FIELD TRAINING 73 



Notwithstanding the above it may, however, 

 sometimes be necessary, when a gate is awkwardly 

 placed, or has an intricate fastening, to use the 

 right hand to unlatch it instead of the left. When 

 this is done, the hand should be changed, if not to 

 push the gate open, at any rate to catch it if it 

 comes back. 



If cavalry are ever to be used in England, this 

 gate opening is certainly a thing that all ranks, from 

 the Commanding Officer to the smallest trumpeter, 

 should be ati fait at. 



Should any man out hunting dismount to open a 

 gate, it is not etiquette for any one following him to 

 go through it until he gets on to his horse again, 

 and the nearest man to him should if necessary 

 hold his horse for him,^ 



Gate opening is to a certain extent an education 

 in the use of those chief aids to riding, the legs, 

 for the horse requires both pushing up to and 

 pressing back from the gate, and very often 

 pressing sideways as well, and no man can teach 

 a horse to open a gate properly who cannot use 

 his leo^s. 



o 



On a strange horse, especially one just over from 

 Ireland, a gate should be approached with caution, 

 for a horse not used to it is apt to think that the 

 crop suddenly pushed out in front of his face is a 



^ How often do we see the man who has got down in the mud 

 to open an awkward gate nearly knocked over by his eager but 

 mannerless followers ! 



