'HANDS' AND OTHER MATTERS 143 



from London to Aldershot, and it had to be done 

 in three and three-quarter hours, although this can 

 hardly come under the category of long-distance 

 riding. I, for one, who took part in it, certainly 

 changed my diagonal every four miles, and I know 

 that my horse came in quite fresh at the end. 



An interesting little problem which can with 

 advantage occupy one's thoughts when out hack- 

 ing is, when walking, to decide beforehand which 

 diagonal you intend to use, then to break into a 

 trot, and see if you have been successful. Until 

 one knows the ''tip" it is not at all easy. The 

 way to do it is this. Supposing we decide on the 

 near fore, off hind, diagonal. Then you must 

 watch the action of the near shoulder, and as you 

 give the " office " to the horse to trot, you must 

 rise in the saddle only at the moment when the 

 near shoulder is back, so that we sink in the saddle 

 at the moment when that shoulder is forward, or 

 in other words, when the near fore touches the 

 ground. But even with this it cannot be done 

 without a little practice. A few attempts, how- 

 ever, will be sufficient, and it will be found a very 

 interesting little experiment. 



For cavalry work, when long-distance riding 

 may have to be done, it is of great importance 

 to study this matter, and I think that all recruits 

 should be trained so that when they are trotting 

 on the right rein in the school they could rise 

 and fall on the off fore diagonal, and when trotting 

 on the left rein they could be on the near fore 

 diagonal; but as this is a matter for our military 



