152 RIDING FOR LADIES. 



thing — but one or two sounding knocks upon the nose or in 

 the middle of the forehead, received through inability to 

 regulate the precise time for the two distinct movements, 

 have taught them to discard the theory as nonsensical, 

 which it most certainly is. 



I believe a great deal in having confidence, and in the 

 power of imparting the same feeling to your horse ; also, in 

 keeping both him and yourself in perfect good temper. 

 Ride him with judgment, and he will soon learn to under- 

 stand exactly what it is that you want of him. Never take 

 him too fast at wide ditches, or at fences that necessitate a 

 rise ; in all such instances suffer him to measure his stride ; 

 — give him time— don't hustle him — (an unwise and horrid 

 habit), let him gather his hind legs well under him, and on 

 no account hold him hard on the curb. Remember, likewise, 

 that you must always leave him sufficient length of rein to 

 enable him to extend his neck. 



I am against going over fast, even at water, unless the 

 place is a formidably wide one. I think that undue haste 

 mtist prevent a horse from measuring his stride, and that this 

 is the reason why animals so frequently take-off too soon, 

 and consequently either over-jump themselves, or land short. 

 They have done it with myself, many times, in the early 

 days of my riding career ; there is scarcely a branch of the 

 Lara in which I have not been ducked, and surely ex- 

 perientia docet. Moreover, a horse cannot possibly last in 

 anything like a fast run, unless he is kept collected. A 

 sprawler very soon comes to the end of his tether, while 

 fair-and-easy goes far in the day. This is particularly the 



