PRINCIPLES OF MOUTHING.
Making a horse obey the rein--Manner in which a horse should carry
his head and neck, when in motion--Suitability of the horse to the
bridle--How the mouth-piece should act--Teaching the horse to bend
his neck to the rein--Proper direction for the pull of the
reins--The running martingale--Bearing reins, side reins, and
running reins--Teaching the horse to turn--Reining
back--Lunging--Good hands--Snaffles and curbs--Elastic reins on
dumb jockeys--The standing martingale--Nose-bands.
_Making a Horse obey the rein._--In mouthing, we should act on the
principle I have advocated, in the preceding chapter, of making our
equine servant accord ready obedience to the lawful commands of his
master; after we have taught him to understand our wishes expressed by
the proper “indications.” The breaker will do well always to bear in
mind the old maxim, that “a horse should never get the chance of
pulling successfully against the bit, or unsuccessfully against the
collar.” As a man on foot has as thorough command over a horse, as the
animal has over its rider--supposing that both know how to exercise
their respective powers--the breaker should, naturally, commence his
mouthing lessons on foot, and should, as a rule, refrain from giving the
horse the advantage of having him in the saddle, until the habit of
obedience to rein, leg, and, if need be, to voice, is fully confirmed.
In all this, we act on the retentiveness of the horse’s memory, which is
his strongest mental quality, in guarding ourselves from the ill
consequences that might ensue from the exercise of the animal’s
reasoning powers, which, luckily for us, are comparatively feeble, or
from his natural impatience of control.
With some horses, especially with those that have learned to know their
own power, the process of inculcating the habit of obedience to the
rein, by simply working on the horse’s mouth, may be ineffective, or
may be too tedious for practical requirements. In such a case, I would
advocate the advisability of exacting obedience, in the first instance,
by some readily feasible method, as advocated on page 11; so as to
impress the animal with the idea of our supreme power over him, and to
banish from his mind any thought of resisting our will, even on a point
concerning which he would always prove victorious, had he sufficient
intelligence to see through our artifice. Our power over the horse, when
we are on his back, being necessarily limited in extent, it follows
that, with all our teaching, we may, at times, be unable to control our
mounts.
Although young horses, well bred and truly shaped, will, generally,
“carry” themselves to the best advantage, we may find that many animals,
even in a state of freedom, and, more particularly, those that have been
in bad hands, contract a stiff and awkward carriage, which, as a rule,
may be easily remedied by two or three days’ “mouthing,” on the system
I shall describe further on, followed by good handling and the ordinary
routine of saddle, or harness work. I in no way mean to say that careful
riding or driving would not, _in time_, accomplish the object in view,
without the aid of the work on foot; but I maintain that the preliminary
mouthing is invaluable in the saving of time, and that it can produce
effects which are unattainable by any rider, however good his hands may
be.
_Manner in which a Horse should carry his head and neck, when in
motion._--When the animal takes a stride to the front, the fore-limb,
which is connected to the body by muscular attachment, is drawn forwards
and upwards by certain muscles of the neck; their action being naturally
regulated by the depression or elevation of the head. If the head be
unduly raised, the forward reach of the fore-legs will be curtailed by
this “high” style of going; and the speed will, consequently, suffer.
If, on the contrary, the head be brought down too low, the animal, if at
the gallop or canter, instead of “going level,” will have a more or less
pitching motion, from too much weight being thrown on his forehand; and
will lose time in his stride by excessive bending of his knees, which is
necessary to enable his feet, in that case, to clear the ground.
Owing to the variety in the conformation of different horses, and in the
work they are called upon to do, it is impossible to lay down any fixed
rule as to the angle at which the neck should be carried: a fact that is
of little moment; as experience will enable us to form a sufficiently
near approximation for all practical purposes.
The neck muscles, which draw the fore-limb forward, will naturally act
to the best advantage when the neck vertebræ are extended on each other;
that is, when the neck is straight. According as the neck is bent, so
will this forward “pull” be diminished.
The chief muscle that draws the fore-limb forward is attached to the
head in such a manner, that it acts best when the head is carried, more
or less, at right angles to the neck. Hence, we may take for granted,
especially, as the correctness of the assumption can be verified by
experience, that this position of the head is the best one for
requirements demanding the exhibition of speed, or strength. For
military purposes, “pace” is to some extent sacrificed for obtaining
increased control and “handiness.”
