29 6 MILITARY RIDING. 



close to the horse's sides, but be ready to be used in the 

 application of the aids. The seat should be maintained by 

 balance and not by grip, and then the muscles and grip of 

 the knees will instinctively come into action if the horse plays 

 up suddenly. 



Officers' Riding. Most of the officers who join the army 

 have ridden from childhood, which is the best time of life to 

 learn, when their joints are supple and when they are oblivious 

 to fear and in that happy state called "the fearlessness of 

 ignorance." They are encouraged to hunt and play Polo 

 from the time they join a regiment, which makes them first- 

 class horsemen. Besides being well mounted, their work " on 

 parade and at all times " is to lead, which gives them a far 

 greater scope for improving their riding than the men have in 

 the ranks. With all these advantages many officers fail to 

 become proficient horsemen in a military sense, as they do 

 not devote sufficient time and study to the details of school 

 riding. In order to remedy this state of things a special 

 course of equitation for officers was started at Netheravon 

 five years ago, which will no doubt bring about the desired 

 improvement. Every horseman will, I think, agree with me 

 in saying that ability to make a horse rein back, passage, 

 change the leading leg at a canter, turn and change from one 

 pace to another with promptness and precision, is useful in 

 every form of riding, and a man who thoroughly understands 

 the breaking of a horse and can apply the aids properly, will 

 be able to ride his pony at Polo with much greater ease, and 

 will get more obedience from his mount, than the one who 

 does not understand such horsemanship, though he may be a 

 good rider in other respects. 



Riding in the Ranks. Men riding in the ranks have fewer 

 opportunities of improving their riding than have the officers. 

 Some of the cavalry barracks are so cramped for space that 

 they have " nothing but the riding school and a manege, with a 



