44' EQUITATION. 



crossing, whicli will be, when the left foot is on the 

 ground. The rider should habitually choose her 

 horse's ground for him, this by practice, will be- 

 come as easy to her, as choosing her own path 

 when walking. 



It is a common error to suppose, that a rider 

 can support a horse when falling, lift him over a 

 leap, or hold him up, they are mechanical impos- 

 sibilities. Were a similar weight attached to the 

 thin rein of a lady's bridle, could the lady lift it 

 with her left hand. A pull from the curb, will 

 indeed give the horse so much pain in the mouth, 

 that he will throw up his head, and the rider flat- 

 ters herself that she has saved her horse from fall- 

 ing ; but this error is not harmless, by so doing, she 

 prevents his seeing to foot out any unsafe ground ; 

 and further, when an unmounted horse stumbles, 

 nature teaches him to drop his head and neck, 

 which relieves the shoulders of their weight, and 

 that is the instant that the horse makes his effort 

 to recover himself; the muscular power employed to 

 raise the head and neck, will act to sink his knees, 

 for as much as the rider pulls up, so much will she 

 pull down. The great point is, to keep the horse 

 so well balanced and in hand, with his legs well 

 under him, that should the horse stumble, or get 

 into difficulties, he is able to recover himself with- 

 out much exertion. 



