THE BAEB AND THE BRIDLE. 27 



just behind the anunal's near elbow and parallel to bis side. Thus 

 facing to the front, and still holding her skirt with both hands, she 

 should pass her whip from her right hand into the left, and " make 

 much of her horse " by patting him on the near shoulder — the best 

 method anybody (man or woman) can adopt as a first step to 

 acquaintance with a strange horse ; at the same time she should 

 speak soothingly to her new equine friend. The horse should be 

 held by a gToom standing in front of him, and holding him by both 

 reins. On the assistant approaching to lift the pupil to the saddle, 

 the lady should return the whip to the right hand and drop her 

 habit. She should then take the snaffle or bridoon rein in the 

 centre with the left hand, at the end close to the buckle piece with 

 the right, and draw them through the left until she has a hght and 

 equal feeling upon both sides of the horse's mouth. The right hand 

 should then be placed firmly on the near side upper crutch of the 

 saddle, the snaffle rein held between the pommel and the hana, the 

 whip in the full of it. The left hand should then grip the reins, and 

 the lady should resmne her position square to the front, without 

 moving her right hand or relaxing her grasp of the pommel of the 

 saddle. The assistant (who should be a gentleman^ not a groom) 

 should then stoop low enough to place both his hands locked together 

 in such a position that the pupil can place her left foot firmly on 

 them, the left knee sHghtly bent. At the same time she should also 

 place the flat of her left hand firmly on the right shoulder of the 

 assistant, keeping her arm perfectly straight. The instructor should 

 then give her the following directions : " On the word ' one,' bend 

 the right knee ; on the word 'two,' spring smartly up from the right 

 foot and straighten the left knee." If the pupil executes these 

 movements simultaneously, keeping her left elbow perfectly firm and 

 the arm straight, the assistant can lift her with the greatest ease 

 to the level of the saddle, where, firmly grasping the pommel, she 

 has only to make a half turn to her left, and she is seated sideways 

 on her horse. The assistant should then straighten the skirt down, 

 and taking the slack of it in his left hand, lift it over the near side 

 upper crutch while the lady turns in her saddle, and facing square 

 to her point, [lifts her right knee over the pommel, bringing her 



