148 Modern Riding and Horse Education 



benefit from repeated " explanation and admoni- 

 tion." At a later date we have writers with more 

 decided opinions ; Whyte Melville, Walsh ( for some 

 time editor of the Field), Rarey, Hayes, and Dwyer: 

 all are strong on the point of allowing no man to 

 jump a horse with reins unless he can do so without. 

 Whyte Melville says that " the boy should never be 

 trusted with a bridle until it is perfectly immaterial 

 to him whether he has hold of it or not." 



To carry out the practice in Austria they kept 

 the pupil on the longe, but this is quite un- 

 necessary where there is more than one rider, as 

 horses will always follow a leader in the riding 

 school or manege; it is only needful that the first 

 horse should be ridden with reins. If the horses are 

 at all unruly, first the odd numbers of the ride can 

 drop their reins and then the even numbers. If the 

 child beginner is nervous at first, he can go on the 

 leading-rein, and he may with advantage be given 

 a pair of ladies' safety irons to ride in. 



It is very hard on the beginner to deprive him of 

 all means of support when first mounted, and I con- 

 sider it unsound even if time is no object. I there- 

 fore strongly advocate commencing with stirrups, 

 and only very occasionally allowing the pupil reins. 



