equilibrium of the levers. Head, neck, and shoulders fixed in the axis of the well-balanced body, and making a supple and homogeneous whole. This is the action of flexion.

3. To obtain lightness by the relaxation or flexion of the jaw. Having the body balanced and connected in all its parts, the flexion of the jaw enables us to regulate collectively with extreme lightness all the movements from rear to front, and from front to rear, by receiving on the hand the impulsion of the mass which the legs throw on the bit, and which the hand, in its turn, partly sent back to the rider's legs. The hand only retains and sends back to the centre the amount of impulsion which is necessary to maintain equilibrium. The greater portion of the impulsion is naturally employed to propel the body forward. The flexibility from front to rear of the arm of the bent and jointed lever formed by the neck, head, and jaw, progressively increases from rear to front ; that is to say, from the shoulders to the neck, from the neck to the head, and from the head to the jaw. In other words, we hold the fishing-rod by its butt end.

Thus, all the force developed by the horse is concentrated in the hand, the slightest action of which on the bars bends, first, the jaw, proportionately to the impulsion ; secondly, the head^[1] by the jaw ; and thirdly, by the head, the neck ; the neck reacting with its greatest effect on the shoulders. The expression employed to define the reciprocal position of the horse and rider is most exact. We have really our horse in hand.

With respect to these remarks it is necessary to point out that the position of the head is singularly favourable to the action of the reins. In fact, the curb, which acts almost like