49yJ^ p^j 
 
 JOHNA.SEAVERNS 
 

THE ART OF RIDING; 
 
 BY 
 
 H. a. ENGLISH. 
 
 vCfjcltcnljam : 
 
 PRINTED AT THE '' CHELTEXHAM L00KE1{-i»n" OFFICi'- 
 
icbicnteb, 
 
 BY PERMISSION 
 
 l^igf)t Hon. tf)e Eai^Iof Govcnfrv 
 
 MASTER OF 
 
 HER MAJESTY'S BUCKHOU^'DS 
 
PREFACE 
 
 In writing this little Book I have in 
 view but one object, and that is to lay 
 down a few simple, easy Rules, by which 
 anyone can learn the Art of Riding easily 
 and gracefully without the help of a Riding 
 Master. I could easily, of course, have spun 
 it out to much greater length, and still have 
 been within the limits of my subject ; but 
 it would nevertheless have partaken more 
 or less of the character of padding; and 
 
6 
 
 while the Book would have been more bulky, 
 
 it would not have been so useful, as I hope 
 it will be in its present form. I can only 
 say that riding has been to me a life-long 
 study and practice, the fruit of which I 
 now offer to the public, in the hope that it 
 may be of use to those who are not able to 
 command the services of a good Riding 
 Master. And I would even hope that it 
 may contain some useful hints for those 
 who have long ago ceased to take lessons 
 in the ordinary sense. I am now sixty 
 years of age, and I am almost as young in 
 feeling, as healthy and as lithe and active 
 
as I was thirty years ago, and I attribute 
 this all to Riding. I hope a similar result 
 may await my readers when they arrive at 
 my age. 
 
 H. G. ENGLISH. 
 
 Cheltenham, 
 
 January^ 1890. 
 
THE ART OF RIDING 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 The horse, from every point of view, is an 
 interesting study. More money and attention 
 have been bestowed upon his breeding and training 
 than upon those of any other animal; and perhaps 
 we should not be far wrong in saying that he 
 has monopolised more of both than all other 
 animals put together. The breeding of horses 
 was a favourite study of the ancients; and in 
 the earliest dawn of history we find him occup)-- 
 ing his niche in fame, side by side with great 
 
10 The Art of Biding. 
 
 kings and warriors. Every great conqueror has 
 had his favourite horse, whose name is as well 
 preserved in history as that of his master — from 
 Alexander and Hannibal down to Napoleon and 
 Wellington. Alexander and Bucephalus, Wel- 
 lington and Copenhagen, are inseparable, and the 
 mention of either conqueror calls up, by, as it 
 were, a natural sequence, the name of his horse. 
 The incident serves to mark not only the value 
 of the horse to man, but also the peculiar and 
 high place he holds in man's love and regard. 
 
 This recognition of the high place the horse 
 holds in the animal world has not been confined 
 to those civilized countries where, from their 
 superior culture, we should naturally expect a 
 due appreciation of so valuable and gifted an 
 animal, but among the most barbarous and the 
 
The Horse. 11 
 
 wildest tribes of men he has always been the 
 object of peculiar regard and love. Among the 
 wild Tartars and the inhabitants of the deserts 
 of Arabia he may be truly said to form part of 
 the family circle, and is treated with as much 
 solicitude and kindness as the people of the 
 desert bestow upon their own kindred. Little 
 children lie down in safety side by side with 
 him, and from their hands he will receive his 
 food as gently as a lamb. Rarely or never is 
 he known to abuse the kindness he receives; but, 
 with an instinct finer and truer in some respects 
 than human reason, he invariably returns with 
 interest the love and consideration he receives. 
 
 He is at all times ready to answer to his 
 master's call, and knows the voice of every member 
 of the family as well as they know one another's. 
 
12 The AH of Biding 
 
 No whip or spur is ever needed to obtain from him 
 the utmost speed he is capable of; and his great 
 delight is to spend his strength and swiftness 
 in his master's service. 
 
 Comparing the Arab horse of the desert 
 and all his fine qualities with our own English 
 horses and their often vicious tempers, many 
 will come to the conclusion that the Arab 
 is gifted by Nature with a docility of tem- 
 per which has been denied to the European 
 horse. And when we consider how common 
 it is for our horses to develop bad qualities, 
 and how rarely we find any exhibit the gentle- 
 ness and intelligence of the Arabian steed, it must 
 be confessed there is apparently much reason 
 for the behef. But it is not so: the Arab horse 
 is by Nature in all essentials precisely the same 
 
The Horse. 13 
 
 as the horses of Europe : the difference is in the 
 training. 
 
 It is, unfortunately, but too often the 
 custom of those in charge of our horses to use 
 harsh methods of treatment, and frequently to 
 act with downright cruelty to the animals, from 
 the days of their birth ; whereas the ears of the 
 Arab colt are never assailed by the least harsh 
 sound of unkindness, and during the whole course 
 of his life he is a stranger to ill-treatment. 
 
 This kindly treatment, continued through 
 generations, has produced the docile, and, at the 
 same time, spirited creature we find in the Arabian 
 horse. If the same kindness and consideration 
 were bestowed upon our riders and carriage horses 
 we should, in a few generations, have very few 
 bad tempered or vicious animals amongst us. 
 
14 The Art of Biding. 
 
 It is pre-eminently the nature of the horse to 
 be willing, to answer to the voice of gentle control, 
 to be swift and alert; but it is also his nature 
 to be nervous and timid, and extremely sensible 
 to external impressions ; and when these are of a 
 violent character great and irreparable injury is 
 done to his temper. 
 
 Those qualities which constitute his great 
 value to man, and which by nature belong 
 to him, are the very means through which, 
 by bad treatment, his worst vices may be 
 reached and developed. Just as the finest and 
 most generous natures in men and women are the 
 most susceptible to injustice and bad treatment, 
 and receive the greatest injury therefrom, so the 
 high, generous and spirited nature of the horse 
 whilst answering to every gentle impulse in har* 
 
The Rorse. 15 
 
 mony with that nature, rebels violently against 
 all harsh and brutal treatment, which is not only 
 not in harmony with his fine constitution, but 
 is directly antagonistic to it. He is quick to 
 appreciate kindness, but equally quick to resent 
 unkindness. The horse is not a bicycle or any 
 other kind of machine on which you can jump 
 and steer it by the turn of the hand merely by 
 main force. He is much stronger than his rider, 
 and is not slow in learning the kind of man he 
 has on his back. His quick intelligence detects 
 in a moment the incapacity of his rider, and if 
 his temper is roused he is not slow to take 
 advantage of it. Owing to the great complexity 
 and development of his nervous system and brain 
 the horse has a highly developed intelligence, and 
 on this fact chiefly depends the reason of the 
 rules to be observed in good riding. 
 
16 The Art of Biding. 
 
 The quality and perfection of his nervous 
 system is second only to that of man; and, perhaps, 
 we should not be far wrong in saying that, with one 
 or two exceptions, his intelligence also is second 
 only to that of man. It has been shown by a careful 
 comparison of the nervous systems of animals 
 that the intelligence displayed bears a close 
 relation to the nervous system : each kind of 
 animal rising in the scale of intelligence as its 
 network of nerves becomes more complex and 
 perfect. This fact should teach us how necessary 
 it is in dealing with the horse to make him under- 
 stand what it is we wish him to do. This can 
 only be done by kindness and great patience, 
 and any deficiency in this respect, especially in 
 the latter, displayed by the trainer will frequently 
 not only undo all the previous good, but render 
 the animal incapable of further improvement, and 
 develop all the bad qualities of his nature. 
 
The Horse. 17 
 
 A good groom rarely enforces obedience to 
 his commands by a loud harsh tone; and still 
 more rarely by blows. Nevertheless^ there are 
 times, of course, when a sharp peremptory tone is 
 necessary, and a good cut of the whip a salutary 
 chastisement. But such corrections should never 
 be resorted to except on occasions when the horse 
 displays wilful disobedience, or manifests a ten- 
 dency to exhibit little tricks of temper, which 
 may frequently result in injury to the rider or 
 others. For example, when two or more are 
 riding together it is not unusual for a horse, 
 otherwise good-tempered and well-mannered, to 
 show jealousy of the horses beside him; and if 
 this is not corrected the passion will grow, and 
 sooner or later eventuate in vicious kicking or 
 biting at his companions* 
 
18 The Art of Biding. 
 
 Whenever this evil trait appears, which is 
 indicated by the drawing back of the ears and 
 the protrusion of the mouth, the rider should at 
 once deal him a sharp quick cut across the neck, 
 accompanying the chastisement with peremptory 
 words of disapproval. At the same time he 
 should be careful to tighten the reins and brace 
 up his muscles, so as to prevent the horse from 
 jumping forward, and to be prepared for any 
 manner of resentment he may possibly show. 
 The very instant he feels the cut and hears the 
 angry voice he knows full well that he has been 
 misbehaving himself; and though he may resent 
 it for the moment, owing to the rapidity of his 
 nervous and muscular action, he will acknowledge 
 the justice of the correction. This is proved by 
 the way in which he will become gradually broken 
 of any such bad traits. 
 
The Horse. 19 
 
 It is not the fear of the whip that teaches 
 him good manners, so much as his knowledge of 
 wrong-doing, which is communicated to him by 
 the higlier intelligence and superior will of his 
 master — man. You cannot frighten a horse into 
 good manners; anything in the shape of fright 
 has an injurious effect upon hiin, altogether dif- 
 ferent to the effect produced by correction with 
 the whip. 
 
 The memory of the horse is similar in 
 character to our own. We do not learn good 
 habits without much training and many correc- 
 tions, and the slips of memory are sometimes 
 hard to obviate. So it is with the horse : his 
 memory serves him tricks, and many repetitions 
 of instruction are necessary before he acquires 
 good manners. A Schoolmaster of great ex- 
 
20 The Art of Biding. 
 
 perience once told the writer that if a good habit 
 was thoroughly inculcated by the hundredth 
 repetition he was quite satisfied. Let us not then 
 be too hard upon the horse if he appears slow in 
 acquiring those good manners which fit him for 
 the services and pleasures of man. 
 
