118 THE HORSE OWNER 



vor, in choosing a lady's Jiorse, is that the weight to be 

 carried is generally light, and therefore a horse calcula- 

 ted to carry them is seldom fit to mount a man, because 

 the weight of the male sex is generally so much above 

 that of an equestrian lady. Few of this sex who ride are 

 above one hundred and thirty pounds, and most are be- 

 low that weight. But in point of soundness, action, mouth 

 and temper, the lady's horse should be unimpeachable. 

 A gentleman's horse may be good, yet wholly unable to 

 canter, and so formed that he cannot be taught; he, 

 therefore, is unsuited to a lady ; but, on the other hand, 

 every lady's horse should do all his paces well. Many 

 ladies, it is true, never trot ; but they should not be fur- 

 nished with the excuse th:it they cannot because their 

 horses will not. In size the lady's horse should be about 

 fifteen hands or from fourteen and a half to fifteen and a 

 half; less than this allows the habit to trail, in the dirt 

 and more makes the horse too lofty and unwieldy for a 

 laily's use. In breaking the lady's horse, if he is of good 

 temper and fine m )uth, little need be done to make him 

 canter easily, and with the right leg foremost. This is nec- 

 essary, because the other leg is uncomfortable to the rider 

 from her side position on the saddle ; the breaker, there- 

 fore, should adopt the means already described, and per- 

 severe until the horse is quite accustomed 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 aotion which 

 one so often sees. The curb must be used for this pur- 

 pose, but without bearing too strongly up )n it ; the horse 

 must be brought to his paces by fine handling rather than 

 by force, and by occasional pressure, which he will yield 



