WITHOUT STIRRUPS. 339 



a colt prior to starting for a heavy stake ; he must be controlled, 

 but, in a general way, soothed, even if we know he deserves a 

 sound thrashing. 



Many steeplechase horses, as well as old race-horses, are 

 extremely nervous before starting and even when going, but it 

 arises from a different cause to that which makes a two-year- 

 old so ; the former are nervous because they know not what they 

 are going about. Caressing and speaking kindly and encourag- 

 ingly to such will usually reassure and pacify them ; they will 

 not be alarmed by a man moving his hand, or judiciously shift- 

 ing his seat, because they have found a rider do so without its 

 producing inconvenience to them. But a timid two-year-old 

 is alarmed at every thing ; a crowd alarms her, so does seeing a 

 dozen horses by her side and around her. She has no definite 

 cause of nervousness, like the old race-horse ; but she appre- 

 hends danger, and feels excitement from any thing new to her. 

 If she only feared the jockey, his caresses would probably soon 

 pacify her ; but she would be equally alarmed if a crow flew 

 nearer to her than usual. No school education as to horseman- 

 ship would, therefore, put a man on his guard against such va- 

 garies ; and riding a well-trained horse goes a very little way 

 towards making a man a good general horseman in difiicult sit- 

 uations, or with difficult horses to manage. 



Of boys it would be useless to sa}^ much, and still more so 

 to say much to them, for evgn in riding they would never vol- 

 untarily take instruction if they were permitted to ride without 

 it ; so, in cases where it is determined to make them liorsemen, 

 they must first be told, then obliged to do that which will en- 

 able them to become such, and be left to find out the effect of 

 what they are made to do, by after experience. 



There are, however, two modes of teaching boys to sit firm 

 on their horse ; and as each has a different effect, I will men- 

 tion them ; the one teaches the boy to trust to his hold on his 

 saddle by his knees and thighs ; this is learnt by his riding for 

 some time without stirrups. In personal illustration of this, I 

 rode the whole of one season and the first half of another with 

 fox-hounds without stirrups, and that, part of my second season, 

 on full-sized horses. The advantage of this mode of instruction 

 is, that it teaches, or in fact obliges, a boy to balance his body, 



