THE BAKE AND THE BRIDLE. 43 



joint without destroying the neatness of her riding or her power 

 to fix her arms for a moment if the horse tries to get his head 

 away. In short, my theory is that it is impossible for the pupil 

 to learn the true appui, or acquire what is usually called a light 

 hand, until she has acquired a steady one. It is easy enough to 

 tell her to "give and take" to the cadence of the horse's action; 

 but the precise moment at which to do this must be made clear to 

 the learner by some well defined and easily comprehensible rule. I 

 submit that the readiest way of defining it is that I have attempted 

 in the foregoing, Havuag carefully given the above instruction, see 

 that the pupil is sitting fair and true in the saddle, and be careful 

 to correct any tendency to throwing forward the right shoulder, 

 which is both inelegant and destructive of balance. See that the 

 right knee is in a firm, but still flexible form on the upper pannels. 

 Caution the pupil while she draws her figure well up from the waist 

 to stretch the left heel well down ; and let her then, keeping her 

 hands perfectly quiet, press the horse forward into a walk with the 

 leg, while she yields the little finger from the wrist only. Let her 

 make the horse walk freely out, but up to his bridle, the whip being 

 applied, if necessary, on the off shoulder if he hangs back behind 

 his work. 



Nearly all young people, when first put on horseback, are anxious 

 to be off in a canter at once, and it is a sore trial to their patience 

 to be kept at a walk. But there can be no greater mistake than to 

 allow them to canter a horse until they have learnt the " alpha " of 

 their business — that important lesson, how to make a horse walk 

 true and fair. 



This accomplished, " going large " round school or paddock, the 

 pupil should be carefully instructed how to turn her horse square to 

 the right or left, and to rein him bac£. And in order to make the 

 instruction as clear and concise as possible, again, in a modified 

 form, the " Book of Aids " may be called upon. The formula there 

 laid down, in the shape of question and answer, is as follows : — 



Q. How do you turn a horse to the right or left ? — A. By a double 

 feeling of the inward rein, retaining a steady feeling of the outward. 

 The horse kept up to the hand by pressure of both legs. The out- 



