52 The Art of Biding. 



create an antipathy, and, in some cases, a positive 

 dislike, to riding, which no after experience can 

 entirely cure. I have known many such cases; 

 and I cannot too strongly impress upon parents 

 and guardians the importance of paying great 

 attention to this point. Confidence is a very 

 necessary element in riding, and to induce this no 

 pains should be spared. Once let it be destroyed, 

 or even thoroughly shaken, and a lasting injury is 

 done to the pleasure and profit to be derived from 

 the noble exercise. I have known fairly good 

 horsemen who never sufficiently recovered from 

 some early fright to enable them to mount with- 

 out a nervous dread of impending danger. 



Let us always bear in mind ihcfact that a shock 

 to the nervous system is ^permanent injury, which 

 abides with us to the day of our death ; and that 

 nothing is more calculated to produce such shocks. 



