12 HAND-BOOK FOR HORSEWOMEN. 



There are two very different ways of riding ; the 

 more usual, because the easier, consists in letting the 

 horse go forward at a walk, a trot, or a gallop, the 

 rider contenting herself with guiding him, and stay- 

 ing on his back ; while, in the other, the will as well 

 as the action of the animal is controlled, and he is 

 carried forward in obedient and intelligent sym- 

 pathy with his rider. This requires study, tact, 

 and discretion ; but the result well repays the labor, 

 and, until it is reached, no lady, however well she 

 may look on horseback, can be reckoned a horse- 

 woman. 



I can not too strongly recommend to parents the 

 greatest care in the choice of a teacher for their chil- 

 dren, as in later years it always takes more time and 

 trouble to correct bad habits than it would have 

 done to acquire good ones in the beginning. As a 

 general rule, riding-teachers are promoted grooms, or 

 men of that class, who may be able to show boys 

 how to become good rough-riders, but who are quite 

 incompetent to teach a young lady the scientific 

 principles by which alone she can obtain a thorough 

 mastery of her horse. 



And here I hope that my readers will allow me 

 to offer them, with the deepest respect, a few sug- 

 gestions in regard to dress, as years of teaching have 

 shown me that much of a lady's power on horseback 

 depends upon her feeling at ease in the saddle, and 

 consequently free to give her attention to her teacher 

 and her horse. 



