INTEODUCTOPtY CHAPTER. 



It may be ^^ell, a,t starting, to state the objects with 

 which this httle book has been brought before the 

 pubHc interested in horses, and at the same time, in 

 order to prevent misapprehension, to say that the 

 author has not the slightest intention of setting up 

 any one kind of seat or style of riding as a model for 

 all riders. On the contrary, he is fully persuaded that 

 each of these has its own merits, and, as our French 

 neighbours would say, its own raison d'etre — that is to 

 say, has been adopted for good and sufficient reasons, 

 so far as each individual rider possessed an insight into 

 the true essentials of the case, and has been able to dis- 

 tinguish these from what is merely matter of fashion 

 or supposed convenience. 



Some men, and these are the naturally good or born 

 riders, possess the sort of knowledge in question in- 

 stinctively, and frequently without being able to 

 account either to themselves or others for the way 

 in which they have acquired it, or give satisfactory 

 reasons for the adoption of their methods. Such men 

 are most usually, although not invariably, of the pecu- 



B 