_Suitability of the Horse to the bridle._--When the horse carries his
head and neck in an easy, natural manner, in fact, in the best one for
the display of his powers--as we have seen in the preceding paragraphs
of this chapter--the mouth-piece of the snaffle will rest on the “bars”
of the mouth, as long as the reins are held not much above the level of
the withers. Hence, from the peculiar conformation of the horse, we
obtain two special advantages for rendering him obedient to the rein.
First, the “bars”--that portion of the gums of the lower jaw which are
devoid of teeth and which are in front of the molars--are singularly
suitable for the application of pressure; being sensitive and smooth.
Secondly, when the horse carries his head and neck in the best manner
for facilitating his movements, the mouth-piece will be in the position
easiest for the rider or driver to control the animal by the reins. The
breaker’s task, therefore, as regards the carriage of the horse’s head
and neck, will simply be to teach him to carry them in a perfectly
natural way.
_How the mouth-piece should act._--If an impetuous, hard-pulling horse
gets his head up and tries to “break away” with a good rider, the man
will ease the reins, “drop his hands,” and wait till the animal lowers
its head, before he takes a pull: a rule that is followed by all our
best horsemen. When the animal finds its head released, he will quickly
bring it “down.” The reasons for not pulling at the reins when the head
is “up,” are: that, when it is carried in this position, the mouth-piece
falls on the corners of the mouth, pressure against which, we find by
experience, is not effective in restraining the horse; and that the
horse will not, as a rule, lower his head as long as the rider continues
to haul on the reins. As soon as the head is brought down into its
natural position, the pressure of the mouth-piece will fall on the bars.
We may readily conceive, that far more pain results from the superficial
nerves of the bars being squeezed between two hard bodies--the
mouth-piece and the bone--than that caused by pressure on the loose and
mobile tissue which forms the corners of the mouth. If, in the case I
have imagined, the horse tries to get his head too low down, our typical
good rider will endeavour to make the animal bring it into its proper
position. The relief to the mouth obtained by arching the neck and
bringing the chin close in to the chest, as some hard-mouthed horses
will do, is due to a portion of the pull of the reins being, then,
taken by the crown-piece of the bridle; instead of the whole of the
pressure, as it should do, falling on the bars. A horse may, also, by
stretching his head out, get the mouth-piece off the bars, and on to the
corners of the mouth. It is needless to say that such actions on his
part, are done with the object of “saving” the mouth. As they are
opposed to the possession of proper control over the horse, the breaker
should teach him to abandon, if he has learnt, these tricks, and to
acquire the habit of bending his neck to the rein, and slackening his
speed, as his sole defence against the pressure of the mouth-piece. The
only alternative I can see for the use of pressure on the bars, would be
its application on the nose by some form of nose-band.
_Teaching the Horse to bend his neck to the rein._--Having taught the
horse to hold his head, when he is ridden or driven, in an easy, natural
position--namely, in one that will allow the mouth-piece always to rest
on the bars--we must then teach him, on the reins being “felt,” to bend
his neck in order to “save” his mouth. The partial check to the action
of the muscles that draw the fore-limb forward, caused by the bending of
the neck (see page 45) will be an easily understood signal to the animal
to moderate his pace.
_Proper direction for the pull of the reins._--When the horse is in
motion, the forward propulsion by the hind-legs is given through the
hip-joints; while that by the fore-limbs, passes through, we may roughly
say, the elbow-joints. As the former impetus greatly exceeds the latter,
we may assume that the centre of motion is a little in front of, and a
little below the level of, the hip-joints. To comply with mechanical
requirements, any pressure of the bridle on the mouth must, therefore,
be in the direction of this centre of motion, so that the regularity of
the stride may be interfered with as little as possible. The rule,
taught by experience, of holding the hands, when riding, and especially
when galloping, just below the withers, is in entire agreement with this
fact.
If the rider’s hands be unduly raised, so as to make the horse carry his
head too high, there will be too much weight put on the hind-quarters.
