REVIEW — PRACTICAL HORSEMANSHIP. 
405 
things himself — and the mere pretender to practical knowledge than 
his mode and style of representing, in such an affair as horseman- 
ship, the feats of himself and his horse upon paper. There is as 
much difference between a writer of one class and one of another, 
as between, in ridiftg on horseback, whether it be with hounds or 
along rotten row, “ going like a workman,” and “ going like a muff.” 
It reminds us of an old acquaintance of ours, an excellent violinist, 
who simply required anybody to take up his fiddle-stick, to tell, 
whether he was or was not a performer on the instrument. In like 
manner, we might say, “write a page, Sir, on horsemanship, and 
we will tell you whether you can ride or not.” And now we have 
hit the precise nail on the head which points to our author. Harry 
Hieover is in every page and in every line, as anybody who knows 
“anything about horses” may, and soon will, discover when he 
comes to read his book, a practical horseman. He rides with equal 
ease and skill the hackney, hunter, and racer ; he is acquainted with 
the peculiarities, powers, and caprices of each ; and shews what sort 
of riding each requires ; explaining, as his ready pen glides along, 
the seat and the hand at different times called for, and why a long 
stirrup may be preferred in one case, and a short one rendered in- 
dispensable in another. We are much mistaken if the subjoined 
extracts we have selected do not fully bear us out in our commenda- 
tions of the practical teacher before us. Let us take, for a sample, 
his sketch of four racers, all mounted and ready for the start, as 
shewing that, although every one is, of course, ridden jockey- 
fashion, yet is the riding not precisely alike in any two, but varied 
“ in accordance with the temper, courage, and going of the horse.” 
“The first man we see is raised slightly, and steadily, in his 
stirrups; his body bent gracefully over his horse; his head a iittle 
inclined to the near side; his hands well down; the back of his 
elbows near the centre of his body, and perfectly still, merely 
lightly steadying his horse’s head and holding him together; his 
feet and legs in an easy position, and steady as if nailed to his 
saddle-flap. About such, with a little variation, would be the seat 
of every jockey under the same circumstances. Now, if we look 
at the horse, we shall see why he can be thus ridden : he comes 
smoothly and gracefully along, going (in riding phrase), ‘ within 
himself,’ just the pace his rider wishes; his neck gracefully bent; 
his head in the right place, inclining to his near shoulder ; his nose 