 Great care should be taken never to ask him 
 to do anything in the hunting field, where serious 
 danger is unavoidable and evident. He places 
 implicit confidence in man ; but when he finds 
 that confidence abused he is apt to reject the 
 guidance of his rider, and refuse the performance 
 of all feats similar in character to the one he was 
 urged to, in which his danger was evident. A 
 well-known Nobleman had in his stables a 
 splendid hunter who was never known to refuse 
 any leap. Being out one day with the hounds 
 
The Horse. 21 
 
 he was asked to jump a stone wall, but, to the 
 astonishment of his rider and those who knew 
 his great qualities as a jumper, he refused flatly 
 to take the wall, though urged several times with 
 whip and spur. 
 
 Fortunately for both horse and rider 
 the former knew the ground better than the 
 latter ; for, on the opposite side of the wall, at the 
 point where the reckless rider would have taken 
 the leap, was a deep hole or quarry, in which, in 
 all human probability, both horse and man would 
 have met with serious injury, if not total destruc- 
 tion. That horse was completely spoilt as a 
 hunter, for never from that day forth could he be 
 induced to take any jump, even of the sinr.plest 
 kind. He knew full well that he was being urged 
 to his destruction, and this had such an effect 
 
22 The Art of Biding. 
 
 upon him that he lost completely all confidence 
 in man, and would never again trust himself to 
 his guidance in the matter of jumping. No doubt 
 the horse was unnerved, or, as it was said, 
 thoroughly cowed; but I believe it was not so 
 much that his courage was shaken, as his con» 
 fidence in the judgment of his rider. 
 
 Horses love hunting, and will follow the 
 hounds without rider or guidance; and I venture 
 to think that that horse would have followed the 
 hounds without rider, and have taken, as before, 
 with unabated courage, all leaps over the ground 
 with wliich he was acquainted. 
 
 My experience as a teacher of riding — 
 extending now over a period of forty years — 
 has led me to place great importance on what I 
 term conveying your thoughts to the horse, while 
 
TTie Horse. 23 
 
 in the saddle. I shall have to insist on this more 
 in detail, when I come to the lessons of practical 
 instruction. But I desire here to make some 
 general observations as to the meaning to be 
 attached to the expression — '' Conveying your 
 thoughts to the horse.'^ I have sometimes been 
 asked, with an incredulous smile: "Is the horse 
 a thought-reader ? '' I answer, Yes and No : 
 Yes, in the sense in which alone thought can be 
 conveyed, viz., through the material mechanism 
 appropriate to the reception and conveyance of 
 impressions: No, in any sense in which thought 
 is divorced from that mechanism. An illustration 
 will, I hope, make plain my meaning. 
 
 A short time ago considerable interest was 
 excited by the performances of Mr. Stuart Cum- 
 berland, the so-called Thought-Reader, It will 
 
24 The Art of Riding. 
 
 be remembered that he was invited to the House 
 of Commons by the leading M.P.'s of both 
 Parties, who were desirous of testing the power 
 he claimed of being able to read the thoughts 
 that are passing through one's mind. In a 
 private room of the House there could, of course, 
 be no deception practised ; and the intelHgence 
 of the illustrious audience forbade the hope of 
 successful imposition of any kind, should such be 
 necessary to sustain the credit and reputation of 
 the celebrated performer. Mr. Cumberland was, 
 therefore, fairly on his trial. 
 
 Mr. Gladstone was his first subject. The 
 Right Honourable gentleman was requested 
 to fix his mind upon some figures or numbers, 
 and to exclude all other thoughts. Mr. 
 Cumberland then took his hand, and with a 
 
The Horse. 25 
 
 piece of cbalk wrote on a board the number Mr. 
 Gladstone had thought of. To the surprise of all 
 present Mr. Gladstone acknowledged the correct- 
 ness of the performance. The same thing was 
 repeated with several other gentlemen, and in 
 every case with perfect correctness. Not only 
 could he detect what numbers the mind was 
 dwelling on, but any object that occupied the 
 thoughts he could distinctly trace on the board 
 holding the right hand of the thinker. 
 
 It is said that he took the right hand of the 
 Prince of Wales, and sketched in rude outhne 
 the figure of an elephant, and when it was com- 
 pleted it was observed that the animal had no 
 tail. His Royal Highness laughingly observed 
 that it was perfectly true he was thinking of a 
 particular elephant, and that it was without a tail. 
 
26 The Art of Biding. 
 
 If you fixed your mind upon a particular 
 spot, no matter how distant, he could take hold 
 of your hand and lead you to the identical place. 
 Now let it be observed, Mr. Cumberland could 
 not look at you and read your thoughts, it was 
 necessary that the part in which he possessed the 
 most sensitive feeling should come in contact 
 with that part of his subject in which there was 
 also much sensitive feeling; and that is the hand. 
 The explanation is that, so subtle and all-pervading 
 is thought that the nerves and muscles are power- 
 fully affected by it, and when a certain figure was 
 thought of, the nerves and muscles of the hand 
 were sufficiently powerfully affected to enable a 
 delicate touch to detect the influence of the 
 thought in this or that direction. Unconsciously 
 to the thinker the mind works the muscles : an 
 electric power darts instantaneously from the 
 
The Horse. 27 
 
 thoughts throughout the whole animal body, and 
 creates a pressure and motion of the muscles. 
 
 A wonderful instance of this was given by 
 the above-named Thought Reader. A gentleman 
 was accustomed to make the figure 9 in two ways, 
 and when he came to this figure Mr. Cumberland 
 hesitated ; the gentleman at once explained that 
 he was for the moment undecided which way he 
 should make the figure; there was at once a 
 conflict of pressures which was at once detected 
 by Mr. Cumberland. 
 
 In introducing this topic I have somewhat 
 digressed from my subject. But its value to our 
 purpose will be seen by the reader. It proves 
 that thought finds physical expression in the 
 
 pressure of the muscles. Now the Horse, as I 
 
 c2 
 
28 Tie Art of Biding, 
 
 have said, possesses an extremely fine nervous 
 structure, and when you are on his back and 
 throw your thoughts, as it were, in any direction 
 you wish him to go, the muscular action accom- 
 panying your thoughts will be instantly detected 
 by him, and he will answer to the influence. 
 
 There is, of course, vigorous muscular action 
 required in making known your wishes to the 
 Horse to get him to act prompth', but it all pro- 
 ceeds from the will, without which there can be 
 no strong muscular action. Let a rider about to 
 take a jump be uncertain, hesitate, or feel timid, 
 and ten to one the horse will refuse it. The 
 above, then, is what I mean by "conveying your 
 thoughts to the Horse." 
 
 It is simply an electric current running like 
 lightning from the brain through the nerves to the 
 
The Sorse. 29 
 
 muscles, and conveying to the horse the same 
 impulse of feeling which you yourself experience. 
 And the greater the harmony of action, the more 
 complete the circulation of muscular action 
 between horse and rider, the better and easier 
 riding becomes. As soon as a man mounts his 
 horse, the latter — if he is worth anything — braces 
 himself for actual work : the rider should do the 
 same, and never allow his horse to carry him as 
 though he was simply a dummy rider. 
 
 In regard to the value of riding, as a healthy 
 exercise, it is impossible to over-estimate it. It 
 is scarcely an exaggeration to say that nine cases 
 in every ten of bad health which afflict men and 
 women arise from causes which riding effectually 
 removes. It promotes the healthy exercise of all 
 the functions of the body, and stimulates the 
 
30 The Art of Biding. 
 
 circulation of the blood in a way which no other 
 kind of exercise can accomplish. It prevents 
 the accumulation of unhealthy fat, by bringing 
 into vigorous play all the muscles of the body. 
 More illness is due to the sluggish action of the 
 organs connected with excretion than many people 
 are aware of; for this is the main cause of impure 
 blood, and of those obstructions in the system 
 which, in some cases, entirely break down the 
 health, and in many others cause such a depres- 
 sion of mind that life is not merely bereft of all 
 enjoyment, but is frequently a burden to carry 
 about. For such, medicine is no good ; riding is 
 the grand panacea ; the only effective doctor. 
 
THE LADY'S SEAT. 
 
 To be a good horsewoman a lady must sit 
 correctly in the saddle, and this is the first, and 
 not by any means the least important, considera- 
 tion to be attended to by all who would acquire 
 the art of easy and graceful riding. No amount 
 of practice will compensate for the neglect of this 
 elementary, but indispensable requisite. It is true, 
 a lady may be able to trot, canter, and gallop, with 
 comparative ease to herself, who has never acquired 
 this first lesson of learning to sit in the saddle, 
 but she will never appear otherwise than very 
 awkward to beholders, to whom she will at all 
 times present the appearance of a novice, or one 
 who is just beginning to ride. She will never 
 
32 The Art of Biding. 
 
 elicit the remark: "How well that lady rides!" 
 or, " What a graceful rider ! " On the contrary, 
 her riding will create a feeling of uneasiness that 
 she may possibly come to grief, by being thrown 
 from the saddle she sits on so awkwardly. I say 
 she may ride with "comparative" ease to herself, 
 but it will be an ease, if I may so speak, that will 
 be acquired by the expenditure of much unneces- 
 sary muscular effort, and will result in great 
 fatigue to the whole body, if the riding be con- 
 tinued long. Moreover, the grace of the figure is 
 entirely destroyed, for the time, by an awkward 
 seat. 
 
 A lady may possess a perfect figure, graceful 
 and pleasing in every movement, but every charm 
 will vanish the moment she mounts her horse, if 
 the A B C-^as I may call a correct seat — of 
 
The Lady's Seat 33 
 
 good riding has not been studiously and carefully 
 acquired. On the other hand, a naturally indif- 
 ferent, and even very ungraceful figure, when well 
 seated and poised in the saddle, presents a pleasing 
 and graceful sight; for it manifests the possession 
 of a great and valuable acconnplishment. Ladies 
 of unprepossessing figures — if there be any such — 
 have here a nowerful weapon within their power, 
 with which to turn the tables upon their otherwise 
 more highly favoured sisters. An easy, natural 
 seat in the saddle will give charm to a figure 
 destitute ot natural endowments. Ladies should, 
 therefore, spare no pains to make themselves 
 thorough masters of this first lesson in riding. 
 
