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neck.[1] The momentum of the mass ends at the bit, namely, at the end of the arm of the lever (of which the flexibility from front to rear increases from rear to front), whence the hand of the rider sends back, in its turn, the amount necessary to maintain equilibrium,[2] towards the hind quarters, which by a fresh spring again impels all the mass forward ; and so on. This horse is thus truly in hand.[3] In my opinion, he ought at the same time be on the hand. The horse is on the hand when, being in direct flexion, he closes his jaw on the bit from time to time, so as to remain in constant communication with the hand of the rider.[4]
When the hind legs are well under the body, the croup is low, and consequently the forehand is high. ↩︎
Naturally, the greater part of the force of propulsion is employed to send the horse forward. ↩︎
People often make the mistake of saying that a horse which " cracks nuts " is well in hand.
A horse that " cracks nuts," continually snaps with his teeth, whatever may be the position of the neck, but more often when it is high. It is true that this horse is light, but he is not in hand. For a horse to be in hand he should obey the indications of the hands on the reins, which he cannot do unless he lets go the bit. A horse which " cracks nuts " gives himself up to this trick, but he never releases the bit. Nevertheless, the mobility of the jaw caused by this habit is a proof that the horse does not stiffen his jaw, and he is therefore always light. From which we can conclude that the horse which "cracks nuts" is generally well balanced. For all ordinary riding he has a sufficiently delicate mouth, but if we want to do high-school work with him, it is indispensable that he should champ and yield to the bit each time the rider requires him to do so, that is to say, he should be in hand. For that object it is absolutely necessary that he should be made to give up his nut-cracking trick, by progressive and rigidly correct flexions. We will thus succeed little by little in making him release the bit and get into hand.
I wish to draw my readers' particular attention to the following important distinction : When the horse " cracks nuts " he retains command of his lower jaw ; but when he is in hand, the rider has control over it. ↩︎
The horse which pulls at the hand is not on the hand ; he is beyond it. When a horse which is on the hand seeks to force it and go beyond it, we should, according to Baucher's teaching, pull him up, put him into flexion, and set off again. My advice is to press him up to the hand by an energetic use of the legs, at the risk of upsetting him, and I thus succeed in getting him into hand by impulsion. ↩︎