Thus, in the first place, I say that Baucher's method, which consists in keeping the horse completely and constantly closed between the hands and legs of the rider, is dangerous for people who are indifferent riders, and also for those who work or break their first horses without being under the eye of a master.^[1] It is, therefore, not within the compass of everyone, and perhaps it cannot be practised without trouble, except by those who have seriously studied it.

Baucher says that the mouths and sides of all horses are the same, which is an entirely erroneous idea. I maintain, on the contrary, that it is impossible to find two horses whose mouths and sides are equally sensitive. Without doubt, the difference, like that between the leaves of a tree, may not be very apparent in all cases, but it exists, and cannot be denied.

It is possible that we can succeed in making all horses light in hand and sensitive to the spurs, but I deny that we can give them all the same lightness and sensitiveness.

Baucher adds that in the case of a puller, his mouth is not at fault, and that it is sufficient to change his equilibrium. Let us test his statement by taking, for instance, racehorses in training, and leaving them to make their own distribution of weight, with their heads low, necks stretched out, and croups high. What will happen ? Some will not go up to the bridle and will run badly ; others will pull just enough to run well ; and a third variety will pull too hard, and will run away, notwithstanding the strength of their riders' arms. What does this prove, except that they all have not the same sensitiveness of mouth, as they are all in the same position ?

We should note that all horses in training are bitted in the same way, namely, with a plain snaffle. We therefore cannot blame the curb for their different ways of pulling.

The experiments I have made have thoroughly cleared up