 When a lady mounts a horse for the first 
 time the tendency is to sit back in the saddle, 
 bend the back and thrust the head forward* 
 
34 The Art of Biding. 
 
 Apart from the ungainly appearance such a 
 position or posture presents, it is impossible for 
 the movements of the body to harmonise with 
 those of the horse, which is the great secret in 
 riding well. With such a seat almost every 
 movement of the rider will be antagonistic to the 
 movements of the horse; and both horse and 
 rider will, in consequence, use far more energy 
 than is necessary, resulting, of course, in a corres- 
 ponding amount of unpleasantness and fatigue. 
 The rider should sit well on and into the saddle, 
 so to speak, and not on the back part of it. The 
 weight of the body should rest firmly on the 
 horse's back, head and shoulders erect, or slightly 
 inclined backward. There should be no leaning, 
 hanging, dragging or straining of the body at all, 
 but a perfect sense of rest in all the muscles. 
 
The Lady's Seat, 35 
 
 The rider should feel that her weight is 
 pressing naturally and perpendicularly upon the 
 back of the horse. The hips should be slightly 
 inclined inward, and the right knee pressed firmly, 
 but gently, down betwixt the crutch and the saddle. 
 The crutch is merely the support for the leg, and 
 is not intended to assist the rider in any other 
 way. On no account must it be used to keep the 
 body in the right position ; the balance must be 
 maintained without regard to the crutcli. Many 
 ladies look to the crutch as a kind of safety-peg 
 intended to prop them up, or prevent their falling 
 off. The habit of thus regarding the crutch 
 begets a false and injurious reliance, which is very 
 prejudicial to good riding; and no rider, while it 
 lasts, will ever become a horsewoman. 
 
 Many other bad results follow from this 
 
86 The Art of Biding. 
 
 pernicious practice: the arm and leg become sore 
 and bruised, and the horse's back, by the constant 
 shiftinor of the saddle and the rub])in2: caused 
 thereby, is liable to break out into sores, which 
 may incapacitate him for work for a long time, 
 and, in some cases, do him a permanent injury. 
 From the knee to the ankle let the leg rest on the 
 side of the saddle, the toes should be depressed, 
 and the heel drawn back to the left knee. This 
 action, by bracing the muscles of the calf of the 
 leg and causing natural pressure on the saddle, 
 creates a feeling of security The thigh of the 
 left leg should be pressed close to the saddle, with 
 the knee well up under the crutch, and the foot 
 resting naturally on the stirrup, to give the neces- 
 vsary assistance in trotting. Also in cantering, 
 galloping and leaping the right heel should be 
 drawn back firmly and strongly to the left knee. 
 
The Laclys Seat. 
 
 with the toes of the right foot depressed, the left 
 knee being brought well up under the crutchj and 
 the left hip well forward, so as to keep the hips in 
 the same plane as the shoulders, or what is 
 generally called, square with the shoulders. 
 The arms, from shoulder to elbow, should rest 
 naturally near the sides, and be kept in that position 
 at all times. They should not be raised or moved 
 about, as, in addition to rendering less secure the 
 seat, such actions are extremely ungraceful and 
 displeasing. By keeping the arms pressed down 
 to the sides the balance of the body is more easily 
 maintained. The hands should be carried in the 
 centre of, and about three inches from, the body, 
 with the nails turned towards the rider. 
 
 AVhen mounted on a fresh or spirited horse 
 be careful to keep the hands low down, and the 
 
38 The Art of Biding. 
 
 body well erect, or slightly inclined backward. 
 With an inexperienced rider it is so natural to 
 bend forward the moment the horse begins to be 
 a little restive. The movement is an unconscious 
 one, and quite natural ; but it must be strenuously 
 fought against and overcome, for the moment the 
 body loses the correct position all power over the 
 horse is lost ; and the rider becomes the sport of 
 his movements. Whenever the hcrse shows signs 
 of impatience, or begins to caper about, sit firmly 
 into the saddle, w^ith the head erect, so as to be 
 ready to preserve the balance, should he turn 
 quickly to the right or left, or otherwise mis- 
 behave himself. 
 
 It requires some experience in riding to sit 
 a horse well when he is very fresh or restive : but 
 a little reflection will convince us of the absolute 
 
The Ladys Seat, 39 
 
 necessity of keeping the right position, if we are to 
 maintain proper control over the horse. It is 
 only by being able to balance the body well that 
 control can be kept over the reins, the handling of 
 which is of the very utmost importance in riding. 
 Few, indeed, even among accomplished horse- 
 women, ever learn to handle the bridle reins to 
 perfection ; and the majority do not attain to even 
 moderate skill in this respect. The more or less 
 hard, rigid hand is the rule, and the light, delicate 
 elastic hand the great exception. Only long and 
 constant practice will give one what is called 
 "good hands." Let ladies bear in mind that a 
 high-bred, spirited horse will chafe and fret more 
 under bad handling of the bridle reins than under 
 any other manifestation of bad riding. I have 
 seen some horses driven almost frantic by the 
 
40 The Art of Biding. 
 
 rider's stiff, unyielding hold over the reins, and 
 the sudden jerks on the mouth which follow. 
 
 To handle the reins well is a great art, and 
 should be acquired, no matter how much trouble 
 it may occasion ; for this is the last and crowning 
 accomplishment of the thorough horsewoman. 
 Not strength is required, but art. The slightest 
 strain on the horse's mouth is sufficient, in the 
 case of high-spirited animals, to control all his 
 movements, and make him subservient to your 
 wishes; whereas the ""iron hand" will make him 
 quite unmanageable, and not only render the 
 exercise of riding extremely difficult, but jeopar- 
 dise and endanger the life of the rider. 
 
 Ladies, in learning to ride, have not the 
 advantage of gentlemen. The latter get the best 
 practice in acquiring the balance by riding bare- 
 
mm" 
 
 h i 
 
The Lady's Seat. 41 
 
 backed, or on the rug and roller. Of course, 
 ladies are excluded from this excellent practice. 
 They must, from the first, observe the correct 
 seat, and carefully avoid any negligence in this 
 respect. 
 
 It is not a difficult matter to learn to ride 
 well, and when once acquired it becomes habitual. 
 It is merely a matter of skill, and not at all 
 dependent upon the formation of the figure, as 
 many ladies seem to think. 
 
 No lady should venture into the hunting 
 field until she has secured a fairly firm seat, and 
 feels herself master of her horse. Riding to Meets 
 is good practice ; the horses go much better in 
 company, which they enjoy as much as the rider. 
 The most valuable and effective lessons, however, 
 are those obtained in the hunting field, when 
 
42 The Art of Biding. 
 
 riding hard to hounds. For thoroughly shaking 
 one into the seat there is nothing like it, whether 
 for man or woman. The excitement of the Chase 
 sends the blood coursing through the body, sub- 
 dues every feeling of nervousness and timidity, 
 and fills the mind with exciting and pleasurable 
 sensations, to the exclusion of all thoughts and 
 feelings of danger or fear. It is astonishing to 
 see the way ladies, who are by no means good 
 riders, will sometimes take the roughest country, 
 and go with break-neck speed, under the excite- 
 ment of the moment, where they would not other- 
 wise venture even to walk their horses. Never- 
 theless, I strongly advise ladies not to venture to 
 follow the hounds until they can ride with ease, 
 and leap ordinary hedges, &c., without fear or mis- 
 giving. Bold riding is commendable, but only 
 when coupled with skilful riding. It is the bold 
 bad rider that comes to grief, as a rule. 
 
The Lady's Seat. 43 
 
 In regard to ladies' dress I need say nothing 
 here; the fashions change, and most ladies will 
 follow the prevailing fashions of the day. Simi- 
 larly in regard to saddles and bridles : though 
 these may be said to lie outside the attention of 
 ladies, and to be the business of gentlemen, or 
 male servants. A thoroughly good horsewoman 
 will, however, before she mounts cast her eye 
 over her horse's furniture, and see that everything 
 is in its proper place and correctly adjusted. She 
 will feel the girth, put her finger between the curb 
 chain and lip, see that the bits are not drawn up 
 too tightly in the mouth, cast a glance at the 
 saddle, and satisfy herself generally that all is as 
 it should be. Of course to do this, she must 
 qualify herself by learning how to detect the 
 imperfections, i.e., she must learn how a horse 
 
 ought to be saddled and bridled. 
 
 d2 
 
44 The Art of Biding. 
 
 For the manipulation of the reins and inspira- 
 tion of the horse, &c.j I must refer lady readers 
 to the *' Gentleman's Seats/' where they will 
 be found fully treated. The management of the 
 horse, and most of the rules to be observed in 
 riding apply equally to ladies and gentlemen. 
 The former should, therefore, read carefully the 
 next chapter of this book. 
 
'J 
 
 
 
THE GENTLEMAN'S SEAT. 
 
 It isj no doubt, true of horsemanship, as of 
 every other accomplishment, to attain to great 
 proficiency it is necessary to begin while very 
 young; and further, it is equally necessary to 
 have an inborn love for the horse, and to take great 
 delight in the exercise of riding. The writer 
 remembers when a young boy the pleasure it 
 gave him to be put on a horse's back in the 
 stables, where he would sit for hours together 
 enjoying the situation. Great proficiency, how- 
 ever, is not to be expected by the majority in any 
 undertaking, and riding is certainly no exception 
 to the rule, but it is quite within the power of 
 every person to become a tolerably good rider at 
 almost any period of life. " Bend the twig while 
 
46 The Art of Biding. 
 
 it is young," however, is a good old proverb, and 
 one, the truth of which, I have had ample means 
 of proving in relation to riding, during my 
 experience of some forty years or more. 
 
