spur is drawn away from the girths, the nearer it approaches the most ticklish spot. In fact, horses are not ticklish near the girths, but all of them are ticklish further back.

Besides, in this kind of attack, the lower part of the leg cannot remain close to the animal's side, because the foot swings backwards and forwards ; the result being that the attack is sudden, instead of the horse being prepared for it by a gradual pressure of the leg. It should, on the contrary, be capable of being regulated with precision, so that it can be light, well-marked, or extremely severe, according to the resistance offered by the horse to the indications given by the rider's legs.

When spurring a horse just behind the girths, the knee should be turned a little outwards, so that the spur, like a sword, may be brought at right angles to the side, progressively and with certainty. The scratching and fraying form of attack is made without precision and by jerks.

Those who believe that the fact of the knee being slightly turned outwards diminishes the firmness of the rider's seat, should be taught that the rider gets his strongest grip by means of the upper and back part of the calf of the leg. Therefore the position which the leg occupies when it spurs the horse just behind the girths, is the one which is most favourable to the rider's firmness of seat.^[1]

Gripping too tightly with the knees pushes the thighs upwards, and causes the rider to be more or less raised out of the saddle.

By gripping with the hollow of the leg just behind the knee, we have, on the contrary, perfect adherence from the buttock to the heel. Besides, we can do fine work with the horse only