HORSEMANSHIP 187 



their long enforced abstinence from a favourite 

 pursuit and they become the keenest of the keen. 

 All honour to them ! I have known some of their 

 number develop into creditable horsemen, and 

 enjoy their days in the saddle thoroughly. 



To these gentlemen I would say go to a good 

 riding school certainly and go to one where you 

 are likely to be put on different horses. There 

 is nothing gives a man confidence like riding 

 different horses, and as soon as he can ride one 

 well the sooner he begins practising with another 

 the better. For this reason then he will be w^ll 

 advised if he prolongs his stay at the Riding 

 school. 



Some years ago some young men whom I 

 knew were in the habit of meeting in the spring 

 of the year once a week or oftener at some ap- 

 pointed place and riding a round of some eight or 

 ten miles. They were principally young farmers 

 and all had good horses, generally four-year-olds. 

 Sometimes two, sometimes three, sometimes as 

 many as five would forgather, and however many 

 there were, every horse was ridden by every man 

 before they parted for their respective homes. 

 The horses, it is needless to say, acquired excep- 

 tionally good manners and the men became good 

 horsemen. I am afraid one would look in vain 

 for such men now-a-days ; men in the same 

 rank in life would be o^ somewhere ' in these 

 degenerate days ' in a motor car or on a motor 

 bicycle. 



When a man has gone through his Riding 