 The younger the pupil the more quickly the 
 art is acquired, and with more satisfactory results 
 to both teacher and pupil. Of course it is always 
 better to begin riding under the instruction of a 
 good master, but unless he be really a master of 
 his business it is as well, and I will even go the 
 length of saying, it is even better to do without 
 him. My advice then to all is, when possible, 
 take a course of lessons under the tuition of a 
 master. There are several reasons why this is 
 preferable to being guided by theory alone^ 
 independently of the superiority of practical 
 instruction over the apphcation of remembered 
 rules* 
 
The Gentleman's Seat. 47 
 
 In the first place, every good riding establish- 
 ment possesses horses that have been thoroughly- 
 trained to comport themselves in accordance with 
 the requirements of those who are learning to ride^ 
 or, it may be, mount for the first time. The 
 advantages of this can scarcely be over-estimated, 
 especially in giving confidence to the pupils, 
 depriving them of all fear, and thereby enabhng 
 them to bestow all their attention and efforts 
 upon the prehminary instructions. With horses 
 that have long been accustomed to riding-school 
 instruction there is absolutely no danger of a 
 pupil being thrown, for the horse knows as well 
 as teacher and pupil that he must be on his best 
 and quietest behaviour, in order not to endanger 
 his rider. 
 
 Moreover, many things can be done in a 
 riding school that could not be attempted in th6 
 
48 The Art of Biding. 
 
 open space ; and, should an accident occur, the 
 soft tan renders a fall comparatively harmless, 
 and the education of the horse teaches him, under 
 such circumstances, to stop at once. For these 
 and many other reasons, needless here to specify? 
 I strongly advise my readers to avail themselves 
 of good practical instruction where it is possible. 
 Nevertheless, though I insist on this as by far 
 the better course where it is a matter of choice, 
 I profess in this small book to give all the 
 instruction necessary to enable one to become 
 a good rider, without the intervention of a master 
 at all. 1 must impress, however, upon the pupil 
 the imperative necessity of strictly adhering to the 
 letter of instruction in every minute particular ; 
 and the importance of assiduous and untiring 
 attention to the rules, from the moment of 
 mounting to that of dismounting. 
 
The Gentleman's Seat. 49 
 
 It is, of course, far more easy for a learner 
 to fall into ungainly and slovenly habits when by 
 himself than it is when under the watchful eye of 
 a master, who instantly detects any imperfections, 
 and corrects accordingly. There is but one right 
 way, whereas there are thousands of wrong ways ; 
 and, bearing this in mind, the learner should never 
 for a moment relax an intelHgent oversight, as it 
 were, over all his movements, postures, &c., while 
 in the saddle. He should make himself thoroughly 
 acquainted with the rules and instructions, and 
 be constantly applying them from moment to 
 moment, and he will not be long before experience 
 will inform him of the progress he is making. 
 
 As I have said before, the earlier in life young 
 gentlemen begin to ride the better; and the finer 
 horsemen they become; but tolerable skill can be 
 attained at any period, though, of course, the 
 difficulty is greater the older we are in beginning. 
 
50 The Art of Riding. 
 
 In early life the body is very flexible, and answers, 
 in its movements, to the dictates of the will with 
 lightening rapidity. The pliability of the muscles 
 renders their adjustment to the varying circum- 
 stances of the movements connected with riding 
 easy and graceful. The more plastic the limbs the 
 more easily they are brought into harmonious 
 action with the movements of the horse, which 
 may be said to be the ultimate analysis of 
 equitation. 
 
 Let us suppose, then, the pupil to mount a 
 horse for the first time. As we are not supposing 
 the learner to be under the tuition of a Riding 
 Master, he will probably not have the advantage 
 of a good Riding School. In lieu of this he must 
 select a meadow, or some place suitable for his first 
 lessons. I should remark : in case of young boys 
 it is necessary that they should fide ponies, or at 
 
The Oentleman^s Seat. 51 
 
 all events horses that are not very broad in the 
 back, as much injury may be done to the young 
 by stretching their legs across broad-backed 
 horses. This is a point to which parents will do 
 well to pay attention. For other reasons too 
 ponies for young children are preferable ; there is 
 a greater sense of security, or, at least, not so 
 much apprehension of danger, when the pupil is 
 not raised very high from the ground. With the 
 timid more especially all feeling of danger should 
 be avoided as much as possible, as it not only 
 retards progress, but is apt to leave a lasting im- 
 pression, which is detrimental to ultimate success. 
 
 Care should be taken also to select a horse free 
 from tricks and vice, and in every way reliable. 
 Apart from the danger of putting a novice on a 
 horse that cannot be depended on, a fall or fright 
 in the beginning will so unnerve many^ as to 
 
52 The Art of Biding. 
 
 create an antipathy, and, in some cases, a positive 
 dislike, to riding, which no after experience can 
 entirely cure. I have known many such cases; 
 and I cannot too strongly impress upon parents 
 and guardians the importance of paying great 
 attention to this point. Confidence is a very 
 necessary element in riding, and to induce this no 
 pains should be spared. Once let it be destroyed, 
 or even thoroughly shaken, and a lasting injury is 
 done to the pleasure and profit to be derived from 
 the noble exercise. I have known fairly good 
 horsemen who never sufficiently recovered from 
 some early fright to enable them to mount with- 
 out a nervous dread of impending danger. 
 
 Let us always bear in mind ihcfact that a shock 
 to the nervous system is ^permanent injury, which 
 abides with us to the day of our death ; and that 
 nothing is more calculated to produce such shocks. 
 
The Gentleman's Seat. 53 
 
 in delicate nervous children, than the injudicious 
 selection of horses for the early lessons. We, 
 who are at home in the saddle, are too apt to for- 
 get the feeling of peril which, in the days of our 
 youth, filled our young minds when we found 
 ourselves striding a horse for the first time. It 
 is well, however, to make an effort to recall those 
 experiences ; they have a salutary effect upon us 
 in our dealings with the young; and in other 
 respects than those of equitation. While observ- 
 ing great care and attention in the selection of a 
 quiet reliable horse for the first lessons, the pupil 
 must not be made aware of the necessity for such 
 care. It is of importance that his mind should be 
 as free as possible from anxiety on the score of 
 danger ; and, indeed, under judicious management 
 there ought to be little or no danger. 
 
 For the first few lessons the single rein snaffle 
 should be used. Double reins are difficult to 
 
54 The Art of Biding. 
 
 manage, until some progress has been made, and 
 the pupil should be taught first to handle easily 
 the single rein. Moreover the curb rein requires 
 some little care and skill, and should not be used 
 until the learner can keep his balance tolerably- 
 well. Few horses will stand the iron hand of the 
 novice jerking, and hanging on to, the curb. It 
 is better to begin without a saddle, but if the 
 pupil greatly prefers it there is no objection to its 
 use, until he gains a little confidence, when it 
 should be dispensed with for a rug or skin, fixed 
 over the back of the horse. In these early stages 
 it is better perhaps, especially for adults of good 
 solid proportions, to mount from an elevation. 
 
 To fall into the easy natural seat requires little 
 effort. The pupil should sit well to the front, 
 nearly erect, with head and shoulders slightly 
 inclined backwards. The whole weight of the 
 
The Gentleman's Seat. 55 
 
 body should rest naturally on the seat, or what 
 are called by anatomists_, the Ischium bones. 
 There must be no perceptible effort to sit thus at 
 ease; for ease and effort are, in this conjunction 
 more especially, antagonistic. And the learner 
 may know that all the time he finds it necessary 
 to use much effort he has not acquired an easy, 
 and therefore natural, seat. Let the legs hang at 
 ease by the horse's side, without any contraction 
 of the muscles. To use an expression understood 
 in this application, he should " hang them out to 
 dry." The only exception to the complete aban- 
 donment of all muscular control over the lower 
 extremities is the foot, the toes of which should 
 be raised and the heel depressed. It is true this 
 action will contract and brace the muscles of the 
 legs, but will not interfere with their easy and 
 natural position. 
 
56 The Art of Biding. 
 
 The reins may be held in either hand, or by 
 both, and frequently changed from one hand to 
 the other, so as to give facility in handling. I 
 shall have more to say about the bridle reins later 
 on. The hand, or hands, holding the reins should 
 not be too far in front of the body ; but at the 
 same time they should not be held rigidly at one 
 distance. The hand should play easily backward 
 and forward, wuth the movements of the horse's 
 head, but must not be moved up and down. 
 Accustom the bridle hand to be carried within a 
 few inches — say three or four — of the body. If 
 it be held far in front the balance of the body is 
 interfered with ; and, in fact, it is impossible to 
 sit well and manage the horse with the bridle 
 hands stretched out far in front. This is a point 
 of some importance, and must be carefully 
 attended to in the beginning, otherwise progress 
 will be delayed, and results unsatisfactory. 
 
The Gentleman's Seat. 57 
 
 It will be found that the great tendency is to get 
 near the horse's head, i.e. — to lean forward, and 
 hold the hands far in front; but this must be 
 checked at every moment, and corrected as often 
 as it occurs. A very little experience will con- 
 vince the learner how necessary it is that his body 
 should be in the centre of gravity over his horse's 
 back. And although it will require much practice 
 to enable him to retain this position, with all the 
 animal's movements, nevertheless he must never 
 lose sight of the fact that it is not merely 
 the correct position, but one which it is impera- 
 tively necessary he should occupy with ease, if he 
 is to become a good horseman. Do not be in a 
 hurry to trot or canter, let the horse walk at his 
 ease, accompanying every movement of his body 
 with corresponding movements of your own. 
 There must, however, be no great efforts discern- 
 
58 The Art of Biding. 
 
 ible in obtaining this harmony of action between 
 horse and rider, nor must there be any movement 
 off the Ischium bones ; the harmonious movement 
 is merely in the body, from the hips upwards. 
 The seat ought to become, as it were, a part of the 
 horse, and the more firmly it adheres to his back 
 the better. The hips are the pivot on which the 
 body is poised ; and although it is not necessary 
 for the accomplished rider to pay any attention to 
 the fact, it is well for the novice that he should 
 do so, as it concentrates his attention upon one 
 of the necessary things to be observed, and thus 
 helps on progress. 
 
