ROAD RIDING. 



43 



possess system, with negligence, and ease, and 

 others merely negligence and ease, without system. 



A lady's horse should be sure footed, but the best 

 become careless. When a horse trips, he should 

 be kept more than usually collected. It is useless 

 to whip a horse after stumbling, as it is also after 

 shying, for it is clear, he would not run the risk 

 of breaking his knees nor his nose if he could help 

 it. A bad horsewoman throws her horse down, 

 which a good horsewoman does not do. That is, 

 because a bad horsewoman hurries her horse, over 

 bad ground, or down hill, or over loose stones, or 

 rough and broken ground, lets him flounder into 

 difficulties, and when there, pulls him so that he 

 cannot see, nor exert himself to get out of them 

 and expecting chastisements, the horse springs to 

 avoid it, before he has recovered his feet, and goes 

 down with a tremendous impetus ; if she have to 

 cross a rut to the right, she probably forces her 

 horse across it, when the right foot is on the 

 ground ; in which case, unless the horse collect 

 himself, and jump ; if he attempts to step across 

 it, the probability is, that crossing his legs, he 

 knocks one against the other and falls. The re- 

 verse of all this, Colonel Greenwood, writes, 

 should be the case, if the lady have not sufficient 

 tact to feel, which of her horse's feet is on the 

 ground, she must allow him his own time for 



