agreed on all hands that a horse's head should be turned in the direction that he

goes. In the above instance the head of the horse is turned to the left, and he is to lead off with the right side. Then if his head is carried to the right to change direction to that side, the horse should, if he answers to his signals, change his leg and be false in his gallop. But when the heavy