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THE 
 
 BARB AND THE BRIDLE; 
 
 HANDBOOK 
 
 OV 
 
 EQUITATION FOR LADIES, 
 
 AND 
 
 MANUAL OF INSTRUCTION IN THE SCIENCE OF 
 
 RIDING, FROM THE PREPARATORY SUPPLING 
 
 EXERCISES ON FOOT, TO THE FORM IN 
 
 WHICH A LADY SHOULD RIDE 
 
 TO HOUNDS. 
 
 Heprinted from " The Queen " Neivsiyaper. 
 
 By "YIEILLE MOUSTACHE. 
 
 5> 
 
 London : 
 THE "QUEEN" OFFICE, 346, STEAND. 
 
 1874. 
 
LONDON : 
 PRINTED BY HORACE COX, 346. STRAND, W.C. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 Having received numerous applications from ladies 
 desirous of information, as to the true principles and 
 practice of equitation, I venture to put before tlie 
 public, in book form, a series of articles which appeared 
 originally in the columns of the Queen newspaper on 
 ladies' riding. 
 
 Commencing with the calisthenic practices so neces- 
 sary to a young lady before beginning her mounted 
 lessons, these papers enter into every detail (less thoso 
 of the Kaut Ecole de Manege) connected with the science 
 of riding as it should be acquired by all who wish to 
 become efficient horsewomen. As the rules laid down 
 are precisely those upon which I have successfully 
 instructed a great number of ladies, as my experience is 
 of many years^ standing, and acquired in the best schools 
 in Europe, I trust the following pages may prove useful ; 
 
VI INTRODUCTION. 
 
 for, while it is quite true that neither man nor woman 
 can learn to ride by simply reading a book on the sub- 
 ject, still a carefully-compiled manual of equitation is 
 always a ready means of refreshing the memory upon 
 points of importance in the art, which, however clearly 
 explained by the oral instruction of a first-class master, 
 may yet in time escape the recollection of the pupil. 
 
 '^ViEiLLE Moustache." 
 
W f t^l r 
 
 ■ «' 
 
 THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 Riding, considered as a means of recreation, as a promoter of health, 
 or as the best mode in which to display to the greatest advantage 
 beauty and symmetry of face and form, is perhaps unequalled among 
 the many accomplishments necessary to a lady. 
 
 Out of doors croquet may be interesting as a game, and fasci- 
 nating enough when a lady has an agreeable partner, but as an 
 exercise physically its healthf ulness is doubtful. 
 
 There is too much standing about, often on damp grass, too little 
 real exertion to keep the circulation up properly, and too many 
 intervals of quiescence, wherein a lady stands perfectly still (in a 
 very graceful attitude no doubt) long enough in the chill evening air 
 to create catarrh or influenza. 
 
 Archery, although a far more graceful exercise than croquet, is 
 open to the same objection as regards danger of taking cold. 
 
 Skating, though both healthful and elegant, is so seldom avail- 
 able as scarcely to be reckoned among the exercises beneficial to 
 ladies. Moreover, it is attended with considerable danger in many 
 ■cases. 
 
 To he well is to look well. Healthy physical exertion is irdispen- 
 sable to the former state, and in no way can it be so well secured as 
 
 B 
 
Z THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 
 
 by riding. Mounted on a well-broken, well-bred horse, and canter- 
 ing over a breezy down, or trotting on the soft sward, on the way to 
 covert, a lady feels a glow of health and flow of spirits unattainable 
 by any other kind of out or in door recreation. 
 
 That the foregoing truths are fully appreciated by the ladies of 
 the Upper Ten Thousand is abundantly proved by the goodly 
 gathering of fair and aristocratic equestrians to be seen in Rotten 
 Row during the London season, and at every fashionable meet of 
 hounds in the kingdom in the winter time. 
 
 Nor is riding confined to those on]y whose names figure in the 
 pages of " Burke "or " Debrett." Within the last twenty years the 
 wives and daughters of professional men and wealthy tradesmen, who 
 were content formerly to take an airing in a carriage, have taken to 
 riding on horseback. And they are quite right. It is not (with 
 management) a bit more expensive, Avhile it is beyond comparison 
 the most agreeable and salubrious mode of inhahng the breeze. 
 
 The daughter of the peer, or other great grandee of the country, 
 may be almost said to be a horsewoman to the manner born. 
 Riding comes as naturally to her as it does to her brothers. Both 
 clamber up on their ponies, or are lifted on, almost as soon as they 
 can walk, and consequently " grow " into their riding, and become 
 at fifteen or sixteen years of age as much at home in the saddle as 
 they are on a sofa. In the hunting field they see the best types of 
 riding extant, male and female, and learn to copy their style and 
 mode of handling their horses, while oral instruction of the highest 
 order is always at hand to supplement daily practice. To the great 
 ladies of England, then, all hints on the subject would be superfluous. 
 Most of them justly take great pride in their riding, spare no pains 
 to excel ia it, and are thoroughly successful. 
 
 In fact, it is the one accomplishment in which they as far surpass 
 the women of all other countries in the world as they outvie them in 
 personal beauty. 
 
 A German or French woman possibly may hold her own with an 
 Englishwoman in a ball room or a box at the opera; but put her 
 on horseback, and take her to the covert side, she is "not in it" with 
 her English rivals. 
 
THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 3 
 
 Although the advantages and opportunities I speak of, however, 
 render words of advice upon female equitation unnecessary to ladies 
 of the sangre azul, I trust they may be foimd useful to others who 
 may not have had such opportunities. 
 
