28 EQUITATION. 



imperceptibly gain a little every day on their rid- 

 ers ; the lady must however always treat the horse 

 kindly, at the same time show him that she does 

 not fear him. The other, from want of reason, and 

 temper, enrages the horse, and causes him to be- 

 come vicious. Horses of a bad disposition or tem- 

 per, are exceedingly subtle, and watch their op- 

 portunity ; they first, as it were, feel for their 

 rider's firmness of seat, and her resolution, and are 

 sure to defend themselves upon that point, on which 

 they expect she will attack them; now, the object 

 of the lady in this contest must be, to frustrate the 

 horse's intentions, and protect herself from injury 

 in the struggle. 



Some horses have a vicious habit of turning 

 round suddenly ; instead of endeavouring to pre- 

 vent him, in which the lady would in all proba- 

 bilty be foiled, were she to try to do so by force ; 

 the better plan is, to turn the horse smartly round 

 to the side to which he is turning, until his head 

 has made a complete circle, and he finds to his 

 astonishment, that he is precisely in the place from 

 which he started. Should he, on the lady attempt- 

 ing to urge him forward, repeat the trick ; she 

 should pull him round on the same side three or 

 four times, and assist the hand in doing so, by a 

 smart aid of the whip, or the leg ; while this is 

 doing, she must take care to preserve her balance, 