As a point of interest, I may state that, under ordinary circumstances,
when a horse begins to tire in his gallop, he will, instead of “going
level,” throw increased weight on his forehand, and his croup, when his
hind-quarters make their stroke, will become more and more raised. To
accurately express this “dwelling on his stride,” we may say, that as
the horse becomes fatigued, the forward motion becomes, proportionately,
converted into one of rotation, the chief cause of this being that the
weight of the rider falls principally on the forehand. Hence, we find
that, at the finish of a race, a good jockey “sits down” in his saddle,
“catches a good hold” of the animal’s head, and holds his hands a
little above the withers: actions on his part which tend to relieve the
horse’s forehand of weight, and, consequently, to make him use his
powers to the best advantage.
In military riding, which demands special control over the animal’s
movements, the horse’s head is drawn in, and the rider’s hand raised,
much more than they would be in ordinary work.
_The running martingale._--The legitimate uses of this gear are to aid
in keeping the horse straight, and to prevent the reins going over his
head; but not to keep the head down. If this martingale be so short as
to exert a downward pull on the reins, too much weight will be thrown on
the forehand. If the horse raises his head even when this martingale is
lengthened out, so as to bring its rings on a level with the withers,
when it is pulled up, the downward direction of the reins, from the
mouth-piece to the rings of the martingale, will produce the same ill
effect. Hence, it is a maxim among all good jockeys, that the head of
the race-horse, with whom a level style of galloping is one of the chief
essentials to success, should be kept down by the rider’s hands, and not
by the running martingale. It is the custom, therefore, among jockeys,
when they use this gear, to lengthen it out, so that, when it is drawn
up, to test its length, its rings will come up to the angle of the lower
jaw, when the head is held in a natural position--a length which will
obviate any chance of there being a downward pull on the reins.
In the training of a race-horse that “star-gazes,” the use of a running
martingale, in order to keep his head down, besides interfering with his
action, is detrimental to the soundness of his legs and feet, by reason
of the extra weight thrown, thereby, on his forehand.
Respecting the injurious effects of hampering the action of the neck
muscles, and of putting a severe downward pressure on the mouth,
especially during rapid motion, I may quote the following interesting
extract from ‘White’s Veterinary Art,’ which was written many years ago:
“There is a great danger, however, of attempting to make the mouth at
the time of riding, by means of a running rein; for if he is a stubborn
or runaway horse, there is great danger of throwing him down, and in the
most dangerous manner that can be. For, if he is determined to run away,
and the rider endeavours to prevent him by a running rein, in drawing
the nose down to his chest, the muscles of the shoulder are so
restrained that he must of necessity pull him down topsy-turvy. Since
the body being propelled by the muscles of the hind parts, the restraint
thus imposed upon the extensor muscles of the fore-leg, prevents their
being thrown out to the extent required, and he comes down with the most
dangerous violence. I have known this accident happen with horses that
have had upright shoulders and very well-formed hind parts; and I have
also known very safe horses, that have contracted a habit of going with
their noses poked out, become very unsafe, and soon get broken knees by
the endeavour to improve their carriage by a martingale or running
rein.”
_Bearing reins, side reins, and running reins._--I would dispense with
the use, in breaking, of these three appliances, as ordinarily employed;
for the first acts by exerting pressure on the corners of the bars,
while the other two tend to keep the head in an unnaturally low
position. Were the side reins lengthened out so as to act as a properly
arranged standing martingale (see page 70), or were the running reins
attached high up on the saddle; as near as possible on the level of the
withers, their use would be wholly unobjectionable. With the long reins
(see page 172), the standing martingale (see page 70), and driving pad
(see page 166), the horse can be quickly taught to carry himself
properly, without any injurious effect being produced.
_Teaching the Horse to turn._--When we fail to make a horse turn
properly, we find, almost always, that our want of success is due to the
animal’s hind-quarters not “coming round” in concert with his head and
neck, which, as a rule, can be “bent” to the right or left with
facility. I venture to dissent, with all diffidence, from the principle
of the “suppling” lessons enjoined by that great master of equitation,
M. Baucher, as first steps for “forming the mouth,” for teaching the
horse to bring his head round to one side or the other, according to the
indication used, while the hind limbs remain fixed. To my thinking,
precision in the simple movements of advancing to the front, reining
back, and turning, should be sought for, before attempting any
artificial evolutions,--such as the “passage,” and “shoulder-in,”--only,
in which, the bending of the head and neck is made independently of that
of the hind-quarters. As, in riding, all turns should be made with the
aid of the support of the “outward leg”--a fact too widely recognized
for the
[Illustration: Fig. 1.--Horse bending his neck to the rein without
swinging round his hind-quarters at the same time, in answer to the
pull.]
