LESSONS IN RIDING 375 



LESSON III 



Begin again at the beginning. The pupil may be a little 

 stiff after his lesson of yesterday, but this will soon wear off. 

 The same lesson should be continued, and he should (if able) 

 be made to trot once or twice round the school without stop- 

 ping, it being explained to him that by leaning his body a little 

 Awards, that is to say away from the side of the school, especi- 

 ally at the corners, it will help him to keep his balance. He 

 must not be allowed to hold on by the horse's mouth or to 

 cling by the calf of the leg, but must try to keep his balance 

 and to grip by the knee and thigh. If he holds on too low 

 down, he will loosen the grip of the knee and thigh, the knee 

 will work up, and the body will be top-heavy. His feet will be 

 constantly working home in the stirrups ; in fact, as fast as he 

 gets right in one place he will get wrong in another. The 

 best thing to do is not to let him trot too long : about twice 

 round the school is plenty ; then let him sit at ease, point out, 

 to him how he got wrong, and start him again. It should be 

 explained that the feet must be kept in the stirrups by an easy 

 play of the ankle and instep, and not by standing on them, and 

 that the weight of the body should be on the saddle and not 

 on the stirrups. Half an hour will be long enough for him to 

 be mounted. 



LESSON IV 



Mounting and position as before. The instructor must pay 

 great attention to the position of the body, hands, and legs. 

 The pupil should now be able at a walk to correct any fault he 

 may be told of, without being halted. While trotting, keep 

 working for ease and try to get the whole body in unison with 

 the movements of the horse. 



The instructor will have to be very careful hereabouts, and 

 in the few succeeding lessons not to disgust his pupil, who will 

 want all the encouragement he can give. There is nothing 



