as I have described, is the best preparation for the use of the spurs.

According to the system of Baucher, one pulls the horse by his forehand, and if the animal is thus made to move, he will drag his hind quarters after him ; but by my method the horse gets his hind quarters under him, and by their means he pushes the forehand forward, which is the essential principle of good riding.

COLLECTING A HORSE AND DIRECT FLEXION.

As soon as my horse goes well with me round the school to the left, I make him change and begin similar work to the other hand. Then, when I am satisfied with him, I commence collecting him. While going to the left and keeping myself at his left shoulder, I take the bit reins in my right hand, at five or six inches from his mouth. Keeping the buckle of the snaffle reins in the hollow of my left hand, I seize with its fingers the snaffle reins at about eight or nine inches from the mouth, and I carry the left hand in advance of the animal's head, in order to draw him forward. It is absolutely indispensable to hold the snaffle reins in this way, if we wish to prevent the horse from stopping, when we feel the curb reins. Merely holding the snaffle reins horizontally will not do, because we want to do more than to simply pull the animal forward. It is also necessary that the pull of the snaffle is in an upward direction ; because it ought to raise his head and neck at the moment when the pressure of the bit prompts him to flex his lower jaw (Fig. 2, jaw contracted ; and Fig. 3, jaw and bit free,) which action on his part should be counter-balanced by the pressure of the snaffle, in order that it may not make him lower his head and neck.

I feel the snaffle reins in order to raise the head and neck, and I then put equal tension on the curb reins, in order to make him bend his neck and loosen his lower jaw. If the