MODERN RIDING. 



253 



horse, in the manege lessons, are drawn from 

 him by a similar exertion ; but in the rider 

 exertion now becomes unnecessary, since you 

 require no more than the natural paces of the 

 horse, performed with the greatest ease and 

 freedom to himself ; and your whole system 

 falls into an easy flexibility, pleasant both to 

 yourself and to the horse. 



This freedom and ease, so desirable and 

 so universally admired, are affected by every 

 person who is in the habit of riding, but with 

 this difference, that some unite system with 

 negligence and ease, and others have negli- 

 gence and ease without system. 



This ease or inattention is not to suffer un- 

 seemly habits to take place, such as the back 

 or shoulders to get round, the hand to shake, 

 the legs to dangle against the horse's sides, or 

 to be placed considerably forward to bear in 

 the stirrups. These errors may creep on a 

 person who has not confirmed the principles 

 by sufficient practice ; but when habits of 



