238 THE RIDING SCHOOL 



that he will tumble off is nearly always justi- 

 fied, and in many instances his nerve is broken. 

 Then the bully calls his victim a coward, and 

 the rookie, made unfit for mounted work, 

 drifts to some staff employment or transfers to 

 a unit of foot. The use of dummy horse for 

 beginners would develop the riding muscles 

 without risk, of spoiling the man. It would be 

 reasonable also to tell the recruit that a 

 little fuller's earth to absorb the moisture 

 on his chafed skin will avert most agonizing 

 pain. 



It is a curious streak in military character 

 that there is a tremendous fuss over a horse 

 gall the size of a sixpence, but that a man 

 skinned from crotch to knee is blamed as a 

 malingerer if he applies to the doctor for 

 help, 



The saddle being worse than useless, the 

 rookie is glad to be quit of such an obstacle to 

 his progress in riding. Moreover, his puttees 

 being worn with edges up, they catch in the 

 horse's turned down hair, and so give him a 

 chance to grip bareback. Leave out the 

 saddle altogether and the plucky and intelli- 

 gent recruits of the new armies are quick to 

 gain confidence as horsemen. They learn 

 by sensible methods taught to the Greek 



