92 Centaur ; 



ordinary exercise or short journeys. After a day's hunting, 

 or few hours' ride, the saddle should by no means be taken 

 immediately from the horse's back on reaching the stable, 

 but the girths should be unloosed and the saddle moved a 

 few inches towards the croup, for the purpose of allowing 

 the horse's back to gradually cool during the process of 

 s^villing the legs, &c. {see "Unharnessing"). Hackney crup- 

 pers are considered unsightly, and have been, frequently the 

 cause of sore places about the region of the dock. The 

 necessity for the crupper is invariably more the fault of the 

 rider than the horse; a good rider never shows his stockings, 

 but it is frequently the case that many whose daily business 

 it is to sit upon a horse are frequently to be seen with their 

 trousers up to their knees ; such are the rollocking horse- 

 men that require cruppers, trouser straps, and frequently 

 tying or holding on. In riding, or attempting to ride, the 

 old rule is "To look before you leap," and the real horse- 

 man says "Keep close to the pigskin," hence the term 

 "daylight" between saddle and man. It is, therefore, equally 

 important that the saddle should fit the horseman as well as 

 the horse. 



The first business of the amateur is to learn to exercise 

 patience ere he can excel as an equestrian ; next, never to 

 start until he is ready (which rule applies to everything 

 through life) ; and to avoid flourishing, or irritating the 

 horse. The saying, "Put a beggar on horseback, &c," is 

 an old one, but is a very true and trite one. 



The writer thinks that nothing looks so thoroughly 

 ridiculous as the back view of a full-grown green amateur, 

 who appears mounted for the first time, trotting through 

 the public streets at holiday times, specially got up with 

 frock coat and button-hole, patent leather shoes, and stirrups 

 too short, a " bran-new " saddle and bridle, and himself 

 hanging on by the spurs, his elbows elevated, and shoulders 

 up, as though endeavouring to overtake the horse or imitate 

 the monkey. 



Such is the picture (often to be seen on Easter Monday, 

 and other times) of the ambitious green-horn, who, even at 

 an advanced age, and without any preparatory lessons or 

 practice, vaults into the saddle. It is not the forte of all 

 men to excel in horsemanship, and the Author knows 

 several horse owners who have not yet,' and in all pro- 



