jmpoktance of horsemanship. Ill 



man's seat.— Nolan's opinion. — Military style. — Hunting style. — 

 Two examples in Lord Cardigan. — The Prussian style. — Anecdote 

 by Mr, Gould, Blucher, and the Prince Regent. — Hints for men 

 learning to ride. — How to use the reins. — Pull right for right, and 

 left for left. — How to collect your horse. 



You cannot learn to ride from a book, but j'ou may learn 

 how to do some things and how to avoid many things 

 of importance. Those who know all about horses and 

 horsemanship, or fancy they do, will not read this 

 chapter. But as there are riding-schools in the City of 

 London, where an excellent business is done in teaching 

 well-grown men how to ride for health or fashion, and 

 as papas who know their own bump-bump style very well 

 often desire to teach their daughters, I have collected 

 the following instructions from my own experience, now 

 extending over full thirty years, on horses of all kinds, 

 including the worst, and from the best books on the 

 subject, some of the best being anonymous contributions 

 by distinguished horsemen, printed for private circula- 

 tion. Everyman and woman, girl and boy, who has the 

 opportunity, should learn to ride on horseback. It is 

 almost an additional sense — it is one of the healthiest 

 exercises — it affords amusement when other amusements 

 fail — relaxation from the most severe toil, and in colonies 

 or wild countries often the only means of travelling or 

 trading. 



A. man feels twice a man on horseback. The student 

 and the farmer meet, when mounted, the Cabinet Mi- 

 nister and the landlord on even terms— good horse- 

 manship is a passport to acquaintances in all ranks of 

 life, and to make acquaintances is one of the arts of 

 civilised life; to ripen them into use or friendship is 

 another art. On horseback you can call with less cere- 

 mony, and meet or leave a superior, with less form 