 In the upper middle classes nothing is more probable than the 
 marriage of one of the daughters of the house with a man whose 
 future lot may be cast in the colonies, where if a woman cannot ride 
 she will be sorely at a loss. Unlike the ladies of high degree above 
 alluded to, the daughter of a man in good position in the middle 
 class will often not have opportunities of learning to ride until she is 
 fifteen or sixteen, and by this time the youthful frame, supple as it 
 may appear, has acquired (so to speak) " a set," which at first 
 renders riding far from agreeable ; because it calls into action whole 
 sets of muscles and ligaments heretofore rarely brought into play, or 
 rather only partially so. Hence the unpleasant stiffness that always 
 follows the first essays of the tyro in riding of the age I speak of, 
 and which painful feeling too often so discourages beginners that 
 they give up the thing in disgust. 
 
 Now this unpleasant consequence of the first lessons may be easily 
 obviated by the following means. Bearing in mind that pain or 
 stiffness is the result of want of supplesse, the first desideratum is to 
 acquire this most desirable elasticity. To accomplish this, three 
 months before the pupil is put on horseback she should begin a 
 course of training in suppling and extension motions on foot, pre- 
 cisely similar to those drilled into a cavalry recruit in the army. No 
 amount of dancing will do what is required. Even the professional 
 danseuse, with her constant exercise of the ronde de jamhe, never 
 possesses that mobile action of the waist and play of the joints of the 
 upper part of the figure so thoroughly tabe acquired by the exercises 
 I speak of, which also have the further greater advantage of giving 
 development and expansion to the chest. I therefore respectfully 
 advise every careful mother, who is desirous of seeing her daughters 
 become accomplished horsewomen, before taking them to the riding 
 master (of whom more hereafter), in the first place to employ a good 
 drUl master. 
 
 Possibly, the young ladies may have had drill instruction at 
 
 B 2 
 
4- THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 
 
 school ; but experience tells me that such instruction is too often 
 slurred over, or only practised at such long intervals that its effect is 
 confined to causing the pupil to walk upright and carry herself well 
 — a very desirable matter, but not all that is requisite as a pre- 
 paration for riding. 
 
 Drill, to be effective for the above purposes, sJioidd he practiced 
 daily. The course of instruction should begin with very short 
 lessons, lasting not more than twenty minutes at first ; but these, 
 given in the presence of mumma^ should be most rigidly and minutely 
 carried out, otTieriuise they are useless. They should gradually be 
 increased in length, according to the strength of the pupil, until she 
 can stand an hour's drilling without fatigue. The course should 
 include instruction in the use of dumb-bells, very carefully given. 
 The weight of these should in no case exceed seven poimds for a 
 yomig lady of fifteen or sixteen, and may judiciously be confined to 
 three and four pounds for those of a more tender age. The great 
 use of dumb-bells is to give flexibility to the shoulder joints and 
 expansion to the chest. The first lessons should not last more than 
 five minutes, and in no case be continued an instant after the pupil 
 exhibits the slightest symptom (easily discernable) of fatigue. 
 
 Of the course of drill instruction, the lessons called the "extension 
 motions" are the most effectual in promoting flexibility of the whole 
 figure ; but they must be gone into by very gradual and careful 
 induction, and their effect will then be not only beneficial, but 
 pleasant to the pupil. 
 
 As it is possible that this may meet the eye of some lady who 
 resides where no eligible drill master is available, I propose in my 
 next chapter to give a programme of the exercises I speak of, which 
 may then be practised under the superintendence of the lady herself 
 or her governess. But in all cases where the services of a competent 
 and thoroughly practised drill master are to be had it is always best 
 to employ them. 
 
 Simple as the instruction may appear, the art of imparting it has 
 to be acquired in a school where the most minute attention is paid to 
 every detail, where nothing is allowed to be done in a careless or 
 slovenly manner, and where (so to speak) the pupil is never asked to 
 
THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 5 
 
 read before he can spell. It is this jumping in medias with beginners 
 in riding that so often causes mischief and disgusts the pupil, w^^ 
 begins by thinking that it is the easiest thing in the world to ride 
 well, but when she is put on horseback finds to her dismay that it is 
 anything but easy until acquired by practice and thoroughly good 
 instructions. 
 
6 
 
 THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 I PROCEED now to describe the suppling and extension exercises 
 I have before alluded to. 
 
 These are simple enough in themselves, certain not to be forgotten 
 when once leamt, and easy to impart in the way of instruction. 
 Their great efficacy depends, however, upon the judgment with which 
 the instructor varies them, so as to call into action alternately 
 opposite sets of muscles and ligaments, as it is by such a process only 
 
 Fig. 1. 
 
 Fig. 2. 
 
 that complete supplesse can be attained. The first suppling practice 
 is performed as follows : Place the pupil in a position perfectly 
 
THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 
 
 upright, the heels close together, the toes at an angle of 45 (military 
 regulation), the figure well drawn up from the waist, the shoulders 
 thrown back, chest advanced, the neck and head erect, arms hanging 
 perpendicularly from the shoulder, elbows slightly bent, the weight 
 of the body thrown upon the front part of the foot. 
 
 Then the instruction should be given thus : On the word " one," 
 bring both hands smartly up to the full extent of the arms, in front 
 and above the forehead, the tips of the fingers joining (Fig. 1) ; on 
 the word "two," throw the hands sharply backwards and downwards 
 until they meet behind the back (Fig. 2). This exercise should be 
 
 Fig. 3. 
 
 Fig. 
 
