36 LADIES ON HOESEBACK. 



from the stirrup ; and this is the proper way 

 to ride. The lazy, careless habit into which 

 many women fall, of resting the entire weight 

 of the body upon the stirrup, not only fre- 

 quently causes the leathers to snap at most 

 inconvenient times, but is the lamentable 

 cause of half the sore backs and ugly galls, 

 from which poor horses suffer so severely. 



Having at length perfected yourself in 

 walking, trotting, cantering, and riding from 

 balance, you have only to acquire the art of 

 leaping — and then you will be finished, so far 

 as teaching can make you so. Experience 

 must do the rest. 



It is a good thing, when learning, to mount 

 as many different horses as you possibly can ; 

 always, of course, taking care that they are 

 sufficiently trained not to endeavour to master 

 you. Horses vary immensely in their action 

 and gait of going : so much so, that if you do 

 not accustom yourself to a variety you will 

 take your ideas from one alone, and will, when 

 put upon a strange animal, find yourself 

 completely at sea. 



Do not suffer anything to induce you to 



