INTRODUCTION. 19 



rect position of the legs is of great importance, and 

 it is, of course, much more difficult for a teacher to 

 judge of this through a skirt. 



Riding lessons are best begun in the autumn, as 

 winter is apt to be cold for beginners, who are not 

 able to keep themselves warm by trotting, and in 

 summer flies often make the horses nervous, which 

 may disturb young or timid pupils. 



The duration of the first lesson should be from 

 twenty-five to forty-five minutes. The older the 

 pupil is the shorter the lesson ought to be, although 

 this rule is not without exceptions. 



The usual proportion is : From 8 to 12 years, 45 

 minutes ; from 12 to 20 years, 30 minutes ; after 20 

 years, 25 minutes. 



After the first five or six lessons they may be 

 gradually lengthened, day by day, until an hour is 

 reached, and one hour in the riding-school under in- 

 struction, if the pupil holds herself in the correct 

 position, is sufficient. When the lesson is over, the 

 pupil should rest for a short time before changing 

 her dress, and walk about a little in order to. re- 

 establish a free circulation of the blood. It is al- 

 ways wise for a lady to walk her horse for at least 

 ten minutes before she dismounts, both for his sake 

 and her own. 



The morning after her first lesson the pupil will 

 feel tired and stiff all over, especially in the shoul- 

 ders, legs, and arms. The second day the stiffness 

 will be worse, and on the third it will be at its height. 