 4. 
 
 commenced slowly, and gradually increased in rapidity until the 
 pupil can execute it with great quickness for several minutes con- 
 secutively. The object is to throw the shoulders well back and give 
 expansion to the chest. 
 
 Second practice. — On the word " one," bring the hands together 
 (from their position perpendicular from the shoulder) in front of the 
 
8 
 
 THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 
 
 figure, the tij^s of the fingers joinmg (Fig, 3). On the word "two,"" 
 raise the hands, still joined, slowly above and slightly in front of the 
 head, to the full extent of the arms (Fig. 4). " Three," separate the 
 hands, and, tirrning the palms upwards, lower them to the level of 
 the shoulders, the anns fully extended (Fig. 5). Simultaneously 
 with the lowering of the hands the heels should be raised elowly from 
 the ground, so as to bring the weight of the body upon the toes. 
 On the word "four,'' lower the hands gradually to the sides, carry- 
 ing them at the same time well to the rear (Fig. 6). The heels are 
 
 Fig. 5. 
 
 Fig. 6. 
 
 also to be lowered to the ground as the hands are carried backwards.. 
 This exercise shoidd always be done slowly, as its object is the 
 gradual flexing and suppling of the shoulder and elbow joints, and 
 giving mobile action to those of the feet. In using dumb-bells the 
 first practice with them may be identical with the above, the dumb- 
 bells being grasped firmly in the centre. 
 
 Third practice. — On the word "one," close the hands firmly by 
 the sides; "two," raise them up quietly, bending the elbows until 
 
THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 
 
 9 
 
 the hands are touching the points of the shoulders (Fig, 7) ; "three,"' 
 carry the hands, still firmly closed, forwards and upwards, to the full 
 extent of the arms, well above and a little in front of the head 
 (Fig. 8) ; " four," bring the hands with a quick, sharp motion down 
 to the level of the shoulders, carrying the elbows well to the rear 
 (Fig. 9). The first two motions of this exercise should be performed 
 very slowly, the last very rapidly. It can also be practised with 
 advantage with the dumb-bells, and is then of great service in 
 strengthening and developing the muscles of the chest and arms. 
 
 Fig. 8. 
 
 There are a great many other suppling practices, but the above, . 
 varied occasionally by the use of the dumb bells, will be found suffi- 
 cient for all practical purposes. 
 
 Coming now to the extension exercises, I select the third as being 
 most effective. 1st motion. Bring the hands together in front of the 
 figure, as in the second sujDpling practice, the points of the fingers 
 joining, the whole frame erect and well drawn uj) from the waist. 
 2. Raise the hands slowly above the head to the full extent of the 
 
10 
 
 THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 
 
 arms, turn the palms of the hands outwards, and lock the thumbs 
 together, the right thumb within the left (Fig. 10). 3. Keeping the 
 body, head, and neck perfectly erect, place the head between the 
 arms, the thumbs still firmly locked together. 4. Keeping the knees 
 perfectly straight, lower the hands, and bend the back gradually and 
 very slowly forward and downwards, until the points of the fingers 
 touch the instep (Fig. 11). 5. Raise the body and head (the latter 
 still between the arms), quietly up in the same slow time, bringing 
 
 Fig. 9. 
 
 Fig. 10. 
 
 the hands again well above the head (Fig. 12). 6. Lower the hands 
 gradually (turning the palms upwards), first to the level of the 
 shoulders, making a momentary pause there, and then quietly to the 
 sides, carrying the hands in their descent from the shoulder as much 
 as possible to the rear, while the weight of the body is thrown entirely 
 upon the front of the foot. 
 
 In this exercise aU depends upon keeping the knee joints perfectly 
 straight, and the head, in the bending-down movement, as much as 
 possible between the arms. 
 
THE BAEB AND THE BRIDLE. 
 
 11 
 
 The object of the practice is to give suppleness to the waist, 
 freedom to the knee joint by well suppling the ligaments at the back 
 of the knee, and at the same time to expand the chest. For these 
 purposes, if carefully and judiciously carried out, it is most effective, 
 calling alternately upon every portion of the frame wherein supple- 
 ness is indispensable to easy and graceful riding. 
 
 Great care should be taken not to hurry this lesson, and if the 
 pupil is of a figure that renders it difficult for her to reach her instep 
 
 Fig. 11. Fig 12. 
 
 in bending down, it should not be insisted on ; but it is necessary 
 that she should bend the back as much as possible without lending the 
 knees ^ as any jdelding of the knee joint destroys the whole value of 
 the exercise. 
 
 To perform the above named practices comfortably, the pupU 
 should wear a loose dress which throws no constraint upon any part 
 of the figure. SHppers, too, are better than boots, as the latter 
 confine the foot and ankle too much for complete liberty of move- 
 ment. 
 
12 THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 
 
 The duration of any of these lessons should at first be carefully 
 proportioned to the strength of the learner, and gradually increased 
 as to time day by day, until she can stand an hour's work without 
 fatigue ; but be the lesson long or short, it should be practised every 
 day. 
 
 It will be found that, with plenty of fresh air and walking exercise,, 
 the pupil, by the aid of these suppling and extension practices, will 
 develope rapidly in elasticity of movement and in general health, and 
 that a couple or three months of such preparation will help her very 
 much as an introduction to her course of equitation. 
 
 Any good drill master who might be employed to "set up" a young 
 lady would most likely teach her all the above, and much more ; but 
 I have ventured to detail these practices, assuming that a family may 
 be located in a neighbourhood in which no such man is available, in 
 which case the exercise can be imparted and superintended by the 
 governess of the family. These ladies are always clever and intelli- 
 gent enough to master in a few minutes such very simple details as 
 those above described. 
 
