32 HORSEMANSHIP. 



from weight, will be carried too far to the rear. If, on 

 the contrary, the rider adopts the military style, and 

 presses, with his legs, the horse up to a bit, which is 

 too severe for the animal to bear boldly against, or 

 which he is trained, at the lightest touch of the reins, 

 to yield and bend his neck to, the hind quarters, being 

 brought well under the body, will have comparatively 

 more work to do than the fore legs. As the strength 

 of a chain is equal to only that of its weakest link, so 

 are the powers of endurance of the horse equal to only 

 those of that pair of limbs which will tire the soonest. 

 Hence, we who desire to acquit ourselves as " work- 

 men," should endeavour to ride in such a manner, that 

 there will be a comparatively equal distribution of work 

 between the hind and fore extremities. To do this, we 

 should keep our legs close to the horse's sides, so as 

 to keep him up to his bit, while we should always 

 maintain a good hold of the reins. I am here referring, 

 of course, to fast paces, and not to the walk. I have 

 attempted, in the foregoing lines, to briefly indicate 

 what the rider ought to do, not from any vain idea 

 that horsemanship can be learnt from books alone, but 

 from the firm conviction that the better the beginner 

 understands what he has to do, the more readily 