necessity of proof here--we should teach our pupil, from the outset, to
avail himself of such assistance. As the rider’s weight tends to advance
the position of the centre of gravity, the natural turn, especially at
fast-paces, will be a compromise between the turn “on the centre,” and
that “on the haunches.” I may remark, that the further the weight is
thrown back, and the greater is the support of the outward leg, the more
will the turn be made on the haunches. The use of this leg-pressure,
although necessitated by the unequal distribution of the rider’s weight,
is, besides this, valuable in all sharp turns made at speed. The turn
“on the forehand” can be taught by the rider, after the simpler one is
mastered. In treating about turning, I draw no distinction between the
saddle and harness horse; for the latter should be made as “clever” as
the former, in “collecting” himself and “coming round.”
Let us suppose that a horse is ridden at a fence, A B (see Fig. 1), and
that he “runs out” to the left; although the rider has pulled the
animal’s head round to the right, in his endeavour to keep him straight.
In this case, the horse yielded to the rein with his neck, but refused
to swing round his hind-quarters--a movement, on his part, which would
have brought him at right angles to the fence (see Fig. 2); so that he
would have had either to jump or to stop, neither of which actions would
affect in any way the precision with which the turn had been made.
Again, if a horse jibs in harness, and refuses to turn, say, to the
right, we shall, in the vast majority of cases, have no difficulty in
making him turn his head round in the required direction, although he
will obstinately keep his hind-quarters fixed. The same may be said of a
horse that rears. If these animals would only turn their hind-quarters
round with the same facility that they bend their necks, they would lose
their strongest “defence” against our “aids” (the reins and legs of the
rider). It is evident that in every turn, the hind-quarters have to move
round
[Illustration: Fig. 2.--Shews horse having answered the pull of off rein
as he should, and consequently coming straight at his fence.]
in the opposite direction to the head and neck; the centre round which
the movement is made, being advanced or brought back, according as the
turn is made “on the forehand,” or “on the haunches.”
_Reining back._--It is an axiom of the riding-school, worthy of implicit
acceptance, that, until a horse has learned to rein back with facility
and precision, he cannot be considered to have a good mouth; for, by
performing this movement in the manner described, he shews that he is
intelligently obedient to the indications of the rein, in yielding to
its pressure, and, at the same time, in bringing his hind-legs “well
under” him. Herein lies the value of the practice of reining back, which
teaches the animal to understand that a pull on the reins is quite as
much a signal for him to “collect” himself, as to moderate his pace.
Hence, the use of a judicious pull when going at high “timber,” or when
galloping through heavy ground, especially, when the horse is tired. If,
when travelling fast, the animal will only bend his neck to the rein,
while letting his hind-quarters sprawl out behind, he will quickly tire,
and will, also, be a most unsafe “conveyance,” from inability to raise
his forehand, as occasion may require.
_Lunging._--Although lunging usually forms a considerable portion of the
work given to young horses, during their period of breaking, I mention
it, here, solely with the object of advising its discontinuance
altogether. Making a horse circle with the weight on his forehand, while
his hind-quarters are “thrown out,” not alone teaches him an awkward
style of moving, but is also a fertile cause of sprain to the tendons
and ligaments of the fore-limb. Again, as it is much more easy for the
vast majority of men to keep turning round in one direction--in one
opposite to that in which the hands of a clock revolve, for right-handed
people--than in the other; it follows, that the generality of men, when
they lunge a colt or filly, will circle the young one more to the left
than to the right; just as we may see done any day on Newmarket Heath,
opposite the railway station. The injurious effects of such a practice
are self-evident. I shall describe, further on, a method of circling a
horse--the breaker being on foot--by which the animal is made to move in
a thoroughly “balanced” manner, and by which his mouth can be “formed”
at the same time. I am confident that all good horsemen to whom it is
new, will, on seeing how it is done, adopt it unreservedly. I am aware
that the practice of lunging is discredited by many good breakers who
are unacquainted with the method of circling which I have introduced.
