PREFACE. 



As my object in writing this book has been to teach 

 the Art of Riding in a " workmanlike " manner, I have 

 described, with certain necessary modifications, the 

 system adopted by our best steeplechase and flat-race 

 riders, which is the only one that will enable the horse- 

 man to cross the most difficult " country " with the 

 utmost safety, and to cover the longest distance with 

 the greatest ease to himself and to the animal on which 

 he is mounted. 



Although many books have been written on military 

 equitation, no systematic work treating of our essentially 

 English style of riding, whether practised in the hunting 

 field, "between the flags," or on the racecourse, has 

 appeared previous to the present one, which I trust will 



