VI INTRODUCTION 



the discussion of argumentative horse- 

 men and horse-women. 



But it happens with riding — as, indeed, 

 it does with almost every other subject 

 — that we ignore the simpler side for the 

 more intricate. We delve into a master- 

 piece, suitable for a professional, on the 

 training of a horse, when the chances 

 are we do not know how to saddle him. 

 We stumble through heavy articles on 

 bitting, the technical terms of which we 

 do not understand, when if our own 

 horse picked up a stone we probably 

 would be utterly at a loss what to do. 



We, both men and women, are too 

 much inclined to gallop over the funda- 

 mental lessons, which should be conned 

 over again and again until thoroughly 

 mastered. We are restive in our novi- 

 tiate period, impatient to pose as past- 

 masters in an art before we have ac- 

 quired its first principles. 



