MAKING A HORSE QUIET TO MOUNT. 67 



I then face the left shoulder of the horse. If he runs back, 

 a cut on the croup with the whip will bring him forward. 

 This can be repeated twenty or thirty times till he yields. 

 If he goes forward, I bring him back by feeling the reins. If 

 he shies to the left, I draw his head to that side, and conse ■ 

 quently bring his hind quarters to the right. Similarly, if he 



Fig. 15. — Proper way to mount. 



shies to the right, I draw his head to the right, so as to make 

 him carry his hind quarters to the left. 



He makes his defences, when the rider touches the stirrup 

 with his foot, when he puts his foot into the stirrup, or when he 

 raises himself by his straightened left knee, and before he has 

 passed his right leg over the saddle. We should not go to 

 the second or third of these movements until we have made 

 the horse perfectly steady in the preceding movement. We 

 should not place ourselves in the saddle until the animal 

 remains steady during all the time we are standing on the 



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