i6o RIDING FOR LADIES, 



headed — shall I say more sensible ? — than their riders ; and 

 where an animal feels that he cannot jump a place with 

 safety to himself, he will generally decline having anything 

 to do with it at all. There are, of course, some big, bold, 

 fearless hearts — ^just as there are among riders — that will 

 go for everything, houses included, should such happen to 

 come in their way, and give no thought at all to conse- 

 quences ; but they are not always the best sort for ladies 

 fo ride. Something cool and collected will be found much 

 better. 



Allowing, then, that timidity — or, more properly speaking 

 lack of co7ifide7ice — is the primary cause of refusals, we 

 have to consider it in juxtaposition with another, which will 

 be far more difficult to deal with — namely, obstinacy, or 

 sulk. 



I know quite well that when readers arrive at this point 

 they will at once want to be told how they are to distin- 

 guish between the two. I did, when I found that from 

 time to time I had to contend against both evils. Well, I 

 am about to tell you all that I know of it. 



When you are coming up to something which you know 

 quite well your horse can easily accomplish, and you never- 

 theless feel him give a sort of wriggle under you, while at 

 the same time he begins to stiffen himself and drop out 

 of his stride, you may know that he means roguery, 

 and consequently be prepared for his sticking his toes 

 in the ground when he gets up to it, and assuming a 

 stony aspect, as though he were indifferent to conse- 

 quences, and would be quite willing to stop there for a 



