I 



A FEW HINTS 



T must again be insisted upon that it is im- 

 possible to teach the art of Horsemanship 

 in a book. To begin with it is difficult to 

 describe many of the actions which go to make 

 up the Complete Horseman and it is even more 

 difficult to follow the instructions which the 

 writer intends to convey. To really learn im- 

 proved methods of horsemanship the horse is one 

 necessary and the presence of an instructor who 

 can tell the learner where he is wrong and make 

 him persevere till he is right is another. But a 

 few hints may be very useful for all that, and 

 those I am about to give are the result of practical 

 experience. 



It may perhaps be thought that I am severe 

 in my criticisms on modern horsemanship, and I 

 frequently hear men called fine horsemen who do 

 not know even the rudiments of riding. Some 

 of them indeed have confidence enough to pre- 

 sume to teach others. These gentlemen will 

 continually be found finding fault with their 

 horses, coercing them, and pulHng them about, 

 than which there is no more certain sign of in- 

 different horsemanship. Another sign is allowing 



a horse to slouch about as he likes. 



189 