 Before quitting this subject a word about gymnastics may not be 
 out of place. Many heads of families consider them highly beneficial 
 when practised with bars and similar apparatus. My experience in- 
 duces me to differ from this notion, and I believe my view of the 
 matter would be borne out by the highest medical authority. 
 
 For boys even, gymnastic exercises should be most carefully 
 watched, in order that no undue strain should be thrown upon the 
 yet unset muscle and cartilage of the frame. For young ladies I 
 believe gymnastics to be not only unnecessary, but injurious, and 
 that every practical result desirable can be arrived at by the use of 
 such exercises as I have endeavoured to describe, varied occasionally 
 by the moderate use of the dumb-bells, a few minutes of which at 
 one time is always sufficient. Where there is a number of young 
 people together, there is sure to be a tendency to outdo each other 
 whenever physical exercises of any kind are introduced ; and, while 
 it is easy enough to control the pupils in the simple suppling practices 
 I speak of, it is very difficult for any but the most experienced per- 
 sons to determine how far a young lady may go without injury to 
 
THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. Vd 
 
 herself in the exercises of the horizontal bars or trapeze ropes. If any 
 Idnd of gymnastic exercises are allowed for a young lady, the best, 
 in my opinion, are those practised with the " Ranelagh," because no 
 hurtful strain can possibly be tlirown upon the pupil ; and for boys I 
 beheve the Ranelagh to be a first-rate invention, as is also the 
 " Parlour Gymnasium," and several others on similar principles, 
 which ignore the practice of the bars. 
 
 The full practice of the gymnasium, however, for young men whose 
 frames have attained a certain amount of maturity, is no doubt good 
 if not carried to excess. I speak, however, only of young ladies of 
 tender age. 
 
 Assuming then, that our pupil has been prepared for riding as 
 above described, let us proceed to consider the style of dress most 
 suitable for her early attempts in the saddle. For very young ladies, 
 say under twelve years of age, I beheve in hair cut short in preference 
 to flowing locks, because the latter are very apt to blow into the eyes 
 and seriously interfere with riding. For the very juvenile equestrian 
 tyro, the hat should be one that fastens under the chin with ribbon or 
 something that is not elastic. Notliing is more important in beginning 
 with young people on horseback than to give them confidence, and 
 nothing so completely puts them out as anything loose about the 
 head. For young ladies over fifteen or sixteen, hats which are 
 fastened to the hair may be worn. But, having regard to the progress 
 of the pupil rather than to appearance, I reconmiend every beginner, 
 no matter what her age, to leave no doubt about the security of her 
 headdress. As regards riding habits, to begin with, while they should 
 fit sufficiently to indicate the outline of the lady's figure, all tightness 
 should be avoided. Tight habits are very sightly to the eye ; but, in 
 common with tight corsets, steel or whalebone anywhere about the 
 dress is fatal to that perfect hberty of movement so essential to 
 success in a beginner. 
 
 Loose jackets of course should not be worn, because the instructor 
 would be unable to see in what form his pupil was sitting. Nothing 
 is better, in the first place, than a jacket, of any coarse material 
 the rider chooses, made in the ordinary form, with plenty of room, 
 especially about the waist and shoulders. The skirt should not be 
 
14 THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 
 
 too redundant or too long, as in the latter case it is apt to get 
 trodden on by the horse, and in windy weather blows about, to the 
 great annoyance of the rider. A skirt that reaches about 12in. below 
 the foot is amply long. As to breadth, it should be just large 
 enough to give space to move easily in. A more voluminous gar- 
 ment is unsightly. The skirt, made independent of the jacket, 
 should fasten under it with a broad band. No clothing should be 
 worn under the skirt except riding trousers. Under-skirts of any 
 kind will utterly spoil the appearance of the fair equestrian, and 
 render her ride one of discomfort. 
 
 Riding trousers, the making of which should only be entrusted to 
 people who are well accustomed to it, may be made of cloth or 
 chamois leather, booted with cloth. 
 
 The boots, whether Wellingtons (if they are not out of date), side 
 springs, or lace boots, should be made purposely for riding. Fashion 
 is imperious, and that of the present day dictates a boot with a very 
 high, narrow heel, and a waist which is almost triangular ; both are 
 quite unsuited for riding. The heel of a riding boot should be quite 
 as broad as the foot of the wearer, and should come well forward 
 into the waist, after the manner of a man's himting boot, and the 
 waist itself should be perfectly flat, so as to give a firm level bearing 
 on the stirrup-iron. A sharp, narrow-waisted boot will be found 
 not only impossible to keep in place in the iron, but will hurt the 
 sole of the foot very much. 
 
 Of spurs (very necessary in an advanced state of proficiency, and 
 inadmissible, of course, to a beginner) I shall say something here- 
 after. 
 
 Of gloves, the best kind for riding is a dogskin glove or gauntlet 
 two sizes too large. Six and a-half kid gloves do not admit of suffi- 
 cient freedom in the hand properly to manipulate the reins. 
 
 The pupil should be provided with a straight riding whip which is 
 not too flexible, because with a very supple whip she may inad- 
 vertently touch the horse at the wrong time and upset him. 
 
 Having said thus much as to the equipment of our fair tyro, I 
 leave all observations as to dress fit for the hunting-field, or such 
 promenade riding as that of Rotten Row, for a future paper, and 
 
THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 15- 
 
 proceed to say something about that very important consideration,, 
 the matter of the riding master. 
 
