do this or that work, if he is only told how, and at what moment or place he should touch certain parts of the animal's body.

The riding masters of the new school take good care not to break thorough-breds, because they know by experience that wiry, energetic and strong horses will not let themselves be tortured. In order to excuse themselves, they maintain that thorough-breds are wanting in suppleness ; the fact being that thorough-breds are the most supple of all horses, but the least patient under pain.

Besides, we owe to this new school all those ladies who, not being able or not wishing to ride, find it much more easy to buy a machine-made horse and work him by touching him with a cutting whip on the legs, head, croup, and a little everywhere else, in a most ungraceful manner.

True lovers of horsemanship would not engage in this kind of equitation, which is made up of contortions, and which consists almost always of making the horse drag himself on his knees, stretch out his head on the ground like a calf which is waiting to have its throat cut, walk on balustrades, etc.

The public, knowing little of equitation, applauds in any case, but it is sad that the art of equitation should have fallen so low.

In order to know if the rider really possesses horse knowledge, it is enough to look at the horse. If the animal is light, well placed, full of impulsion, and does all his movements with so much spirit that he appears to work with pleasure, we may be certain that he is not a pupil of the new school, and is still less a machine-made horse, to which I have already alluded.

I may add that a man should ride without a whip, and that a lady should use it only to supply the want of the right leg ; that is to say, to strike on the right side and only a little behind the girths.