96 MOUNTED INSTRUCTION 



of them if they are made to understand what it is that is wanted. This 

 requires patience and a certain amount of thought and calculation on 

 the part of the rider as to the best way to convey his wishes to his 

 mount. Wherever possible, equitation instructors should work in 

 pairs ; one to conduct the ride, that is, give all commands, regulate the 

 gait, check up on distances, etc., and the other occupy himself entirely 

 with riding back and forth along the column, making individual correc- 

 tions, in an ordinary conversational tone. Where necessary this in- 

 structor should demonstrate his point, by himself assuming the desired 

 position and then requiring the rider to do the same. Riding classes 

 should not exceed 30 men. 



Particular attention should be ])aid to supijling the man's waist. To 

 this end, never let him ride at a trot with his body leaning forward of 

 the perpendicular. It is well at the first to require the man to lean back, 

 or rather roll back on the buttocks, even to an exaggerated degree, 

 straightening the entire body, legs in prolongation of the upper body, 

 and then relax all muscles and cave in the stomach in order that the jolt 

 of the horse will be taken up through the flexibility of the waist. This 

 position requires that the knees shall be well down. The rider keeps 

 his seat by balance rather than by a grip of the legs or knees. The 

 flexibility of the waist is absolutely necessary to a good seat — this 

 means relaxed muscles. Where the rider is in the position spoken of 

 above with the body leaning back from the vertical, the waist acts as 

 a hinge, and so long as the hinge is working, the jolt of the horse is not 

 transmitted to the spine and upper body, but is taken up by the move- 

 ment t>f the hinge, thus permitting the buttocks and thighs to retain 

 their contact with the horse. If the hinge is not working (i. e., the 

 waist muscles are set) the jolt of the horse is transmitted to the rigid 

 spine and the rider is jounted up and down ; he is unable to retain con- 

 tact with the horse and is made very uncomfortable by the successive 

 blows to the spine, which blows are transmitted at once to the head 

 and brain. 



As the man's waist limbers up. he may be permitted to sit more erect 

 until finally after some days of riding he should be able to sit the trot 

 with his body practically erect. 



Much time should be spent principally in giving the rider a seat. 

 Enough of the rein aids (Par. 290, F. A. D. R.) should be taught to 

 enable the man to guide his horse and where the classes make sufficient 

 progress to warrant it, the leg aids (Pars. 295 and 289, F. A. D. R.) may 

 also be taken up. The object of this particular part of the course must 

 not be lost sight of however ; To supple the rider and give a seat. \\'ith 

 this will come an increase of confidence to the rider which will aid him 

 in all later mounted work. 



Riding cannot be learned from lectures or demonstrations, it must be 

 learned by practice. Instructors must see that the time allotted to 

 equitation is all spent in actual riding and largely at a trot, preferably 

 a slow trot. Corrections should be individual and made while the ride 

 is in progress rather than stopping the ride to give general instructions. 

 Each man is interested to know just how to solve his own particular 



