RIDIXG OX HORSEBACK. 93 



hind feet forward, or to give a forward motion to his body. The 

 pressure of one leg, placed behind the girths, tends to turn the 

 croup around the fore legs from that side. An equal pressure of 

 both legs differently placed, and delicately aided by the hand, tends 

 to turn the horse around his center of gravity, and by a combina- 

 tion of these aids, which require as much management of the legs, 

 as in that of the hands, the horse in his movements may be entirely 

 submissive to the will of the rider." 



The so-called "natural gaits" are the walk, the trot, the gallop 

 and the canter. No saddle horse is worth having unless he be a 

 good fast walker. A slow walking horse is a vexation to the spirit, 

 and a horse whose walk is so slow that in order to keep up with his 

 fellows he must resort to the jog trot, is a quadruped whose proper 

 vocation is with the plow. Three miles and a half an hour is as 

 slow as the saddle horse ought to be allowed to walk. Four miles 

 is a good honest swinging gait, and every roadster ought to be able 

 to take it. The trot is the most natural and usual gait of English 

 hackneys and cabs, and has become the fashionable thing in this 

 country among those who ride mainly for exercise. Military riders 

 have to maintain a "close seat," that is, sit square down in the 

 saddle. With such a seat trotting causes great weariness, not to 

 speak of stiff joints and abraded cuticles. The English method, 

 which is also practiced in this country, is to spring from the saddle 

 at every alternate step of the horse. This makes it much easier for 

 both rider and horse. The knees are used as a pivot, aided by a 

 slight pressure upon the stirrups. The tendency which should be 

 avoided, is to lean forward at each spring, as if about to dive over 

 the horse's head. Another ludicrous practice is to swing the elbows, 

 like flapping wings. The gallop and canter are easy and graceful 

 gaits. The rider sits down in the saddle, grasping the horse with 

 the thighs and knees, but not so closely as to distress it. He leans a 

 little forward and conforms to the motions of the horse. The gal- 

 lop and the run are the horse's extreme gaits, and those in which, 

 when in health and spirits, he most rejoices. In the gallop the legs 

 on the right side move in advance of those on the left or those on 

 the left side in advance of those on the right. When turning, the 

 fore-leg on the side toward which the turn is made should strike the 

 ground in advance of the other. The canter or lope is, especially for 

 ladies' horses, a dehghtful gait to ride, and one easily taught. When 

 a horse " lopes " springingly and gracefully it is the pleasantest gait 

 to ride, and the one in which, for park and city purposes, a woman 

 appears to the very best advantage. It is simply the gallop slowed 

 down or modified, 