 As soon as the pupil feels himself thoroughly 
 master of his body, and can turn and move about 
 at ease, he should practice swinging his legs back- 
 ward and forward, first one leg and then the other. 
 
The Gentleman's SeaU S9 
 
 In doing this the body should not be movedj but 
 kept in the correct position. It will also help to 
 give balance, and facility to his movements if he 
 turn his face to the rear of the horse, first to the 
 right and then to the left, with the corresponding 
 hand resting on the back, just behind the seat. 
 All these movements should be done, of course, 
 while the horse is walking. They will help 
 materially to give confidence, and facilitate the 
 acquisition of the balance. Several lessons may 
 be devoted to walking only; and, in fact, it is not 
 advisable to trot until the learner feels himself 
 pretty secure in his seat at the walk, and can move 
 and turn about at his ease, without fear of losing 
 his balance. The time devoted to each lesson 
 must vary according to tlie strength, &c., of the 
 pupil ; but should not be less than one hour, as a 
 rule. 
 
 e2 
 
60 The Art of Hiding. 
 
 lie may now begin to trot, still on a skin or 
 rug, and with the single snaffle rein. Now he 
 will find his difficulties begin, and will lose his 
 balance at almost every step, which he must exert 
 himself to recover as often as lost. Trotting is 
 undoubtedly the most difficult part of learning to 
 ride. When one can trot easily bare-backed 
 everything else in riding comes without much 
 trouble. Sit upright and let your steed bump 
 you up and down : this process is not a pleasant 
 or agreeable one; but what it lacks in this respect, 
 it more than compensates for in value; for nothing 
 is so effective in securing a firm seat as trotting 
 without saddle. Never mind about attending to 
 any of the graces of riding just yet; go on per- 
 severing with the trotting, without any attempt 
 at rising or keeping in harmony with motions of 
 the horse. Patience and perseverance will reward 
 
The Gentleman^ s Seat. 61 
 
 you for this laborious, but necessary practice, as 
 soon as you get promoted to the saddle. Do not 
 raise your hands or arms while trotting, by so 
 doing you present a very ungraceful appearance, 
 contract bad habits, make yourself unnecessarily 
 top-heavy, and so lose your balance. 
 
 Keep the arms close into the sides, and the 
 hands well down, and trot on as often and as long 
 as you like. Drill yourself at this day after day, 
 and, if necessary, week after week, until you can 
 go at a fast trot with ease and comfort ; so far as 
 comfort can be had from such exercise. An hour 
 or two's practice on the rug and roller is always 
 useful, even when one can ride well. It improves 
 the seat, and gives greater strength and security 
 to even acccomplished riders. 
 
 The pupil may now study the animal's move- 
 ments, and rise while trotting, as they do in 
 
62 The Art of Biding. 
 
 the saddle. This is a process which it is very- 
 difficult, and almost impossible to describe so as 
 to convey much useful information ; for the body 
 does not really rise from the horse's back as it 
 does in the saddle, but by a muscular effort of the 
 whole body, from toes to shoulders, the seat is 
 eased up and down at every step, so as to be in 
 unison with, and not antagonistic to, the up and 
 down motion of the horse's body and peculiar 
 movements of his shoulders. 
 
 This kind of trotting brings into action 
 different sets of muscles to those used in the 
 bolt^upright, up-and*down, bump, bump trot. 
 Considerable movement and flexibility of the 
 back is required, and a far more intelligent appre- 
 ciation of the horse's action. In fact, the pupil 
 must now begin to study the rythm of motion, 
 
The Gentleman's Seat. 63 
 
 and co-ordinate the movements of himself and his 
 horse. At this stage of our instructions the legs 
 must be brought into action. At every effort of 
 the rider to raise his body, in consonance with 
 the rising of the horse, he should press his knees 
 and calves closely to the animal's sides, and feel 
 his movements, as it were, from moment to 
 moment. This is capital practice, the value of 
 which it is impossible to over-estimate; and he 
 who would ride well must pay considerable atten- 
 tion to it. It is, no doubt, very hard work ; but 
 there is no " royal road " to riding any more than 
 to learning. The pupil will fully appreciate 
 the value of his industry when he comes to the 
 luxury of a saddle. The difference may be 
 described as a transition from a wooden-bottomed> 
 high-backed chair^ to an easy lounging chair* 
 
64 The Art of Riding. 
 
 If the pupil has carried out the instructions 
 thus far he will have made considerable progress ; 
 and cantering, which is the next step, will be 
 found comparatively easy, much more so, in fact, 
 than previous exercises. A more careful attention 
 to the reins will be required in cantering than in 
 either walking or trotting, as we have hitherto 
 practiced them. The horse must be what is called 
 collected more, and a firmer and more sympathetic 
 feeling maintained over his mouth and movements. 
 
 To collect a horse, in the full sense of the ex- 
 pression, is to have him well in hand, with his limbs 
 and frame well knit, and disposed in such manner 
 as will enable him to give the greatest and most 
 perfect expression to his strength and agility. In 
 his wild state, when he is under no control, and 
 subject to no influence but that of his own nature, 
 
The Gentleman's Seat. 65 
 
 he collects himself by natural impulse. Notice in 
 our own fields, for instance, a well-bred horse 
 turned loose; with what proud grace hecarries 
 himself, trotting or galloping, head erect, hind 
 legs well up under him, and the fore legs full of 
 vigorous action. He gives the beholder the 
 impression of an animal whose vital energy per- 
 vades his whole being, inspiring and invigorating 
 every part, and creating that unity of action with- 
 out which he could not exert his whole strength, 
 and which is but another form of expression for 
 being collected. He is, in fact, master of himself. 
 But when he has a rider on his back his move- 
 ments are no longer at the dictation of his own 
 will; he feels and knows this, and, except under 
 moments of excitement, abandons himself more 
 or less to the will of his master. The rider must 
 do for him in his civilised state what nature does 
 
66 The Art of Biding. 
 
 for him in his uncontrolled condition. To collect 
 a horse well, however, is a part of riding which 
 none but accomplished horsemen can manage 
 skilfully; and the first lesson in this necessary 
 accomplishment may he had when cantering with- 
 out the saddle. I shall have more to say on this 
 point when we reach the saddle. 
 
 There is a great difference in the paces of 
 horses — some being very much smoother than 
 others ; but with most the pupil will find canter- 
 ing an easy, undulatory movement. He should 
 sit well down on the horse's back, head and 
 shoulders slightly inclined backward, and his back 
 bending slightly, or rather, more properly speak- 
 ing, deprived as much as possible of all rigidity, 
 so as to be able to keep in unison with the motion, 
 and the seat firm and immovable. There must at 
 
The Gentleman's Seat. 67 
 
 all times be as much plasticity as possible in riding. 
 I do not mean that the rider should imitate a 
 jelly fish, and wabble about in his seat, quite the 
 contrary : his body and limbs should be well 
 braced, and possess, as far as possible, the char- 
 acteristics of whalebone — strong, tough, and 
 pliant. 
 
 To ride without reins is very good practice; but, 
 of course, in this case the horse should be longed. 
 It teaches the pupil to maintain his balance inde- 
 pendently of the reins, which is of great import 
 ance to good riding. One of the great faults to 
 be overcome, and which must be mastered, is 
 hanging on the bridle reins ; so that the horse is 
 asked to carry the rider in his mouth as well as on 
 his back. No horse of any spirit will stand this 
 kind of treatment ; or, at least, he will fret and 
 
68 The Art erf Biding. 
 
 chafe very much under it. Another good practice 
 is to place a stick across the shoulder blades, 
 or a little below them, and hold it there by the 
 arms, pinning them back. Both these practices, 
 however, present some danger of falling off, 
 especially the latter, if the balance is lost ; and for 
 that reason I do not recommend them ; though 
 they are, without doubt, the most valuable aids in 
 making a good and fearless horseman. 
 
 We may now begin with the saddle, which 
 the learner will be fully able to appreciate. No 
 sooner will he find himself seated in a good com- 
 fortable saddle than he will acknowledge the 
 necessity, and the value of the bare-backed 
 exercises, through which he has so laboriously 
 passed. There are several kinds of saddles in use, 
 some of which have been specially devised for the 
 
The Gentleman's Seat. 69 
 
 purpose of rendering the seat more comfortable 
 and secure. But, inasmuch as the latter can only 
 be attained by becoming a good horseman, and 
 the former is very much a matter of taste, I do 
 not think it advisable to discuss the subject in 
 these pages, further ihan to say that it should not 
 be too small or too large. 
 
 I, myself, have always found a well-mr.de 
 English hunting saddle the best for all pur- 
 poses. It is comfortable and enduring; and, 
 in my judgment, less tiring to the rider — 
 especially if the exercise be prolonged or severe 
 — than any other kind. Respecting this sad.Ile 
 there are not two opinions among hunting 
 men, whose great experience certainly entitles 
 them to speak with authority on the subject. A 
 full sized saddle will fit most horses, but there are, 
 
70 The Art of Biding. 
 
 of course, limits to this ; and care should be taken 
 that they are not exceeded ; otherwise the pressure 
 over the horse's back will not be duly and 
 uniformly distributed, and this will occasion 
 rubbing and sore places. My advice is, do not 
 economise in saddles by going to a cheap maker : 
 his goods will generally be found dear in the end, 
 and you may esteem yourself extremely fortunate 
 if you escape another illustration of the old pro- 
 verb — " cheap and nasty.'' I do not mean to say 
 that the man who charges the highest price is 
 always the best ; but it may be taken as a pretty 
 general rule that very low-priced goods are the 
 worst. 
 
