62 IN THE BIDING- SCHOOL. 



forget, then. Hold on with your right knee 

 and sit down for the canter." 



What shall you do by way of exercise before 

 Monday ? Practise all the old movements, a 

 little of each one at a time, and take two 

 lengths of ribbon as wide as an ordinary rein, 

 or, better still, two leather straps, and fasten 

 one to the knobs on the two sides of a door 

 and run the other through the keyhole. Call 

 the knob straps the snaffle reins, and the key- 

 hole straps the curb, and, sitting near enough 

 to let them lie in your lap, practise picking them 

 up and adjusting them with your eyes shut. 

 When you can do it quickly and neatly, try and 

 see with how little exertion you can sway the 

 door to left and right, and then practise holding 

 these dummy reins while standing on one foot 

 and executing the movement used in trotting. 

 If the door move by a hair's breadth, it will 

 show you that you are pulling too much, and 

 you must remember that your hold on your 

 horse's mouth gives you greater leverage than 

 you have on the door, and then, perhaps, you 

 will pity the poor beast a little now and then. 



What is that ? Your master treated you as 



