THE TROT. 



There are a great many riders in the United States 

 who have never been able to ride a trotting horse, and 

 could not if they would, and they have seldom wished to 

 try, as they have found it too much labor. In the western 

 countries, and in the south, a great many ride on horses 

 at the single foot, pace, lope or canter, and on some horses 

 the various gaits are easy and pleasant, but there is no 

 gait so enjoyable to ride as the trot, when any one knows 

 how, and being harder to learn than any other, it is more 

 enjoyable when mastered. It is one rule by which a 

 teacher can tell a good rider from a bad one, but I do not 

 wish my readers to misunderstand me, and think that if 

 they are able to sit on their saddle correctly, and rise 

 gracefully in the trot, and just catch the stride of the 

 horse and rise in good time, that they are accomplished 

 horsemen or horsewomen, for I must ask you not to 

 think any such thing ; to make a good rider, one has to 

 know and understand many more things, as well as to be 

 able to sit well on a trotting horse. 



I shall first explain to you how to make a horse trot. 

 You should ease on both reins and close both legs, accord- 

 ing to the horse's temper, and when a lady is riding, she 

 should touch her horse with the whip behind the saddle 



