P REFA C E. 



For many years two styles of riding have 

 prevailed in Western Europe — the English and 

 the continental or school system. The two are 

 usually supposed to be somewhat antagonistic, 

 so much so that the followers of each are not 

 unapt to regard the other with feelings of 

 more or less dislike, not to say contempt ; the 

 one side being sneered at as pedants, the other 

 despised as barbarians. To the unprejudiced 

 both seem somewhat unreasonable. 



The English method, originating in the 

 national taste for field sports, has developed a 

 race of horsemen worthy of that noblest of 

 animals, the thorough-bred horse. The chief 

 essential for the race-course and the hunting- 

 field, however, being high speed on lines that 

 are practically straight, the tendency of Eng- 

 lishmen is to leave their horses very much 

 alone, provided they can gallop and jump and 

 are sufficiently under control not to run away, 



