LEARXIXG TO RIDE. 27 



that they do not hurt too much, do a strong, stout- 

 hearted boy a great deal of good, when he is learning 

 to ride ; but, if the beginner be a man, or delicate youth, 

 they are apt to destroy his confidence, which is the 

 essential in riding ; while a bad fall will act prejudicially 

 in all cases. This fact is well recognised among jockeys, 

 some of whom I have heard remark about Archer, when 

 alluding to his extraordinary pluck, that he retains his 

 nerve, because he has not met with a bad accident, up 

 to the present. I sincerely hope that he will never have 

 the opportunity of showing his critics how wrong they 

 are. 



In order to give the grown-up beginner confidence, 

 I would strongly advise that, to commence with, he 

 should be put on a very easy horse^ have a comfortable, 

 broad-seated saddle covered with buckskin, and that 

 he should be allowed to ride, at first, with stirrups. 

 After a time, he might try the ordinary pigskin saddle, 

 and have a change of horses. I may observe that the 

 greater the variety of horses a man rides, the quicker 

 will he acquire a strong seat. He should, above all 

 things, avoid, from the very first, depending on the 

 bridle for support, for that trick, once learned, will be 

 very difificult, if not impossible, to be given up. He 