_Good hands._--The term “Good hands” signifies the ability of taking a
pull at the rein--supposing it be required--when the horse’s head is in
the proper position for the mouth-piece to act on the “bars” of the
animal’s mouth; and of slackening them when the horse attempts to escape
the pressure by bringing his head into a wrong position, or when the
animal yields to the indication of the rein. The action of the
mouth-piece, and the advisability of refraining from pulling at the
reins when the head is in a wrong position, have been fully dealt with
in the preceding pages. I may, however, draw attention to the fact that
when the horse’s head is in the wrong position for the action of the
bridle, it is in an unfavourable one for the movements of the fore-limb;
being raised or depressed to an undue extent, or too much flexed or
extended on the neck (_i.e._ chin drawn in, or poked out). Hence, the
natural tendency of the horse will be, if his mouth be not interfered
with, to bring his head in the position which is the best for his own
movements, and which is the most suitable for the action of the
mouth-piece of the bridle. A hard-pulling horse, for instance, ridden or
driven by a man with “good hands,” will, probably, get his head “up,” on
feeling the pressure of the mouth-piece, when he tries to break away.
Being inconvenienced in his movements by this awkward carriage of the
head, and lacking, on account of the slackness of the reins, the
incentive to keep it “up,” he lowers it, to again experience the
restraining pull. This will, probably, go on for a few times, until,
wearied by a contest in which he finds himself baffled, he yields to the
indication of the rein, and slackens his pace. Feeling that he “saves”
his mouth the moment he does this, by the rider “giving” to him, he
remains “in hand” for the rest of the journey. The typical
“mutton-fisted” man, on the contrary, will keep hauling away at the
reins, after the horse has got the mouth-piece on to the corners of the
mouth, or, by getting his chin into his chest, and his head down, has
transferred the pressure on to his poll. Consequently, the animal,
experiencing the relief thus obtained, will naturally conclude that he
has got the best of the battle, and will continue on his own course as
long as he pleases. The harder such a man pulls on the reins, the more
likely will he be to incite the animal to shew fight. In this case, the
man foolishly pits the strength of his arms against the greatly
superior power of the horse’s neck. The rider with good hands, on the
contrary, uses a pull on the reins, merely as a means of letting the
animal know, that, if it will obey his wishes, it will “save” its own
mouth; a hint which, as a rule, is readily taken. I need hardly say that
the severer the bit, the better should be the hands of the man who
employs it. A really fine horseman can ride with success in almost any
kind of bit.
_Snaffles and curbs._--The only advantage possessed by the curb over the
snaffle is, as a rule, its greater power of control. This superiority is
attended with the serious objections that: (1) the use of the curb is,
often, irritating to the horse, who, if roused, can always successfully
resist its control; and (2) that it is, more or less, detrimental to the
action of the horse, by tending to make him averse from “going up to his
bridle,” and by obliging him, so as to “save” his mouth, to carry his
head in a more or less constrained manner. As we can easily obtain the
necessary control with the snaffle during breaking, it is evident that
we should altogether dispense with the use of the curb during this
process, so as to avoid the introduction of any disturbing element in
the working out of the principle of using indications, rather than
severity.
The thin, so-called, racing snaffle should not be used; as it is apt to
wound the bars of the mouth, and thereby irritate the horse into shewing
fight, which is the very thing we should seek to avoid while using the
reins, of which, when we are in the saddle or driving seat, we are
masters only on sufferance.
_Elastic reins on dumb jockeys._--These contrivances should not be
employed in breaking; for they never allow the complete freedom from
pressure which the horse should experience as a reward for obedience,
when he bends his neck and yields to the rein; unless, indeed, the
elastic lines are ineffectually loose, or the animal draws in his head
to an immoderate extent.
[Illustration: Fig. 3.--The proper length for a standing martingale.]