 In the matter of expense, however, in this, 
 as in all things else, the rider must be guided by 
 his pocket; and if this permits of it his choice 
 
The Gentleman's Seat. 71 
 
 will, no doubt, lead him to be liberal in everything 
 regarding his horse. 
 
 Before mounting always make it a point to 
 thoroughly examine your horse's furniture. See 
 that the saddle is not too far forward or backward. 
 The right position is fair in the middle of his 
 back, with the fore part just clear of his shoulders. 
 If it be too forward it interferes with their action, 
 and thus not only impedes his progress, but helps 
 to throw him dow^n, and in all respects is very 
 uncomfortable to both horse and rider. See that 
 the girths are neither too loose nor too tight when 
 starting. They should admit of the finger being 
 passed easily between them and the horse. After 
 a httle exercise they will require to be tightened : 
 this should be done while in the saddle, by raising 
 the right or left leg, as the case may require, over 
 
72 The Art of Biding. 
 
 the front of the saddle, with the foot resting 
 beside the horse's neck. In this position stretch 
 down the hand and tighten the girth by re-adjust- 
 ment of the straps. In a similar manner the 
 length of the stirrup leathers should be arranged 
 as required. These are very necessary movements, 
 and a little practice will soon render their accom- 
 plishment easy. The practised horseman can 
 lengthen or shorten his stirrup leathers as easily 
 while trotting as he can standing on the ground 
 by the horse's side. 
 
 Having seen that your horse has been cor- 
 rectly saddled, next turn your attention to his 
 head furniture. It is of extreme importance that 
 the head-piece should fit well. Anything wrong 
 in this respect will chafe and fret a high-spirited 
 horse almost beyond endurance. It should be 
 
The Gentleman's Seat. 73 
 
 neither too low down in the mouth nor too tight : 
 and the top band should not press against his ears. 
 Between the curb-chain and his chin there should 
 be room for the easy insertion of one or two 
 fingers. The curb-bit should just clear the tushes 
 in a horse's mouth, and in a mare's it should be 
 about one inch above the corner teeth. The 
 learner ought, in fact, to consider it a part of his 
 business to make himself thoroughly acquainted 
 with the equipments of his horse; and he ought 
 never to mount without first satisfying himself on 
 this point. The stirrup irons should be large 
 enough to admit of the feet being pushed through 
 to the ankle, with ease; and of good solid pro- 
 portions. 
 
 To mount easily and gracefully is one of the 
 minor points of horsemanship; but it is well to 
 
74 The Art of Biding. 
 
 acquire the habit, as nothing looks more ungainly 
 than to see a gentleman bump himself, as it were, 
 into the saddle. It conveys the impression that 
 he is a novice at riding ; and shows a disregard of 
 that unity of propriety which characterises the 
 accompUshed horseman. Let all your movements 
 be calm and deliberate; and if your horse is 
 fidgety, and will not stand still, soothe and quiet 
 him with voice and hand, until he will allow you 
 to mount him without moving a leg. This may 
 require time, and the exercise of much patience 
 and forbearance; but success will ultimately 
 reward your efiforts, and your control over him 
 will be correspondingly great. 
 
 I cannot too strongly impress upon riders the 
 great importance of persevering, quietly but firmly, 
 in teaching and compelling the horse to do what 
 
The GentlemarCs Seat. 75 
 
 they wish. In every such contest success improves 
 and educates his manners, and brings him more 
 completely under control; whereas, failure not 
 only confirms him in the bad habits it is sought 
 to correct, but renders him more wilful, and less 
 obedient in all respects, from the moment of his 
 conquest. It must be borne in mind — and herein 
 lies the secret of man's control over the horse — 
 that he has no developed reasoning power. He 
 is not capable of "sitting in judgment ^^ on the 
 actions of his jnaster; and cannot, therefore, be 
 influenced in his conduct by any consideration of 
 the justice of the treatment he receives. It is a 
 common saying that he does not know his strength; 
 for, if he did, he would not be the wiUing slave of 
 man; which is only another way of expressing 
 the truth that mind rules the world. I have said 
 
 that the horse, owing to the complexity and per- 
 
 f2 
 
76 The Art of Biding. 
 
 fection of his nervous structure, is a highly intelli- 
 gent animal; and this may appear to conflict with 
 the statement above. It is true, as everybody 
 
 knows, he is an extremely intelligent creature, 
 and answers quickly to every impulse ; but it is a 
 quickness and intelligence which is dependent 
 upon automatic or reflex action, and not upon any 
 intellectual perception of the justice or fitness of 
 anything he is asked to do. In the region of 
 action the slightest impulse will animate and 
 stimulate him to the repetition of former perform- 
 ances ; and we have reason to suppose that he is 
 capable of forming some kind of judgment there- 
 upon. Witness, for instance, the incident related 
 in the early part of this treatise, of the horse 
 refusing to leap a hedge, on the opposite side of 
 which was a quarry. However, whatever may be 
 the nature of his judgment and intelligence, it is 
 
The Gentleman's Seat. 77 
 
 quite certain that they are not sufficiently developed 
 to enable him to institute comparisons and draw 
 conclusions, in the regions of moral conduct. 
 Hence he will respond to the most unjust and 
 brutal demands, as long as his strength lasts. 
 
 There is a wide-spread notion that man's 
 control over the horse is due to the magnifying 
 power of the eye of the latter, through which he 
 sees men in gigantic proportions. This is a fallacy; 
 for even granting that his eye does magnify objects, 
 so that they appear larger to him than they do to 
 us, all objects, himself included, will retain their 
 relative natural proportions; and, consequently, 
 the apparent size of man will not appal him, since 
 his own size will appear to him relatively so much 
 larger. Man, therefore, must appear to the horse 
 as he really is, very much smaller and weaker. 
 
78 The Art of Biding. 
 
 The seat must be firm without the necessity 
 of holding on by the reins. If you have to tug 
 away at the reins to keep the balance, you can 
 never become master of either yourself or your 
 horse. In managing the horse it is not strength 
 that is required, but skill. There is a delicate 
 little boy of my acquaintance, about ten years old^ 
 who can manage the roughest horse in my stables, 
 though he is unusually small and weak for his age. 
 It is the light, elastic feeling of the mouth that is 
 required, not the hard, rigid, unyielding pull, 
 which torments the animal and hardens his mouth. 
 Let your hands and wrists be full of elasticity, 
 accompanying every movement of the horse's 
 head; let your body also respond to his move- 
 ments, and the unity thus established will give 
 him an easy, graceful, regular walk. 
 
The Gentleman's Seat. 79 
 
 Some horses hang their heads more than 
 others : in some cases it is due to nature, in others 
 to bad training or riding. To get a horse's head 
 well up requires great skill, but not strength. 
 Both hands should be used, the mouth delicately 
 felt, and lifted by slight nervous electric shocks, 
 as it were ; and this should be continued during 
 the whole of the exercise until the head is held in 
 its proper position ; having regard, of course, to 
 the formation of the horse's neck. Occasionally 
 it may be necessary to give him a smart jerk ; but 
 this should not be resorted to too often. Great 
 patience and time are requisite to get him to 
 carry his head well. 
 
 In teaching I have always laid great stress 
 upon the inspiration the horse receives from the 
 bridle hands. It is impossible to convey in 
 
80 The Art of Biding. 
 
 writing anything like an adequate idea of the 
 impression good handling makes upon him. He 
 can be inspired by hands and legs, and wound up 
 to the point of his most effective exertions without 
 either whip or spur. This was the great secret of 
 the late Fred. Archer's success in getting from a 
 horse the best work he was capable of performing. 
 Fred. Archer was full of elasticity ; and as soon 
 as he mounted every muscle in his body was in a 
 state of vigorous activity, which was instantly felt 
 by the horse. And as he warmed to his work the 
 sympathy between horse and rider became greater 
 and greater ; and as the will of the rider increased, 
 in his determination to win, the inspiration and 
 power of the horse increased in like ratio. 
 
 In saying the power of the horse increases 
 in proportion to the determination and strength 
 
The Gentleman! s Seat. 81 
 
 of will of an accomplished rider, especially when 
 both are stimulated by excitement, I may be 
 committing myself to a theory which many will 
 dispute, and some will deem absurd. Neverthe- 
 less, I am convinced that such is really the case ; 
 and, I venture to confidently affirm, that, other 
 things being equal, the jockey who possesses the 
 greatest quantity of nerve or will-power will be 
 the most successful in his profession. He 
 will, in consequence of his superiority in this 
 respect, do greater things with a horse than those 
 of less nerve force. 
 
 The action of this force upon the horse 
 corresponds, in a measure, to the external stimuli, 
 under which human beings are known to exert 
 far more strength than they are capable of putting 
 forth of their own free will. It is said that the 
 
82 The Art of Riding. 
 
 potential power residing in the muscles is ten 
 times that which is manifested in the absence of 
 strong stimulus. Under the excitement of fear, 
 for example, people will sometimes perform 
 astonishing feats of strength. 
 
 It is said, by those who have caught a 
 glimpse of Fred. Archer's face when nearing the 
 winning post, that it was almost diabolical in its 
 set intensity of purpose. At such times all the 
 power of his nature was called forth, and com- 
 municated to the horse ; and I venture to believe 
 that in proportion to this power will be the per- 
 formance of the racer. Probably, no jockey ever 
 equalled Archer in this respect, and, consequently, 
 never has equalled him in performance. 
 
 The practice in trotting bare-back through 
 which the pupil has passed will render trotting in 
 
The Oentleman^s Seat. 83 
 
 the saddle easy and comfortable, and few remarks 
 
 will be necessary. Care should be taken to sit as 
 
 close to the saddle as possible : there should be 
 
 no more rising than is necessary to keep in unison 
 with the rise and fall of the horse. Hands should 
 
 be low down, elbows close in to the sides, shoulders 
 steady and immovable. The legs should rest 
 naturally, but firmly, against the horse's sides, 
 heels down, toes up, and the feet steady and firm. 
 They should not be worked backward and forward. 
 Nothing looks more ungainly than to see a rider 
 shrugging his shoulders up and down, and work- 
 ing his feet backward and forward. 
 
