MODERN RIDING* 29 



to have fallen with his horse, but should have 

 assisted him, and prevented the accident. 

 The general cause of horses falling is more 

 the fault of the rider than the horse, namely, 

 bad sitting, and heavy hands. 



We are often told that a horse reared, and 

 the person fell off behind, in order that the 

 horse might not fall backwards on him 5 but 

 we are not told the occasion of the horse's 

 rearing, which was perhaps only the severity 

 of the rider s hand. 



Another's horse is said to have shyed to 

 the other side of the road, and the rider is 

 thereby said to have lost his stirrup and fallen 

 into the ditch. The rider of course never 

 says, he fell because he could not ride, but 

 because the horse shyed. 



We have all heard also of persons, who, 

 riding against other horses, or meeting car- 

 riages in narrow places, could not stop the 

 horse, but ran against the shafts, killed the 

 horse on the spot, or providentially escaped 



