296 THE AMERICAN HORSEWOMAN. 



defense, and there will be nothing left for him 

 but submission. 



When a horse fails in his attempts to gain the 

 ascendency, and yields to her skill and author- 

 ity, she should be generous and forgiving, and 

 treat the vanquished one with kindness and con- 

 sideration, letting him know that there is no re- 

 sentment harbored against him. He will quickly 

 appreciate this forbearance, and it will have a 

 lasting effect. But while accepting the olive 

 branch, she should not give him his usual pats 

 and caresses for some little while afterward, as 

 these acts might be misinterpreted by him as a 

 weakening on the part of his rider, or lead him 

 to imagine that he has been doing right instead 

 of wrono;. 



A lady's horse should never be trained with 

 the spur. The horse that requires a spur is un- 

 suited for the side-saddle ; even the dullest ani- 

 mal will soon learn that he is spurred only on 

 one side, and will shrink from the attack by a 

 shy or a jump to the right, knowing there is no 

 spur on this side. An indifferent rider may 

 place herself in danger by unconsciously spur- 

 ring her horse, thus goading him to madness, 

 and to such a frenzy of despair that the only 

 alternative left for him will be to unseat his fair 

 rider in order to escape the pain thus uncon- 

 sciously inflicted upon him. 



