12 HINTS ON HORSEMANSHIP 



But it is hopeless to expect a horse to walk if the 

 rider loses his temper and jabs him in the mouth 

 or kicks him in the ribs, every few minutes. 



A horse will only walk when his mind is at rest, 

 when he is free from excitement, and from anticipa- 

 tion of pain. One of the -first things we look for 

 in a trained horse is that he will walk when desired, 

 and furthermore that he will " walk out " without 

 breaking, at the will of the rider. The horse that 

 vnll never walk is one that has been badly trained 

 and proclaims the fact at every step. There is no 

 exception to this rule. The most excitable horses 

 vrdl learn to walk when by themselves, and it 

 requires nothing but patience to get them to do it. 



There is another point upon which we are 

 singularly neglectful. Horses should be taught to 

 stand still while being mounted. Most horses 

 insist on placing themselves on the crov.n of the 

 road, and force the rider to mount from the side. 

 In this way they make mounting much more 

 difficult. A well-trained horse will allow the 

 rider to mount from the most convenient place. 

 Personally I like to have my horses so trained 

 that they will stand quietly in the ditch while 

 I am mounting them, or to be steady enough 

 to mount them from a heap of stones or any 

 other suitable spot. This is of great importance, 

 particularly in the cavalry, but it is much 

 overlooked. And yet this part of a horse's ele- 

 mentary training is extremely easy, and requires 

 neither skill nor horsemanship to accomplish. This 

 and a few other points can be so easily inculcated 



