192 THE COMPLETE HORSEMAN 



soon as possible in case the saddle may be cold or 

 the horse a little frisky. 



There are some men who attempt to mount 

 their horses from the side or even behind the 

 saddle. This is sure to lead to disaster if perse- 

 vered in. Only experience can make one be- 

 lieve how far a horse can reach when he ' cow 

 kicks.' In one respect the ordinary teaching of 

 mounting a horse is open to great improvement. 

 It will be noticed that I have spoken always 

 of mounting from the near side. The advantage 

 of being able to mount from both sides is too 

 obvious to need insistence. Yet I question 

 whether there is one man in a thousand out of 

 the hunting men of Great Britain who is 

 capable of mounting a horse expeditiously from 

 the off side. In all my experience I have not 

 met more than half a dozen men who were able to 

 do so, excepting of course hunt servants who are 

 generally ait fait in all those little plans to save 

 time. 



There are one or two things about mounting 

 which one frequently sees neglected, even by men 

 of some experience. Occasionally perhaps they 

 are forgotten in the hurry. The first of these is 

 that the tackle is not thoroughly overlooked. 

 The groom should never be entirely trusted with 

 this very important duty. The man who has to 

 ride should examine thoroughly girths, leathers, 

 bridle and everything that the horse wears 

 before attempting to mount. I have seen a man 

 make a cursory examination after he has mounted. 



