140 HINTS ON HORSEMANSHIP 



riding for children. I consider eighteen quite young 

 enough for a boy or a girl to begin, because they 

 will be none the worse horsemen or horsewomen 

 in after life for having deferred their initiation, 

 although no one is fonder than I of seeing youngsters 

 enjoying themselves in the saddle. 



I remember once, as a boy, taking a " voluntary " 

 when out with hounds. My coat was very dirty, 

 but the horse was spotlessly clean. This was a 

 situation which very much affected my amour- 

 propre, and was not to be tolerated for a moment. 

 So I seized some mud and carefully plastered my 

 horse's head with it. The idea was splendid, and 

 only required secrecy to make it a success. Un- 

 luckily I was seen doing it ! and it was a long 

 time before I heard the last of that little 

 dissimulation ! 



Children certainly learn much of the vmwritten 

 laws of the hunting field if taken out by their 

 parents, of its amenities and manners, but, speak- 

 ing personally, I do not think I ever learnt much 

 riding, and I want those of my readers who have 

 not had the opportunity of riding in their teens 

 to take courage and remember that they have 

 every bit as good a chance as those that have in 

 becoming first-rate horsemen. It is not necessary 

 to ride young to ride well. 



The Diagonal 



When writing on the length of the stirrup in 

 a previous article, I suggested that on the hack 

 home from hunting it is advisable to let the 