 In the first place, then, it is necessary that the professor of equita- 
 tion should be one who has been regularly brought up to his busi- 
 ness. If such a man is not within reach, then I submit that it is 
 better to entrust the riding education of the young lady to any staid 
 middle-aged gentleman who is a thoroughly good horseman, and 
 who will undertake the task con amove. If the gentleman has 
 daughters of his own, all the better. I do not recommend young 
 men for the office, because, naturally enough, they are more likely 
 to be engrossed with the charms of their pupils than the progress 
 they are making with their riding. Youthful preceptors, too, have 
 a tendency to " make the pace a trifle too good," and there are not 
 even wanting instances where they have " bolted " with their pupils 
 altogether. This by the way. 
 
 To return to the professional riding master. I may add that, in 
 addition to thoroughly understanding his craft, he should be a man 
 of education and a gentleman. Of such men there are several in 
 the metropolis ; in the provinces they are few and far between. In 
 most of our fashionable watering-places one sees very neatly got-up 
 horsey-looking men, duly booted, spurred, and moustached, tittuping 
 along with a small troop of young ladies, who, with their skirts 
 ballooned out with the fresh breeze from the " briny," and " sitting 
 all over the saddle," are making themselves very uncomfortable, 
 when they could have enjoyed the bracing air just as well, for less 
 money, in an open fly. The riding master, in all probability, has 
 promoted himself from the office of pad groom. He knows how to 
 saddle and turn out a lady's horse, and how to put the lady into the 
 saddle ; he knows, also, the cheapest market in which to go for 
 fashionable-looking screws upon whiqh to mount his customers. 
 There his qualifications as a riding master end. The inductive 
 steps by which a lady should be taught, the reason for everything 
 she is asked to do, the "aids" by which she should control her 
 horse and establish a good understanding with him, are all sealed 
 mysteries to the stamp of man I speak of. From such men and their 
 ten-pound screws there is nothing to be learnt in the way of riding. 
 
.16 THE BARB A^^D THE BRIDLE. 
 
 Assuming, then, that some of my fair readers may be so placed 
 • as to render access to a professional riding master impossible, I have 
 ventm-ed upon this brief manual of "Equitation for Ladies," be- 
 cause I believe that there are many gentlemen, good horsemen, who 
 would willingly undertake the teaching of their young friends, but 
 that the former are unacquainted with the readiest way of going to 
 work. Let me hope that the following may be of use in such case, 
 both to preceptor and pupil. Addressing myself first to the former, 
 let me advise hmi to be guided from first to last by the following 
 maxims : 1st. Xever do anything to shake the confidence or nerve of 
 . your pupil, and never give away a chan.ce of doing it to the horse 
 she rides. 2nd, Never talk to her about lesson No. 2 until she 
 thoroughly understands lesson No. 1. While tittuping hacks are 
 useless, and it is necessary to have an animal, even for a beginner, 
 that has still plenty of life, vigour, and action in him, such a horse 
 requires to be thoroughly well-broken to carry a woman, and shoidd 
 have plenty of work, so as to do away with the possibility of his 
 flirting when she is mounted. It should be borne in mind that, 
 although a woman who has had years of practice will be equally at 
 home on almost every horse upon which you can put her, yet only a 
 particular stamp of animal is adapted to carry her in her earlier 
 essays. 
 
 Let me endeavour to give my idea of him. In height he should 
 be from 15.2 to 15.3. A very tall woman may look better on a taller 
 horse, but it is rarely that one finds an animal over 15.3 with the 
 requisite proportions to ensure good action. Colom* is of little 
 accoimt, except that grey horses in the summer time part with their 
 coats so freely as to spoil a lady's habit. Quality is indispensable. 
 A three-part-bred horse, however, is the best, because he is Kkely to 
 have more substance in the right place than a thoroughbred. A 
 good blood-like head and neck are warranty for fashion. Good 
 shoulders, in the ordinary acceptation of the term, are not always 
 good shoulders for a lady's horse, because while they should be clean 
 and sloping as to the scapula, the withers should not be too fine. 
 A little thickness there causes a side saddle to fit better for the 
 -comfort of the rider. There should be plenty of depth in the girth 
 
THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 17 
 
 :and rare good back ribs, for a woman's riding calls very much, on a 
 horse's power. A short back is not conducive to ease for the 
 rider, whatever it may be as to the staying powers of the horse. On 
 the contrary, what is generally called a long-backed horse carries a 
 lady most pleasantly ; but there must be plenty of power in the 
 quarters, muscular upper thighs, and strong hocks. The quarters, 
 too, should be good, and the setting on of the tail such as finishes the 
 topping of the horse well, and gives him a fashionable appearance. 
 If conjoined to the above-named points he stands on moderately 
 short legs, with plenty of bone, and has good round and sound feet, 
 lie will be found as nearly as possible what is required. 
 
18 THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 If a horse has been broken, so as to be obedient to the hand and 
 leg of a man, and steady to sights and sounds, it is considered by 
 many that the animal has only to be ridden with a skirt, and 
 accustomed to strike off without hesitation with its off legs in the 
 canter, and it is fit to carry a lady. 
 
 This is a great mistake. It is true that teaching it to canter 
 collectedly Avith its off legs is necessary, as well as habituating it to 
 the skirt, but there are other and important matters to be con- 
 sidered which are too often overlooked. 
 
