ladies' equestrianism. 179 



customed to the pace and habitually starts off with 

 the right leg. He should also bend him thoroughly, 

 so as to make him canter well on his hind legs, and 

 not with the disturbed action which one so often sees. 

 The curb must be used for this purpose, but without 

 bearing too strongly upon it; the horse must be 

 brought to his paces by fine handling rather than by 

 force, and by occasional pressure, which he will yield 

 to and play with if allowed, rather than by a dead pull. 

 In this way, by taking advantage of every inch yielded, 

 and yet not going too far, the head is gradually brought 

 in and the hind legs as gradually are thrust forward, 

 so as instinctively to steady the mouth and prevent the 

 pressure which is feared. When this "sitting on the 

 haunches" is accomplished, a horse-cloth may be 

 strapped on the near side of the saddle, to accustom 

 him to the flapping of the habit; but I have always 

 found in an ordinarily good-tempered horse, that if 

 the paces and mouth were all perfect the habit is sure 

 to be borne. 



It is a kind of excuse which gentlemen are too apt 

 to make, that their horses have never carried a lady; 

 but if they will carry a gentleman quietly, they will 

 always carry a lady in the same style, though they 

 may not perhaps be suitable to her seat or hand. The 

 /directions for holding the reins, and for their use, 

 elsewhere given, apply equally well to ladies, the only 

 difference being that the knee prevents the hand being 

 lowered to the pommel of the saddle. This is one 

 reason why the neck requires to be more bent for the 

 gentleman's use, because, if it is straight, or at all ewe- 

 necked, the hands being high raise the head into the 

 air, and make the horse more of a " star-gazer" than 

 he otherwise would be. Many ladies hold the reins 

 as in driving. It is in some respects better, because 



