230 HACKING. 



head away from it as much as possible. I have ridden 

 young horses who have shied at almost everything, but 

 have never worried them to go up to and smell the 

 object of their aversion, as some recommend, because 

 it is not always practicable to do so, as, for instance, in 

 the case of a motor car. It is not wise to give undue 

 importance to comparative trifles. The voice has 

 always stood me in good stead with shying horses, who 

 soon get to regard it as a sure sign that they have 

 nothing to fear. A lady who has been properly taught 

 to ride, and sits correctly, should remember that w^hat- 

 ever her horse may do in plunging about from one side 

 of the road to the other, he cannot unseat her, so she 

 need feel no alarm on that point. The greatest danger 

 is that the horse may dash into something which in his 

 fright he has not seen, but that, fortunately, is a very 

 rare occurrence, even with young horses. However 

 frightened a lady may herself feel, she should never 

 reveal her secret to her horse by speaking to him 

 in a terrified tone of voice, or by otherwise display- 

 ing fear ; and above all things, she should never lose 

 her temper and hit him, no matter how^ obstinate he 

 may be, as doing so will only make him shy on the 

 next occasion, with a display of temper thrown in, 

 and he will then be more difficult than ever to manage. 

 The best way to act with a horse which shies from 

 desire to "play up," is to take as little notice as pos- 

 sible of his antics, give him more work, and less corn. 

 A lady should always ride slowly round a corner, and 

 keep a good look out in front of her. Many things 