 In the first place, a man, to break a horse properly for a lady, 
 must be sufficiently well up at his craft to train the animal to obey 
 the lightest possible application of the aids of the leg; because 
 a lady, having but one leg to the horse, cannot give him the 
 same amoimt of support that can be giren by a man, who apj)lies 
 both. 
 
 To supply the absence of the leg on the off side, in the case of 
 the lady, the only substitute is the whip. But all men accustomed 
 to breaking know that the effect of the whip is altogether different 
 from that of the leg, and that while the whip is occasionally neces- 
 sary to rouse a slightly lazy horse, and put him into his bridle, in 
 the case of one very free, or at all hot, the whip must be used with 
 great caution by a lady. As I have remarked elsewhere, most young 
 horses are inclined to strike off in the canter with the near leg, which 
 is most unpleasant to the fair equestrian. To correct this, the 
 breaker applies certain well-known aids, which it is unnecessary here 
 to repeat. Bat in order to confirm the horse in his lesson of canter- 
 ing with his off leg, the man must give the animal a considerable 
 amount of support with both his own and both hands. If this is 
 
THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 19 
 
 continued after the horse is advanced to the stage of breaking 
 where the trainer begins to fit him for a lady, and carried on until 
 she rides him, he will be far from a pleasant mount to her, because, 
 missing the support of the man's legs, the horse will not understand 
 the light and delicate ones which the lady will use. It is necessary, 
 therefore, that the breaker should accustom his charge readily to 
 obey the slightest indication of the rider's will, and then ride him in 
 a side-saddle, in precisely the same way as he will afterwards be 
 ridden by the lady. 
 
 I remember once seeing a man, really a capital rider in his own 
 way, giving a lady a lesson on a horse of her own which he had 
 broken for her. Both master and pupil were sorely puzzled — the 
 former because the horse would not obey the hand and leg of the 
 rider, as directed by the master, and the pupil, by finding that all 
 she was domg produced an effect diametrically opposite to that which 
 was intended. Perhaps the horse, too, was as much puzzled to know 
 what to be at as either rider or master. 
 
 The animal was a very shapely chesnut, nearly thoroughbred, very 
 good-tempered, but full of courage. Evidently he was unaccus- 
 tomed to carry a lady, and was beginning to give indications that his 
 temper was getting up. The object was to canter "him to the right 
 round the school, " going large," as it is technically called. He had 
 trotted to the other hand well enough, and the young lady had 
 ridden hmi fairly ; but when turned to the reverse hand, and the 
 word " canter" was given, he evidently missed the sui3port afforded 
 by the legs of a male rider. When pressed gently forward to a 
 shortened rein, he stepped very high in his trot. " Touch him on 
 the right shoulder with the whip sharply, miss," said the riding 
 master. In answer to the sharp cut ot the whip, the horse jump ed 
 off passionately in a canter, with his near legs first — a dangerous 
 thing when going round the school to the right. " Stop him , miss," 
 said the preceptor ; " take him into the corner, bend his head to the 
 right. Now the leg and whip again." The same result followed — 
 the lady flurried as well as her horse. The riding master at last 
 took the lady off, and mounted the horse himself ; but he rode with a 
 man's seat, not a woman's. The horse cantered collectedly and weli 
 
 C 2 
 
20 THE BAEB AND THE BRIDLE. 
 
 into his bridle when the master asked him. " You see, miss, it is 
 easy enough," said the master ; "a little patience, and you will do it 
 presently." But the second essay of the lady was as unsuccessful as 
 the first ; nay more so, as the horse was getting very angry. " What 
 can be the reason?" at last said the lady, halting her horse; "I 
 must be very stupid." "It is some peculiarity in your hand," 
 said the master, soothingly ; " it will be all right by-and-by." Do 
 you think," said the lady, deferentially, "that the diflPerence of seat 
 — your leg on the right side — has anything to do with it? " "Not a 
 bit," replied the preceptor. But it had all to do with it, and event- 
 ually the lady had to be put upon an old school hack for her ride in 
 the park, leaving her own horse at the riding school. 
 
 When the lady was gone the master observed, " Most extra- 
 ordinary thing ! I can't get this horse to do wrong, and Miss A. 
 cannot get him to go a yard." " Did you ever ride hira in a side- 
 saddle?" I inquired. "I? Certainly not," was the answer; "no 
 man can break a horse in a side-saddle " (this was true enough as 
 regards the early stages), "and," continued the professor, "I can't 
 ride a bit in a side-saddle." The latter observation settled the 
 matter in my mind ; for it has been always clear to me that, if a 
 man cannot acquire a true and firm seat himself on a side-saddle, it 
 is impossible he can teach a woman to ride. He may teach her to 
 sit square and upright on an old horse that has been carrying 
 women for years, but "going about" on such an animal is not 
 riding — my idea of which, as regards a lady, is, that on a horse still 
 full of courage and action (though not too fresh or short of work) 
 the rider should be able, by the application of aids sound in theory 
 and practice, to render the horse thoroughly obedient to her will. 
 This is riding. Cantering along upon an old tittuping hack is 
 merely taking horse exercise in a mild form. 
 
 As regards a man riding in a side-saddle, I may say that some 
 years ago a young friend of mine, now deceased — than whom there 
 never was a better man with hounds — hunted in a side-saddle for 
 three or four seasons before his death. He had injured his right 
 foot so badly in a fall as to necessitate amputation at the instep, and 
 he preferred the side-saddle seat to the awkward and disagreeable 
 
THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 21 
 
 feeling occasioned by trusting to a cork foot in the off-side stirrup. 
 Some of your readers may probably remember the dashing youngster 
 I allude to, who was always to be seen going true and straight in the 
 front rank, when he hunted eighteen years ago with the Royal 
 Buckhounds. I can safely say that the horses he rode in his side- 
 saddle were the perfection of ladies' hunters, and that he was one of 
 the best instructors of female equitation I ever met. 
 