 Observing these rules, and all that has been 
 said previously, it depends now upon the practice 
 of the rider whether trotting is easy, graceful and 
 pleasantj or otherwisCi I should remark that in 
 
84 The Art of Riding. 
 
 trotting the ball of the foot should rest upon the 
 stirrup irons, which should be pressed firmly 
 down. The feet should not be pushed right 
 through the irons, as in galloping. 
 
 A rider should always keep his horse well 
 in hand, whether walking, trotting or galloping. 
 From the moment of mounting to that of dismount- 
 ing he should have perfect control over every 
 movement, never allowing the horse to do any- 
 thing against his desire. He should never be 
 allowed to slouch along. Many valuable lives 
 have been lost through horses stumbling and fall- 
 ing. Indeed, it is a matter of frequent occurrence 
 for a horse to stumble and fall when going at a 
 walking pace, killing his rider, or otherwise 
 doing him serious injury. 
 
 Many such instances will occur to the reader. 
 Now, it is no exaggeration to say that in nine cases 
 
The Gentleman's Seat. 85 
 
 out of ten it is due to the negligence of the rider. 
 Very seldom, indeed, will a horse fall when going 
 at an ordinary pace, if his rider has him well in 
 hand, i.e., keeps a constant watch over his move- 
 ments, ready at any moment to lift his head and 
 brace him up by sharp pressure of the legs to his 
 sides. The rider's eyes should never lose sight of 
 the ground along which his horse is travelling. 
 Every stone, every little hole and hillock should 
 be noticed and avoided. A horse will travel 
 safely enough over rough ground, if his attention 
 is called to it by extra care and help on the part 
 of his rider. 
 
 It should be borne in mind that the back of a 
 horse is no place on which to carry on a train of 
 thought; and no horse is a safe conveyance 
 for anyone who does so. A man rides for 
 
86 The Art of Biding. 
 
 pleasure or health, and in either case the exercise 
 should occupy his whole attention. I have often 
 heard the remark that there is no pleasure in 
 riding if you have to pay close and constant 
 attention to your horse. This is absurd on the 
 face of it. What pleasure can be experienced in 
 anything in which the mind does not participate r 
 1 would ask. And if riding is resorted to for health, 
 surely the end is worth the exertion. But it is 
 not a matter that admits of any argument. If a 
 man would ride safely he must pay unremitting 
 attention to his steed. 
 
 A good rider always has his horse under 
 control, no matter at what pace he may be going ; 
 and even at the expense of repeating myself I 
 must insist on this again and again. It is as 
 essential when walking as when galloping that his 
 
The Gentleman's Seat. 87 
 
 way should be selected, and his movements regu- 
 lated. Hands, feet, and legs are all brought into 
 requisition in conveying your wishes to him. 
 With a well-trained animal the slightest pressure 
 is sufficient to make him understand what it is 
 you wish him to do. With less well-mannered 
 horses more exertion is required. 
 
 If you wish him to turn to the left, a slight 
 pressure of the left leg, accompanied with an 
 inclination of the body to that side, will be under- 
 stood by him. If he is sluggish in his movements 
 a touch of the right spur will help him in this 
 movement. If he be required to turn to the right 
 exactly the opposite motions are required. At 
 the same time the reins should be used as aids 
 in conveying your wishes, though the movements 
 of the hands should be almost imperceptible. 
 
88 The Art of Biding. 
 
 Nothing looks more awkward than to see a rider 
 pulling his horse's head round in the direction he 
 is desired to turn. The gentlest feel of his mouth 
 in the right direction is sufficient. Indeed, an 
 accomplished rider will guide his horse almost 
 entirely from the seat, by throwing his thoughts 
 in the direction he wishes to go, and using the 
 necessary muscular action. 
 
 I have spoken above of using the spurs, but 
 of course it is not at all times safe to use them, 
 nor do some horses require them. The heels, 
 with high-couraged horses, are sufficient, until a 
 man can ride well he had better not wear spurs, 
 unless his animal is very sluggish. He is apt, at 
 times, when going over rough ground, to use them 
 at the wrong time, and so enhance his chances of 
 coming to grief. 
 
The Gentlemaii's Seat. 89 
 
 The manipulation of the bridle reins is 
 one of the great arts of riding, and perfection in 
 this respect may almost be said to comprise the 
 whole art of equitation. For no rider can have 
 '•good hands" as it is called, without having, at 
 the same time, a well balanced and secure seat. 
 The wrists must be as pliant as an india-rubber 
 ball — never rigid and hard. With every motion 
 of the horse's head a gentle soft-pressure must be 
 felt on his mouth ; and it must be the constant 
 endeavour of the rider to make as perfect as 
 possible the sympathetic feeling which he will 
 feel to exist between the natural motions of the 
 horse's head, and his own muscular activity. 
 Nothing but practice and unremitting attention 
 will give success in this, the most important part 
 of ridinff. 
 
90 The Art of Biding. 
 
 The horse is naturally nervous and easily 
 frightened, and will often shy at objects on the road. 
 The rider must always be prepared for this, other- 
 wise he may be unseated and have a dangerous fall. 
 Many horses will jump suddenly to the right or 
 left without the slightest warning; others wi|l 
 give notice of their fear by pricking their ears, and 
 eagerly looking towards the object of their dread. 
 At every such manifestation draw your riding 
 whip gently down his neck, speaking words of 
 encouragement and kindness to him, at the same 
 time tighten the reins, and brace yourself to urge 
 him on. If the object is on the left press his 
 right side, and keep his head to the left, and 
 compel him to pass it, and vice versa if the object 
 be on the right. In tightening the reins you must 
 be careful not to pull him over, and should he 
 attempt to rear they must be softened instantly. 
 
The Gentleman's Seat 91 
 
 Many imperfect riders, as soon as their horse 
 begins to rear, hang on the reins by natural im- 
 pulse. This is very dangerous, as the horse is 
 likely to be pulled over on the rider, especially if 
 he possess a light mouth. Whenever the horse 
 rears he should have perfect freedom of his head, 
 and the body of the rider should incline forward 
 as much as possible. I can only indicate what 
 should be done at such times ; the doing, however, 
 is not easy, except to the accomplished horseman. 
 If a horse swerve round suddenly on his hind 
 legs it is better to go with him, and not to attempt 
 to stop him, as, by so doing, you are hkely to pull 
 him over. At the same time check all such 
 manifestations. 
 
 Never allow him to turn away from any object 
 
 he shows fear of. Take him gently but firmly up 
 
 g2 
 
92 The Art of Hiding. 
 
 to the object; let him touch it with his nose, and 
 as soon as he finds it will not hurt him his fear 
 will vanish. At such times he should not be 
 whipped or otherwise harshly treated; this will 
 only increase his fear and do him much harm. 
 Some people say let him smell the object, but it 
 is not the sense of smell that re-assures him, but 
 the sense of touch. In this respect, as in many 
 others, he resembles ourselves ; we are not afraid 
 of any object which we can handle with impunity. 
 
 Frequently a horse, or horse and cart coming 
 behind you will cause him to execute some sudden 
 movement, always be prepared for this, by bracing 
 yourself and keeping his head straight to the 
 front. If he hears a noise behind him he will 
 sometimes turn partially round, and show signs 
 of some little excitement. If you do not check 
 
The Gentleman's Seat. 98 
 
 him at such times he will think you encourage 
 him in his bad habits, and they will grow upon 
 him. 
 
 Do not allow him to show the slightest sign 
 of jealousy of other horses beside you without 
 checking and chastising him at once; otherwise 
 he may kick and seriously injure his companion's 
 horse. Whenever he lays his ears back you may 
 know he is up to some mischief, " prick and pull" 
 immediately, and let him hear the voice of rebuke. 
 As a general rule I would say that while the 
 horse should uniformly have kind and gentle 
 treatment, he should never for one moment be 
 allowed to forget that you are his master. 
 
 In approaching him never do so timidly, nor 
 put your hand upon him hesitatingly. If you do 
 he will know at once that, if you are not down 
 
94 The Art of Riding. 
 
 right afraid of him, at all events, you have some 
 fear of him, and he will quickly take advantage of 
 it. Approach hira, if at all, with the greatest 
 confidence, firmly pat and stroke his neck, and if 
 he shows signs of temper speak sharply and 
 peremptorily, and if necessary deal him a severe 
 cut. Of all tricks of temper he must be broken, 
 and this can only be done by letting him under- 
 stand plainly that you are master, and will stand 
 no nonsense. Kindness and patience in teaching 
 him, uncompromising severity in dealing with his 
 wilful vices, should be the rule in dealing with 
 the horse. 
 
 Having gone through all those exercises bare- 
 backed, which I consider necessary in acquiring 
 the balance and securing a firm seat, we may now 
 begin with the saddle. Hitherto we have, to a 
 
The Gentleman's Seat. 95 
 
 great extent, ignored the graces of riding, having 
 been chiefly concerned in teaching the pupil to 
 feel at home, and tumble about, as it were, at 
 ease on horseback. If the lessons have been 
 carefully carried out he will have become an 
 efficient, if not a graceful horseman, and the 
 acquisition of the latter will be comparatively easy 
 and pleasent. 
 
 A few words about mounting may be useful. 
 When the stirrup cannot be easily reached it is 
 well to mount from a horse-block, or any con- 
 venient object about eighteen inches in height. 
 Stand fairly square with your horse, with the left 
 hand take hold of the reins and a lock of the 
 mane, and let the hand rest lightly on the neck; 
 the right hand at the same time should be placed 
 firmly with perpendicular pressure, and grasp on 
 
96 The Art of Biding. 
 
 the hind part of the saddle, a little toward the off 
 side, the body should then be braced for an elastic 
 spring, moving the right hand as the right leg is 
 thrown over the back into the saddle. 
 
