LADIES MOUNTING AND DISMOUNTING. 67 



raised gently to assist your horse in starting a gallop, or 

 to restrain him if wanting to go too fast ; the latter to 

 trot him on, or let him have his head, or to relieve him 

 from pressure from time to time, in order to make him 

 comfortable. When you raise him on the curb for his 

 gallop, do not continue the raise, but extend your hand a 

 little when he starts off; with this knowledge you look at 

 the reins: tighten one, loosen the other, the thumb all 

 the while keeping them where you put them. You soon 

 weary of this, it is too monotonous ; so throw them on 

 the floor, but pick them up again and repeat the same 

 process. Now send them away, for I do not want you to 

 be disgusted at the trifle; but be sure to have them back 

 the next day and day after, until you can throw them 

 down on the floor and, with your eyes shut, pick them up 

 and arrange them in your hand perfectly ; then you have 

 complete control of your reins, and are ready to mount 

 your horse. I do not mean be satisfied to do it once, but 

 a dozen times, until you feel perfectly secure that you can 

 so alter your reins with your horse on a full run. One 

 more word : your dress should not be long, two feet from 

 your feet when mounted is enough ; if longer, it endangers 

 your seat. In the gallop, your own or your friend's horse 

 may get his foot through it, and if of strong material, it may 

 drag you out of the saddle in a second and cause a dan- 

 gerous fall. Taking it for granted you have a gentleman 

 friend to assist you, I proceed on that ground to mount 

 you, provided your hair is so done up that it cannot by 

 any possibility fall down ; put it up in anything you think 

 most becoming, but positively so that it cannot come down 

 by the galloping, trotting, or any other motion of your 

 horse. That done, and all else right, the lady holds lightly 

 the reins all together in her right hand, all in a lump, and 

 with same hand on the pommel of saddle, standing beside 



