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now TO TRAIN HIM TO STAND THE SWORD 



EXERCISE. 



Another vital requirement in the charger is to 

 stand the use of the sword. In training" him extreme 

 caution must be exercised not to strike him with 

 the blade, or he may get a fright that it may take 

 the rider some considerable time and trouble to per- 

 suade the horse to forget. Cuts "Four" on the right 

 and ''Three" and "Four" on the left against infantry 

 are the ones most likely to come in collision with 

 the head and ears of the horse in the sword exercise. 

 In order to guard against this danger the rider must 

 lean well over on either side, so as to throw his body 

 well clear of the horse, which will carry his sword-arm 

 further over, and in a great measure prevent actual 

 contact. It is better at first to teach him with a 

 stick in preference to the sword. The horse should 

 be frequently fondled and kindly spoken to while 

 he learns to stand steady and motionless, with a 

 light, almost imperceptible feeling of the rider's hand 

 on the rein, and the stick should be moved over 

 and about him in all directions. If he should start 

 at the unexpected whirr of the stick through the 

 air as its velocity is increased, the rider should always 

 stop until he is steady again, soothing him the while. 

 In no circumstances must he even hint at punishing 

 him, because if the rider lose his temper the horse 

 will lose his, and a conflict may probably ensue which 

 will frighten the one and exhaust the other. There- 