 There must be no pulling or hugging at the 
 saddle^ and scarcely any display of force beyond 
 the firm downward pressure of the right hand. 
 Perfect command should be felt over the body at 
 every stage in mounting, the motion completing 
 the seat should be calm and deliberate, so that if 
 necessary the rider should he able to pause mid- 
 way at any stage and balance himself. To see a 
 rider tug away at his saddle, and lump himself 
 into it with head bending low on his horse's neck 
 is very ungainly, to say the least, and gives be- 
 holders the impression that he is unaccustomed 
 to riding. The toes of the left foot when mounting 
 
The Gentleman^ s Seat. 97 
 
 should be turned slightly towards the horse's head, 
 to prevent them coming in painful contact with 
 his belly. 
 
 The moment the rider is in the saddle the 
 reins should be gathered up and arranged. They 
 should be held in such manner as to enable the 
 rider to close his bridle hand (when he uses one 
 only) and work it with that sympathetic and 
 elastic feeling conveyed by the gentle squeezing 
 of a soft india-rubber ball. 
 
 The snaffle rein should be passed from the 
 back of the left hand through the little and 
 second fingers, and passed out again in front 
 through the third and fourth finger, the curb rein 
 should be picked up outside the little finger and 
 and passed out beside the snaffle rein between 
 the third and fourth fingers. The right hand should 
 
The Art oj 'Riding. 
 
 then pass along them, being careful not to twist 
 them, and the two should be brought inside 
 the fingers of the left hand, and held between the 
 thumb and fore finger. In this manner the bridle 
 hand can be closed and pressure obtained, and 
 regulated as desired by the motion of the hand. 
 
 When both hands are used the same manner 
 of holding the reins is adopted, except that the 
 right hand reins are grasped by all the fingers and 
 thumb of that hand. 
 
 It is better to ride with both hands than 
 with one. After a little practice it will be found 
 as easy to carry the whip while holding the reins 
 as without them. With both hands the rider 
 has far greater command over the horse, and can 
 convey his wishes with greater facility and effect. 
 
The Gentleman's Seat. 99 
 
 The observations regarding the seat, bare- 
 back, apply equally to the seat in the saddle. The 
 rider should sit well into the saddle, and not back 
 on the cantle, as so many do. This latter un- 
 graceful seat thrusts the head and body forward, 
 and renders the maintenance of the equilibrium 
 quite impossible. In fact no man who does not 
 sit well into his saddle i.e. to the front can ever 
 become a good horseman. Head and shoulders 
 should be slightly inclined backwards, heels de" 
 pressed, toes raised, hands down, but nothing 
 rigid 
 
 Let it be observed that there is as much room 
 for the display of good riding in walking as in any 
 form of equitation ; and, indeed, I might almost 
 say that a good rider is detected the moment he 
 sits in the saddle. 
 
100 The Art of Biding. 
 
 Between horse and rider there must at all 
 times be perfect union and sympathy, no matter 
 whether in walking, trotting, cantering, galloping 
 or jumping, and to attain this union and sympathy 
 is to become a good horseman in the fullest 
 meaning of the expression. Every limb, every 
 muscle must be full of life and rigour ; and if the 
 reins are handled correctly and effectively the horse 
 will quickly answer to the inspiration thus con- 
 veyed to him. 
 
 Let two riders mount, one after the other, 
 the same horse, and each walk a mile, the first 
 merely sits on his horse, and, may be, holds the 
 reins more or less tight, that horse will shuffle and 
 sprawl along, and give you the impression that he 
 is an ill-trained, ill-mannered brute. Let the 
 second rider mount him and almost instantly the 
 
The Gentleman s Seat. 101 
 
 inspiration of good horsemanship will transform 
 him into a noble, handsome creature, with life, 
 vigour and action, and everj^ step he takes will 
 imply as plainly as possible that it proceeds from 
 the will of the rider, conveyed to him by the 
 electric current which perfects the unity of move- 
 ment between the two. 
 
 No horse will be at his best, or even walk 
 well, that is not well ridden. And no horse is a 
 safe conveyance with a bad rider on his back. 
 He is equally in error in pulling him up and in 
 giving him his head, he does the latter when he 
 should do the former, and vice versa ; and the 
 result is many a good horse stumbles or falls 
 through the fault of his rider. 
 
 T have observed a great tendency in riders 
 (and some, not by any means bad horsemen in 
 
102 The Art of Biding. 
 
 other respects) in passing over rough and uneven 
 ground, to hold their horse's head tightly up, 
 under the impression that by so doing they were 
 preventing him from falUng or stumbUng. 
 Nothing can be more erroneous, or more danger- 
 ous in practice. A moment's consideration ought 
 to convince everyone of this. 
 
 A horse is quite intelHgent enough to know 
 how to pick his way, and where to place his feet 
 on rough ground ; but how can he use that intel- 
 ligence and caution when his eyes are held high 
 up in the air, and he is not permitted to see the 
 ground ? The rougher the way the more necessary 
 it is he should have his head almost entirely free. 
 He will carefully pick his way, planting each foot 
 in the safest place, and will brace himself for the 
 necessary exertion. I do not mean that the reins 
 
The Gentleman's Seat. 103 
 
 should be thrown loosely on his neck, or that he 
 should be abandoned entirely to himself. A care- 
 ful feeling should be retained over his mouth so 
 as to be ready instantly to help him should he 
 stumble; but in no case should it be so tight as 
 to impede his progress. In walking over gaps in 
 walls the slightest interference with his freedom 
 of action is likely to throw him down. 
 
 In all his difficulties sympathise with him, 
 and encourage him by hand and voice ; but at 
 the same time be firm with him, and never allow 
 him to turn back from any way you have deter- 
 mined he shall go. It is astonishing the high and 
 rough breaks in stone walls over which horses will 
 climb if rightly handled. I am not speaking now" 
 of jumping, but simply walking. Let him have 
 his head, feel his mouth gently, and let him hear 
 
104 The Art of Biding. 
 
 your voice, and he will know that you recognise 
 his difficulties, and will take greater courage 
 therefrom. 
 
 Probably no man has ever entered fully into 
 the natural bond of union connecting man and 
 the horse. The practical realization has always 
 fallen far short of the possibility, notwithstanding 
 the wonderful developments we occasionally 
 read of. 
 
 One of the most essential and useful qualities 
 in a hack is that he should walk well, and to teach 
 him a good walking pace is capital practice for the 
 pupil. It helps to the attainment of what are 
 called "good hands," the most difficult art of 
 horsemanship. To possess good hands, i.e., a 
 light and even touch on the mouthy you must be 
 able to ride without reins. 
 
The Gentleman s Sent.. 105 
 
 Jumping is a part of riding, every good rider 
 can sit a horse jumping, or, at least, ought to he 
 able to do so. And I have often told my pupils 
 that I cannot teach them to jump. It is no use 
 for any person to attempt this part of horseman- 
 ship until he has become a fairly good rider, and 
 then, being well mounted, he may safely take any 
 ordinary leap without fear. Sit firmly in your 
 seat, hands well down and arms to side, and let 
 your horse know that you expect him to take the 
 leap you put him to. Keep the body erect when 
 the horse rises, and when he alights on the 
 opposite side keep him well in hand, but do not 
 interfere with his freedom of action. When 
 taking walls and other heights do not go headlong, 
 but slacken and steady his pace, as it is not the 
 long stride that will carry him over, but the 
 
lOG The Art of Biduuj. 
 
 vigorous spring, and for this lie must ])C steadied 
 and collected. The long stride is of course 
 required for wide streams. He who jumps his 
 horse for the first time will not of course select 
 any very great height; he will begin with- low 
 obj.cts, rising to greater heights as he progresses. 
 A little experience will soon give confidence, and 
 the rider's ambition in this respect will be held in 
 check only by the jumping power of his horse. ■* 
 
 1 have not thought it necessary to enter at 
 all into the subject of hunting, as it really forms 
 part of the subject-matter of riding. I have no 
 now said, I think, all that can or need be said oii 
 riding, and he who carefully })uts in practice all 
 my instructions cannot very well fail to become, 
 if not a (joud, at least, an easy and tolerable 
 horseman. 
 
Egtablighed 1855, 
 
 LANSDOWK CHELTENHAM. 
 
 H. G. ENGLISH, 
 
 (Late of the Biding School, 35 Yearg) 
 
 Ti^acher of Hiding and J^riuing, 
 
 HORSE DEALER. 
 
 Horses Bought and Sold on Commission. Sales attended for tbe 
 Purchase or Selling of Horses. 
 
 Sorses on Sire of Job hi/ the Day, Week, Mouth, or Year. 
 
 Horses mannered for all purposes, and ridden to Hounds by H. G. 
 
 English. 
 Families taught at their own residences by special arrangements any 
 part of the country. 
 Orders for Saddles on improved principles for Ladies and Gentlemen 
 personally attended to by H. G. English, and fitted to Horses, a great 
 essential to comfort in riding and ease to the horses' backs. 
 
 RIDING TERMS: 
 
 Private Lessons, One hour 
 
 ** " Two or more hours 
 
 " " Driving 
 
 Hacks for Riding 
 
 Hunters, by Day £2 12 
 
 By Month, on job 
 
 Chargers, by "Week 
 
 Horses of all descriptions for Sale. 
 Particular attention given by H. G. English to purchase good horses 
 
 well mannered and of good character. 
 
 Livery Horses well done and attended to in good loose boxes from 2l8. 
 
 to 24s. 6d. per week. Carriages 2s. 6d. ner week. 
 
 £0 10 
 
 6 
 
 1 1 
 
 
 
 1 1 
 
 
 
 7 
 
 6 
 
 to 3 3 
 
 
 
 21 
 
 
 
 3 13 
 
 6 
 
 A SUITABLE FARM FOR HUNTING LESSONS. 
 
 H. G. E. takes this opportunity of returning his grateful thanks to 
 all his numerous patrons during the last thirty-five years, and to assure 
 them that the same straishtforward and honourable mode of dealing 
 Will in the future, as in the long period past, be found to characterize 
 iill his Engagements. 
 
c^-l 
 
 ./-\