56 HINTS ON HORSEMANSHIP. 



in his arm-chair ; and the unskilful no more the imputation of 

 timidity for his backwardness, than one who, without any pre- 

 vious initiation in the art of funambulism , should decline fol- 

 lowing Madame Saqui on the tight-rope. Depend on it, the bold 

 bad rider is the hero. There is nothing heroic, nothing grand 

 in good riding, when dissected. The whole thing is a matter of 

 detail — a collection of trifles ; and its principles are so simple 

 in theory, and so easy in practice, that they are despised. 

 The pupil on hearing them assents, " Of course ! We need no 

 ghost to tell us that." — But, in fact, the great unpractised 

 secrets in riding are simply these : — When you go to the 

 right, pull the right rein stronger than the left : when you 

 go to the left, the left rein stronger than the right. Urge 

 the horse strongest on the side opposite to the guiding rein, 

 and let your bearing on his mouth be smooth and gentle. 

 He who does so, if not a perfect horseman, will at least 

 be a more perfect one than a million out of a million and 

 one. But, because I would divest horsemanship of the bom- 



