EIDING OX THE ROAD. 57 



It will be observed tliat I have said you should 

 bit the borse behind the saddle ; the reason is, that 

 you sometimes bit your borse wben you don't want 

 bim to go on. For instance, if be sbies or is fidgetty, 

 or is not looking wbere be is going and stumbles, or 

 any otber reason. 



Now, tbe borse cannot distinguish what you are 

 bitting him for, if you always bit him in the same 

 place, whatever you want bim to do ; but if you always 

 bit bim in one part when you want him to go on, 

 and in another when you want to correct him, he will 

 be quite capable of distinguishing between the two, 

 and understanding what you mean. 



For this reason I should recommend a rider to 

 always hit his horse behind the saddle when he wants 

 bim to go on, and always hit him in front of the 

 saddle when he wants anything else. By this means 

 he will often avoid that unpleasant state of things 

 which is technically described as ' falling out with 

 bis horse,' which is both unpleasant and mutually 

 injui'ious to the temper. 



Two of the commonest faults on a road are shy- 

 ing or refusing to pass anything, and stumbling or 

 tripping. 



As regards stumbling it arises from one of two 

 causes : either from the borse having straight 

 shoulders, and consequently bad action, or from the 

 borse being careless and not looking where he is 

 going, and putting his foot on a stone or some other 