 I repeat, then, that before a horse can be pronounced fit to carry 
 a lady he should have been ridden in a side-saddle for some time by 
 a man . 
 
 Riding in this way, the breaker's first object should be to make 
 the horse walk truly and fairly up to his bridle, without hurrying or 
 shuffling in his pace, than which nothing is more unpleasant to a 
 lady, especially if she is engaged in conversation with a companion. 
 Of course it is indispensable that a horse should be a good natural 
 walker, but at the same time the animal should be carefully taught 
 to work right up to his bit in this most important pace ; action in 
 the others can then be easily developed. 
 
 In the trot the breaker should gradually accustom the animal to 
 go with the least possible amount of support from the leg. This he 
 will easily do by using a very long whip, and, when he feels the 
 horse hanging back from his work, touching him lightly on the hind 
 quarters instead of closing the leg. 
 
 In the foregoing I am assuming that the horse has been previously 
 well broken, mouthed, and balanced to carry a man. To teach a 
 horse readily to obey such delicate aids of hand or leg, as a lady 
 can apply, I have found the following method most effectual : Use a 
 side-saddle which has no head crutch on the off side ; this gives 
 more freedom of action to the right hand. Ride without a stirrup ; 
 your balance is sure then to be true. Use a long whip, and wear a 
 spur on the left heel, furnished with short and not very sharp rowels. 
 Make your horse walk well, and trot well up to his bridle, with as 
 little leg as possible, touching him sharply with the spin? if he tries 
 to shirk his work. The long whip on the off side will prevent him 
 from throwing his haunches in. Before cantering, collect him well. 
 Keep his forehand well up, and his haunches under him. Keep his 
 
22 THE BAEB AND THE BRIDLE. 
 
 head well bent to the right ; take him into the corner of the school 
 or manege ; then, keeping him up to his work rather by the aid of 
 the spur and whip than by the leg, strike him lightly off to the right. 
 A sharp touch of the spur behind the girth, and a light firm feeling 
 of both reins, the inward the strongest, will cause him to strike off 
 true. Where no riding house or walled manege is available, the 
 above may be successfully carried out in a small paddock, having 
 tolerably high fences and corners nearly square. 
 
 Manner in riding the horse at this stage of his breaking is of vital 
 importance. The hands, while kept well back, should be light and 
 lively ; the whip and spur (never to be unnecessarily applied) should 
 be used so as to let the horse know that they are always ready if he 
 hangs back from his work ; and the rider, sitting easily and flexibly 
 in the saddle, should ride with spirit and vivacity, making much of 
 the horse frome time to time as he answers with alacrity to the light 
 and lively aids applied. A dull rider makes a dull horse, and vice 
 versa. Gradually, a well bred, good tempered animal will learn to 
 answer smartly to the slightest indication of the rider's will, and 
 while giving a good appai to the hand, will convey a most enjoyable 
 feeling from his well-balanced elastic movement, without the neces- 
 sity of strong or rough aids. In a very brief tune the long whip 
 can be dispensed with, and all incHnation to throw the haunches 
 in will cease. The animal has then acquired the aplomb necessary 
 to fit him for the lady equestrian. He should then be taught by 
 gradually inductive lessons to walk quietly up to his fences and 
 jmnp freely, his haunches well under him ; and subsequently to 
 execute his leap from a steady, collected canter, without rush or 
 hurry. 
 
 During the latter part of each lesson he should be ridden with a 
 skirt or rug on. 
 
 He should then be accustomed to all kinds of sights and sounds, 
 from the rattle of a wheelbarrow to the pattering file firing at a 
 review, and the loud report of a great gun ; and especially he should 
 be habituated to having all sorts of colours about him. 
 
 I well remember seeing a fine horse, that had been some time in 
 the breaker's hand, and was perfect in his mouth and paces, put a 
 
THE BAEB AND THE BRIDLE. 23 
 
 ■general officer and his lady into a complete fix. The lady went to 
 a review, having been assisted into her saddle by her husband in 
 his mufti costume before he dressed for parade. After the review ; 
 the lady dismounted to partake of luncheon in a marquee, and, 
 .after the repast, the general proceeded to put liis wife on her horse ; 
 but the gallant steed by no means understood the dancing plume of 
 .red and white feathers in the officer's cocked hat, and he would 
 -none of him. He snorted, pawed the ground in terror, ran back, 
 <and did everything but stand still, although he had stood the 
 :marching past and firing well enough. Unluckily the groom had 
 •been sent home, and there was nobody in mufti on the ground who 
 •could put the lady on her saddle. Even when the general took off 
 his cocked hat, the horse, having taken a dislike to him, would not 
 let his master come near him. Finally, as there was no carriages on 
 the ground, the lady had to walk a considerable distance, her 
 horse led by an orderly. The above goes to show that to make a 
 horse perfect for a lady, nothing likely to occur in the way of sights 
 or sounds should be overlooked. If the horse possesses the requisite 
 power and form to fit him for a hunter, and the lady for whom he 
 is intended graces the hunting field with her presence, the animal 
 .should be ridden quietly in cubhunting time as often as possible, 
 in long trots, beside the hounds going to covert, and accustomed 
 gradually to the music of the "sylvan choir," to stand quietly at 
 the covert side, and take no heed of scarlet coats. If the horse has 
 been otherwise well broken, the above is simply a question of time 
 and patience. 
 
