HOW TO MOUNT. 97 



handled: he will allow you to walk up to him, and 

 stand by his side without scaring at you, because you 

 have gentled him to that position ; but if you get down 

 on your hands and knees and crawl towards him, he will 

 be very much frightened ; and upon the same principle, 

 he would be frightened at your new position if you 

 had the power to hold yourself over his back without 

 touching him. Then the first great advantage of the 

 block is to gradaally gentle him to that new position in 

 which he will see you when you ride him. 



" Secondly, by the process of leaning your weight in 

 the stirrups, and on your hand, you can gradually 

 accustom him to your weight, so as not to frighten him 

 by having him feel it all at once. And, in the third 

 place, the block elevates you so that you will not have to 

 make a spring in order to get on the horse's back, but 

 from it you can gradually raise yourself into the saddle. 

 When you take these precautions, there is no horse so 

 wild but what you can mount him without making him 

 jump. 1 have tried it on the worst horses that could be 

 found, and have never failed in any case. When 

 mounting, your horse should always stand without being 

 held. A horse is never well broken when he has to be held 

 with a tight rein when mounting ; and a colt is never so 

 safe to mount as when you see that assurance of con- 

 fidence, and absence of fear, which cause him to stand 

 without holding." [Mr. Earey's improved plan is to 

 press the palm of the right hand on the off-side of the 

 saddle, and as you rise lean your weight on it ; by this 

 means you can mount with the girths loose, or without 

 any girths at all.— Editor.] 



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