THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 97 



reins ; the pace free and active ; the trot about eight to eight and a 

 half the hour. 



Cantering should never be practised on hard ground, as it is 

 certain, sooner or later, to cause mischief to the horse's legs. 

 Where there is a good broad sward by the roadside, as in the 

 Midland counties, a good stretching canter for miles may always 

 be had where the ground is good going. But such places are not to 

 be found in the neighbourhood of the metropohs ; and it is necessary 

 therefore to select some open common, such as Wimbledon or 

 Wormwood Scrubs, for cantering at first. 



By degrees the pupil should be accustomed to ride through 

 thoroughfares where there is considerable traffic, and may then, 

 make her debut in Rotten Row ; and here I may remark that nobody, 

 lady or gentleman, should ever attempt riding in this fashionable 

 equestrian resort until they have thorough command of their horses, 

 and, indeed, know scientifically what riding is. The place, strictly 

 speaking, is a ride intended for royalty alone ; and I believe I am 

 correct in saying that the admission of the general public to it is by 

 no means a matter of right. Great pains are bestowed to keep 

 it in good order throughout the year ; especially, it is always soft 

 and good for a horse's legs. But as a great concourse of equestrians, 

 male and female, is always in the Row in the London season, and as 

 the horses are nearly all well bred and high couragcd, there is con- 

 siderable danger, both to themselves and others, in persons with 

 indifferent seats and hands venturing to ride in the fashionable 

 crowd, the danger being considerably enhanced by the fact that such 

 people are altogether ignorant of the risk they are running. For 

 my own part, after seeing some corpulent citizen rehearsing "John 

 Gilpin " in Hyde Park, with his trousers half-way up to his knees, 

 and his feet the wrong way in the stirrups, the wonder has always 

 been to me not that accidents occur in Rotten Row, but that there 

 are not a great many more. 



There are adventurous ladies, too, who occasionally create a 

 sensation among the crowd, not at all flattering to themselves if 

 they only knew the sentiments of those about them ; and I really 

 think it would be a capital plan to appoint some competent gentle- 



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