268 The Book of the Horse. 



viz , " balance, grip, and stirrups." After he has acquired the first principles of equitation, he 

 may ride huntini; on a pillow or pad, or folded blanket, without stirrups, if he is long and 

 strong for his age. Major Dwyer, in his very able work on "Seats," now out of print, recom- 

 mends that stirrup-leathers should be fixed nearly, not quite, in the middle instead of on 

 the front of the saddle ; and this would seem a sensible plan, at any rate in pad saddles for 

 boys. The stirrups should be of the modern shape of the ladies' patent stirrup, of a size 

 proportioned to the rider's feet, with a padding to protect the child's instep, The length of 

 the stirrup-leathers should be carefully adjusted to suit the child's shape, seat, and comfort. 



In the first lessons the boy or girl should not be allowed to take hold of the bridle at all. 

 A good example in this respect is presented by the practice of professional circus riders. 

 Their children, boys and girls, commence their serious equestrian education at about ten years 

 of age, under the instruction of a strict, sometimes of a very severe, teacher. I have had the 

 advantage at the Agricultural Hall of watching from day to day the whole course of instruction 

 of the children of professional circus riders, from the first elementary lesson to the finishing touches 

 of la haute c'colc. The circus children are of course taught to ride entirely by balance. The 

 lessons are given in the circus ring, on a pony trained to canter at an even pace. Sometimes 

 a soft pad is used, sometimes the afiimal is bare-backed ; but in either case, until the pupils 

 are far advanced, they arc not allowed any bridle. The pony is fastened down with flap-reins, 

 the inner rein, that is, the rein nearer to the inside of the circle, being buckled shorter than 

 the outer rein, so that it can only canter slowly ; while the teacher restrains the pony with a 

 lunging-rein, and urges it when necessary with a driving whip. The child, whether boy or 

 girl, commences by riding astride, is taught to sit in an upright easy position, just like the 

 Greek equestrian statues in the Greek Court at the Crystal Palace, with the shoulders well 

 thrown back, each hand resting on each knee, or with the arms crossed over the breast. 

 Thus no trick of holding on by the bridle or leaning forward over the pommel can be 

 acquired. 



When a firm seat and confidence have been gained, the child may be trusted with a pair 

 of single reins. But whether in an enclosed place or on the road, the flap-reins should be used, 

 so as to avoid any necessity for the young rider pulling at the horse's mouth ; pulling to the 

 right or to the left at the word of command, without any particular method of holding the 

 reins, being quite sufficient for all practical purposes. 



" When," says the late Colonel Greenwood of the Life Guards — a most accomplished 

 horseman in the manege school, the hunting field, and the Park, and a very good rider of races 

 on the flat — " you wish to turn to the right, pull the right rein stronger than the left. This is 

 common sense. The common error is, when you wish to turn to the right to pass the hand 

 to the right ; by this the right rein is slackened, and the left rein is tightened across the 

 horse's neck — a monstrous and perpetual source of bad riding and bad usage to good animals. 

 When double bridles are used, one rein should lie loose or knotted upon the horse's neck." 



It is far better that the child should from time to time hold on and steady itself by a 

 pull at the mane of the pony or the pommel of the saddle, than ever learn to depend on the 

 bridle as a means of keeping its scat. The hard plucky boy only needs good models for his 

 imitation, and he will teach himself while laughing at his own tumbles. 



When the child pupil can sit at ease at a brisk walk, buckle a long rein to a cavesson, 

 and slowly canter a well-trained pony or a horse if narrow enough for a boy, in a circle alter- 

 nately to the right and to the left. There is no advantage in using a pony less than 14 hands, 

 unless to get a narrow scat. Small horses are generally better broken than small ponies. 



