MOUNTING. 177 



likely to make him unsteady to mount. In fact, merely 

 poking the toe at him, has sometimes that effect. For the 

 same reason, we should avoid touching the horse with the 

 right foot when taking up the off stirrup. 



If the animal is difficult to mount, the rider when trying to 



Fig. 172. Bringing horse's head round to near side when mounting. 



get on his back, may find it helpful to shorten the near rein 

 (Fig. 172), so as to prevent him from getting away. The 

 horse will then be forced, unless he be very headstrong, to go 

 round and round the man, instead of moving forward. If, on 

 the contrary, the off rein be shortened, the man will lose 

 control as soon as the animal begins to revolve, for he will 

 then be on the outside, instead of the inside of the circum- 



12 



