BREAKING AND RIDING 209 



All these are merely hastily jotted down 

 divisions into which riding may be divided, and 

 there are other divisions and still more sub- 

 divisions. Yet a crood breaker oug^ht to know 

 a considerable amount about them all, besides 

 possessing good-tempered patience and plenty 

 of pluck. The rest of the breaking will be done 

 through will-power, amounting to animal mag- 

 netism. 



When being broken a young horse requires 

 firmness, patience, and time. He must not be 

 made nervous, nor be made sore by the saddle 

 or collar. He must be taught to stand quietly 

 whilst he is being saddled or harnessed, and this 

 makes a difference in the subsequent value. 



It is impossible, as I stated before, to learn to 

 ride from a book, yet a few hints are advisable, 

 because nine people out of ten ride abominably 

 when compared to a natural horseman, who 

 notices defects : though politeness prevents him 

 from ruthlessly criticising. 



Let us begin with common faults. The 

 average person whom you meet jogging along 

 the road has not an air of security. Too fre- 

 quently he carries his hands too high — yes, much 

 too high. Now a good horseman rides with his 

 hands close to his horse's withers, and, when 

 using both his hands, carries them even lower 

 than the withers. 



Another common fault is putting too much 

 pressure on the near rein, thereby giving your 

 mount an uneven mouth. This is a particularly 

 bad fault, and one which a horseman could not 



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