SCOPE OF ROAD-RIDING 147 



persists in riding a constant, never-varied trot. The nice 

 balance and quick response of the accomplished saddle- 

 beast are overlooked. A horse is nowadays not even 

 permitted to guide by the neck, while as for suppling his 

 croup, or giving him a light forehand, no one ever dreams 

 of it. All this is, to say the least, a distinct loss. Some 

 men deem such education superfluous ; some cross-country 

 men brush such things aside as trivial and unnecessary. 

 The world could doubtless have wagged along without 

 many of the good things it has Homer, Michael Angelo, 

 Beethoven. But by how much is it better for having 

 them ! So with equitation. The opposition to the horse's 

 education among hunting men is the mediaeval outcry of 

 class prejudice. The more liberal the world, the less 

 there is of it ; the more we ride, the more we shall find 

 that a horse well educated is a horse twice told. 



Our imitation of the English comes of a sincere desire 

 to flatter ; and imitation is what oils the wheels of prog- 

 ress. When we have not what is worthy of imitation at 

 home, let us by all means go abroad ; but when we have 

 the best in our very midst, it is little to our credit to go 

 searching elsewhere. 



The first duty of the cross-country rider is to save his 

 horse, because the service required of him on each occa- 

 sion of use is exceptionally great. The performance of a 

 good hunter throughout a hard day's sport is very taxing. 

 The road-rider need not seek to save his horse, because he 

 covers but a tithe of the distance at any one time. Hence 

 the rule of the road is that the horse shall, first of all, sub- 

 serve his rider's comfort. The most comfort resides pri- 

 marily in ease, next in variety of gaits. And no one who 

 has learned the Southern gaits can deny their superior 

 ease. The proof lies in the fact that they enable a man 

 to ride without undue exertion in hot as well as cold 



