A FEW HINTS 197 



that is struck with great violence, and sent with 

 much velocity, to hold his hand firm and fixed 

 when he receives it, the hand would be bruised, 

 or the bones fractured probabl}^ by the resistance 

 offered. Therefore to obviate such an accident, 

 he gradually recedes his hand with the motion 

 of the ball for a certain distance, and thus, by the 

 due admixture of resistance and compliance, he 

 catches the ball without sustaining the least 

 injury. The case is exactly the same in riding 

 restless horses : the skilful horseman, on being 

 unseated, will recover his equipoise, by giving 

 way to the motion in some measure, whilst the 

 unskilful rider will be flung completely out of his 

 seat, b}^ such ill-assorted attempts to remain 

 fixed in it." 



Of course this does not imply that the grip 

 of the knee and thigh are to be entirely relaxed. 



The heels of riding boots should always be well 

 forward, and should be a little farther forward 

 at the outside than at the inside so as to aid in 

 giving the foot the correct angle to the horse's 

 sides ; the spurs should be so put on that the necks 

 are about at right angles with the leg of the boot. 



A double-reined bridle is an awkward business 

 for the beginner and not infrequently he gets 

 the reins mixed up in a very curious way. I 

 believe the wa^^ I was taught to use them is such 

 as does not obtain amongst experts now-a-days, 

 but I have adopted it for many years, have 

 always found it to answer extremely well, and 



