-29- 



by his horse. It is very easy with the heel to 

 keep a slow horse up, and with the hand to steady 

 back a fast walker or trotter. It was to me always 

 an instructive sight to watch the peons of Entre Rios 

 when out for a ride or travelling. Whatever number 

 were riding together, they moved in line with perfect 

 "dressing". The reason was that they were horsemen 

 to a man, each horse was balanced, and the fast 

 walkers steadied back, the slow ones kept up. And 

 so at every pace, trot or canter, the line was always 

 kept. Many young Englishmen came out who could not 

 ride and took no trouble to learn. The peons used 

 to say of such, as they went straggling along, that 

 they "travelled like wild geese". 



If you have been able to balance your four-year- 

 old nicely and to give him a perfect mouth, the battle 

 is pretty well won. Remember never to take him by 

 surprise. Don't suddenly shoot him from a walk to 

 a trot; never, indeed, suddenly and without warning 

 change the pace either to increase or decrease it. 

 Give your horse warning with knees and rein, so that 

 he goes off in a perfectly collected way. This is 

 most important. In decreasing the pace I often used 

 the voice as warning, saving the mouth from anything 

 but a gentle pressure, which is then at once accepted 

 save by very keen and eager horses. 



You cannot make your young hunter too handy, 

 and figures of eight done at the walk, trot, and canter, 

 are useful, as indeed are all bending practices. 



As to jumping, most well-shaped horses soon 

 learn that. If opportunity offers, I would prefer 

 that the young one should get his first lessons by 

 having to go through a short run with a couple of 

 strong timber jumps in it, when turned out to grass 

 of a morning or evening. The timber at first can be 

 laid on the ground and gradually raised to about 

 four feet. In this way they take it coolly and as a 

 matter of course, and know a good deal about jumping 

 before you get on their backs. It also develops the 

 jumping muscles. 



Then, when the young one has come nicely to 



