CONTENTS. 



I 



INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. 



PAGB 



Various styles of riding a consequence of various kinds of in- 

 ducements to ride — Natural riders and instructive riders — 

 There is great waste of horse-flesh and premature destruction 

 of the animal's legs where bad methods are followed, or where 

 no method at all exists — English civilian riders use up an 

 enormous quantity of horse-flesh — Some foreign cavalry ser- 

 vices do the same — The causes are generally false distribu- 

 tion of the weight to be carried — The horse's skeleton is the 

 framework of the machine we employ as a bearer — In order 

 to adjust the burden to this, some knowledge of the machine is 

 required, as also of the saddle by means of which that burden 

 is placed and retained on the horse's back — The seat is the 

 way in which the rider adjusts his own weight through the 

 intermedium of the saddle to the horse — Varieties of seats to 

 suit various purposes — The bit is the instrument by which 

 the rider's will is transmitted to the horse ; it is a lever which, 

 if accurately adapted, will be of great assistance and value to 

 the rider ; if unfitted in shape, size, etc., it is not only useless, 

 but often dangerous — Restiveness in horses most usually the 

 consequence of injudicious treatment of some kind or other — 

 To prevent or cure restiveness requires a knowledge of the 

 methods employed for breaking in or handling horses, conse- 

 quently also of the method in which the weight of the rider 

 should be brought to bear, and also how such horses should 



be bitted 15-28 



7 



