122 THE SPORT OF KINGS 



That accidents can be done away with altogether 

 is, of course, impossible, but that something in 

 way of education, both to the horse and the rider, 

 might prevent many of them, I firmly believe. 

 How many a man do we see taken down to a 

 fence by his horse, who is absolutely out of his 

 control ; who jumps wildly, and who, jumping 

 still more wildly when heavily blown, ends by 

 giving his unfortunate owner a heavy fall. Then 

 again, we see a man urging his horse at full speed 

 at a fence — the horse probably one of those 

 whose hind legs are a little " away from him," and 

 who should on that account be ridden in a very 

 collected manner at his fences. But in nine cases 

 out of ten he is not, and the result is disastrous. 



Now I am of opinion that if men, and ladies 

 too, who go out hunting were to undertake a course 

 of " school " riding before they acquire bad habits, 

 the result would be an all-round improvement in 

 riding. I don't mean to say that every one would 

 be a brilliant horseman or a brilliant horsewoman, 

 or that every one would have good hands. Good 

 hands, like poets, are born, not made. But those 

 who had bad hands would find them better, they 

 would find their seat stronger, for many a man and 

 many a woman unconsciously fall into a slovenly 

 way of riding, which, in the long-run, is distressing 

 to the horses and tiring to themselves ; and, what 

 is even infinitely more to the purpose in riding 

 across the country, they would find the sympathy 

 between their horse and themselves the keener, and 

 the understanding better. 



I must say that many of the ways of the manege 

 seem to me to be pedantic and unnecessary, but 

 1 have no doubt that they all have their uses in 



