274 UNDIVIDED ATTENTION NECESSARY TO TUITION. 



different objects. Suppose a horse going a quick 

 canter leading with the right leg, something coming 

 suddenly up may oblige his rider to turn quickly to 

 the left. If the horse does not change his leg, it is 

 an even chance whether he does or does not let his 

 legs interfere, and come on his head. Here he may 

 be taught that quite necessary qualification in a lady's- 

 horse, to moderate his pace, stop by degrees or stop 

 short according to the voice that directs him : a lady's 

 horse should be perfect in this with the reins resting 

 on his neck. Why this is learned so much more 

 readily in a school than elsewhere is, that the animal's 

 attention is solely occupied by his rider's voice and 

 movement, whereas out of doors it is more than 

 divided by other objects. Independently of this, there 

 is a confinement felt by a horse when encircled by 

 four walls, that he of course does not feel in any open 

 space, that makes him obedient. 



In a school there are found, or ought to be found, 

 guns, flags, drums, trumpets, umbrellas, and every 

 other monstrosity to which a lady's horse should be 

 accustomed : it therefore follows that in such a school 

 a horse would be placed in a situation to see more 

 strange sights in six weeks than in ordinary situ- 

 ations he- would see in six years. For instance : a 

 lady might ride her horse about Bath, and not see 

 the colour of a regiment once in seven years : in 

 London it might happen she never rode at an hour 

 when regiments were moving ; consequently years 

 might elapse, and the first time her horse saw 

 such a sight he would start at it ; and so on with any 

 unusual thing that came across him: but in the 

 school a day makes him conversant with any thing of 

 the sort. Let a man walk at fifty yards' distance 



