58 HORSEMANSHIP. 



any other noise in existence. I saw the other officers 

 drawing up their reins and going through the usual 

 formula, while their chargers were prepared to display 

 their accustomed amount of emotion. As I knew that 

 my horse had never heard a feii de joie, I tried the 

 experiment of sitting still and leaving the reins slack. 

 At the word of command, the rattle of musketry came 

 down the front rank, and then up the rear rank, causing 

 other horses, which had been chargers for years, to 

 whisk round, and almost to, metaphorically, "jump out 

 of their skins," but neither the old selling plater or 

 myself took the slightest notice of the row. So 

 surprised was I at his tranquillity that I thought he was 

 deaf, until I had to go out to 'Hake up a point," for on 

 going a few yards, I spoke to him, and he "went into 

 his bridle " in a moment, thus showing that he minded 

 an indication from me infinitely more than one from 

 outside. 



Stumbling. — There are two kinds of stumblers. The 

 one lifts his foot, at the walk, without throwing his 

 weight too much forward at the same time, but he does 

 not bend his knee enough, or unduly depresses his toe, 

 when putting the foot to the ground. If, at the conclu- 

 sion of the step, there be an inequality in the ground. 



