GENERAL RULES. 19 



g\e, or to turn on his fore or hind quarters in any direc- 

 tion. 



To gather the horse, close both legs equally and draw the 

 reins until the horse feels the bit and gives his head, when 

 he will commence champing his bit. This serves to attract 

 his attention and to bring his hind-quarters under him, pre- 

 paring him for the movement, enabling the rider to control 

 the execution of such movement, and preventing its being 

 too abrupt or too slow. 



Too much stress can not be put on the importance of 

 using the legs in connection with the reins, in controlling 

 and guiding the horse. The different positions and press- 

 ures of the legs, needed for different effects, should be so well 

 studied and practiced as to become a matter of habit. 



A horse, when fully collected, assumes what is known as 

 " the artificial balance," and when kept so during a ride need 

 not be further collected or prepared for any change in direc- 

 tion or gait. A horse that is highly trained and fully col- 

 lected is in perfect sympathy with his rider, and responds 

 instantly to any impulse, however slight, communicated by 

 the reins or legs. 



COUNTING. 



The members of the class either receive their numbers in 

 line before mounting, or, being mounted and in line, they 

 should be ordered to count off by ones. 



Further counting should not be necessary, as a slight 

 mental exertion will tell each rider where he belongs^ if or- 

 dered to form by twos, threes, fours, or more, and the rider 

 is likely to forget his number if given several, counting off 

 by twos, threes, and fours as well. 



Remember that the odd numbers are all ones and the 

 even numbers all twos. 



WHIP AND SPURS. 



The whip is an instrument of punishment that is hardly 

 needed, when wearing spurs, in ordinary ring-riding. 



