Z/V THE RIDING-SCHOOL. 129 



"That is because Miss Laclv did not go into 

 the corner, and so is too far in advance," your 

 teacher explains. " You must, in class, keep 

 your distance as carefully when the rider imme- 

 diately before you is wrong as when she is 

 right. It is the necessity of doing that, of hav- 

 ing to be ready for emergencies, to think of 

 others as much as of your horse and of your- 

 self, that give class teaching much of its value." 



" Forward, ladies, forward," cries the other 

 teacher. " Remember that you are not to go to 

 sleep ! Now prepare to trot, and don't go too 

 fast at first.. Remember always to change 

 from one gait to another gently, for your own 

 sake, that you may not be thrown out of 

 position ; for your horse's, that he may not be 

 startled, and made unruly and ungraceful. 

 He has nerves as well as you. Now, prepare 

 to trot ! Trot ! Shorten your reins, Miss 

 Beauty ! Shorten them ! " and during the 

 next minute or two, while the class trots 

 about a third of a mile, the poor beauty hears 

 every command in the manual addressed to 

 her, and smilingly tries, but tries in vain, to 

 obey them ; but in an unhappy moment the 