_The standing martingale._--The use of this martingale is to prevent the
horse from getting the mouth-piece off the bars, when he throws up his
head. Hence, if we employ it lengthened out, so that it will be just
short enough to accomplish this object, and no more (see Fig. 3), it
will give us the immense advantage of having the mouth-piece always in
an effective position, with but little drawback. I, here, suppose that
it is attached to the rings of the snaffle and not to the nose-band. At
first glance, it may be considered that this mechanical restraint would
be a constant source of danger, in the event of the animal getting into
difficulties. I have frequently heard it urged,--but only by men who had
not seen its use practically demonstrated,--that if a horse, on making a
“blunder” at a fence, could not extend his head more than the properly
lengthened out martingale would allow him to do, he would, being thus
deprived of this supposed means of recovering his equilibrium, run a
great risk of falling. We may see the fallacy of this argument, if we
consider that the only effect of this poking out of the head, is to
endanger the equilibrium, which becomes unstable, the moment a
perpendicular line drawn through the centre of gravity, falls beyond
the fore-feet. We find, therefore, by observing the comparative
tightness, before and after jumping, of the standing martingale, that
the horse’s tendency, when fencing, is to bring his head back, on
advancing the fore-limbs. If he adopts, with the martingale on, the
other and unsafe course, the pain caused by the consequent severe
pressure of the mouth-piece on the bars, will soon teach him to save his
mouth by holding his head in a proper position. Besides the increased
control obtained by the mouth-piece always remaining on the bars, the
presence of the standing martingale, by stopping him from poking out his
nose, will tend to prevent him going “uncollectedly” behind, and, even
on this account alone, will be specially useful for the hunter, chaser,
and polo pony. Whatever be the horse’s work, whether on the flat, across
country, or in harness, he should be ridden or driven in a standing
martingale, if he has the habit of trying to get the mouth-piece off the
bars of the mouth, or has any tendency to go uncollectedly. Objection
to its use can be taken, only, in the case of the ’cross-country horse,
who will be much more liable to be brought to grief by the practice of
either of the faults just mentioned, than by this martingale. When he
has learnt to carry himself properly, but not till then, should its
employment be discontinued. Its constant use quickly teaches the horse
to hold his head and to carry himself in the desired style; for
obedience to the indications it automatically affords, is at once
rewarded by relief to the mouth. No such useful lesson can be learned by
the employment of the running martingale; for, with it, no saving of the
mouth is obtained by any yielding of the head and neck to the rein. When
it is on, whatever relief is procured, must be the result of the action
of the rider’s hands, which cannot possibly “give and take” with the
same precision as the fixed martingale. I may mention, that this gear
has the great advantage of preventing a rider with “bad hands,” from
hauling on the reins when the mouth-piece is on the corners of the
mouth. Hence, the worse the rider, the more need he has of using a
standing martingale with a horse that requires one.
That good horseman, Mr. Blew of _The Field_, remarks to me that he has
seen one or two falls result from the use of the standing martingale, in
cases of horses, out hunting, getting their fore-feet into a deep
“gripe,” and, then, being prevented by this gear, from throwing up the
head, and, thus, relieving the fore-hand. He, consequently, advises that
it should be employed, only, in breaking. Those fine steeplechase
riders, Colonel Hickman of the 21st Hussars and Colonel Wardrop of the
12th Lancers, as well as many other good ’cross-country performers,
consider, with me, that its addition renders horses requiring such
restraint, safer over fences than they would be without it. Although the
solution of this debatable question may be left to each man’s own
individual feeling on the matter, there can be no doubt as to its
paramount importance in breaking, which is the subject, at present,
before us.
The statement may be advanced, that men with really fine hands will gain
nothing from the employment of the standing martingale. I entirely
dissent from this; for it is impossible for any man, however delicate
his touch may be, or strong his arms, to prevent, as this martingale
will do, the animal from getting his head up, and thereby successfully
resisting control, for the time being. I may mention that many of our
finest Irish riders are its devoted admirers.
When a horse pulls hard, he will, almost invariably, try to advance his
chin further than the standing martingale--at a proper length, let it be
understood--will allow him to do. Hence, this amount of restraint will
always be a direct saving to the arms; while it will be taken off the
mouth, and the controlling indication afforded, the moment the animal
brings his head back into its natural position. I need hardly explain,
that the horse being unable to bring forward the bars of the lower jaw,
will try, when resisting the action of the standing martingale, to
advance his poll as much as possible, by bending the joint connecting
the lower jaw to the head, and that by which the head is attached to the
neck.
If the standing martingale be fixed on to the nose-band, it will fail to
act in the manner described; owing to the fact that the pressure thus
exerted on the nose by this strap, causes little or no pain; unless,
indeed, it be specially arranged to produce this effect, as in the way
described on page 217.
_Nose-bands._--The use of the nose-band is to prevent the horse
relieving the bars of some of the pressure of the mouth-piece, by
opening his mouth; an action on his part which will tend to render this
pressure oblique, and to transfer a portion of it to his poll.