22 THE TROT. 



and close the left heel, then when the horse is trotting, the 

 rider should feel the reins to raise the horses forehand and 

 to keep his haunches under him. 



It is very likely that some of my readers may not 

 understand the advice given above, so I will explain to 

 you clearly what I do mean. Now every horse has a 

 different gait, mouth and temper ; some horses are pull- 

 ers, while others you must ride light in hand, then again, 

 you will find horses that are free and ambitious, while 

 others are lazy and require urging. When I say ease on 

 the reins, 1 mean for you to give the horse a loose rein, 

 and not to prevent him from going in any way, and when 

 1 say feel the reins, I mean that you are to hold him in to 

 some extent and not allow him to go at whatever gait or 

 rate of speed which he prefers. You must make up your 

 mind to let your horse know that you, and you alone, are 

 master or mistress of your mount. If you are firm at the 

 start, you will be able to do anything with him, and when 

 you once get full control over your horse, it will help you 

 a great deal before you get through with horseback 

 riding. 



The first thing to do when mounted, is to try and get 

 a correct position on the saddle. Some ladies, after they 

 have been riding for some time, have a tendency to ride 

 onesided, or ride with a churning movement ; raise their 

 hands, hold the'ir heads down and swing their legs about 

 like the branch of a tree when the wind blows hard, or 

 like the pendulum of a clock, foot well home in the stirrup, 