 Let me now say something with regard to saddlery and appoint- 
 ments. The most important of these, of course, is the side- 
 saddle, as to the form of which considerable diversity of opinion 
 exists. 
 
 My own experiences induce me to believe in a saddle which is as 
 nearly as possible y?a< from between the pommels to the cantle; any 
 dip in the stretcher of the tree, while it renders the lady's seat less 
 secure, has also the effect of throwing her weight too much upon 
 the horse's forehand, and thus cramping his action. When a lady 
 has acquired skill and confidence in her riding, a saddle with a 
 
24 THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 
 
 very low-cut pommel on the off side is best, because it not only 
 admits of the rider getting her hands lower (for which occasion 
 may frequently occur), but on the off side it gives the lady and the 
 horse a far better appearance, the high off side pommel spoiling the 
 graceful contour of figure in both. Worked or plain off-side flaps 
 are matters of taste, and have nothing to do with utility. The 
 stirrup should be a Victoria, well padded. The leather should be 
 fitted on the near side, in a similar manner to a . man's stirrup 
 leather, and be quite independent of the quarter strap. The reason 
 for this" is obvious. If you fit a lady's stirrup leather ever so care- 
 fully after she is up, you cannot tell how much the horse "will 
 give up " in his girth after an hour's riding, or even less ; and the 
 leather which takes up on the off side may give to the extent 
 of three or four holes, thereby greatly incommoding the rider, 
 especially if she is in the hunting field and has to jump her horse, 
 as it is ten to one, although she has the power of pulling up the 
 leather herself, if, in the excitement of the chase, either she or 
 anybody else will notice the rendering of the leather, and a drop 
 leap may bring the rider to grief, whereas the near side arrangement 
 is a fixtiu-e, and always reliable. For really comfortable riding, I 
 believe also that it is quite as necessary that a saddle should be 
 made in such proportion as to Jit the lady, as that it should fit the 
 horse. Even a thoroughly accomplished horsewoman cannot ride 
 easily in a saddle that is too short from pommel to cantle, or too 
 narrow in the seat. In either case, both discomfort and ungainly 
 appearance are the result ; while to a lady ot slight petite figure, 
 a saddle too long from front to rear is equally misightly, though 
 possibly not quite so uncomfortable to the rider. Broad girths of 
 the best materials are indispensable. There should be three of 
 them. The quarter strap or girth should lead from the near side 
 fork of the tree to a buckle piece attached to a ring on the off-side 
 quarter, the ring giving the quarter strap a better bearing. A 
 crupper should never be used ; a horse that requires one is not fit 
 for a lady. Saddle cloths are unnecessary to a carefully-panneUed 
 saddle, and hide the symmetry of the horse. Breastplates or neck 
 straps may be used for limiting, or the fitting of martingales- 
 
/ • 
 
 THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 25- 
 
 (neceesary sometimes). But the less leather about the horse, where- 
 it can be dispensed with, the better he will look. 
 
 As to bridles, as a rule, I maintain that a lady's horse properly 
 broken should ride right into an ordinary double bridle, bit, and 
 bridoon, the port of the bit proportioned to the contour and 
 setting on of the horse's head and neck, as should also be the length 
 of the cheek piece and jaw of the bit ; while the question of a 
 j)lain or twisted bridoon or snaffle must be regulated by the hand 
 of the rider and the mouth of the horse. For park or promenade 
 riding, fashion of late years inclines to a single rein bridle or 
 " Hanoverian," or hard and sharp. 'No doubt they are very sightly 
 and neat in appearance ; but with a high-couraged horse they 
 require very nice and finished hands, and in the majority of cases, 
 in my hmiible opinion, are safe only for the most accomplished 
 female riders. 
 
 I leave the question of bridle -fronts, bound with ribbon of pink,. 
 blue, or yellow, to the taste of my readers ; when neatly put on and 
 fresh, they look gay in the park. But either there or in the hunting 
 field, I beheve more in the plain leather front, as having, if I may so- 
 express it, a more workmanlike appearance. 
 
 Having now endeavoured to describe the best preparations on 
 foot for the pupil, the style of dress most suitable for her first 
 lessons in equitation, the stamp of horse a lady should ride, the- 
 training he should undergo for the special service required of him, 
 and the kind of saddlery and equipment he will travel best in, in 
 my next chapter I will attempt briefly, but minutely, to detail the 
 first step in the riding lesson proper, namely, the form in which 
 the pupil should approach her horse in order to be assisted into 
 the saddle, and the mounting motions, all of which are of great 
 importance, as each motion should be executed gracefully, without 
 hurry, and in a well defined and finished manner. Nothing con- 
 nected with riding stamps the style and tournure of a lady more 
 than the fashion in which she mounts her horse and arranges her 
 habit ; it ought, in fact, to be a matter as carefully looked to by the 
 instructor as her mode of entering a room would be to a master of 
 deportment. 
 
 i Vi^ 
 
26 THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 The manner in which a lady should approach her horse in order to 
 be assisted to mount should be carefully looked to by the instructor. 
 Anything like hurry, whUe it is calculated to render the horse 
 unsteady, is at the same time ungraceful, and the beginning of a bad 
 habit always to be avoided. 
 
 Everything in the way of mounting or dismounting a horse, either 
 by a lady or gentleman, should be done with well-defined and deli- 
 berate, although smart motions. This precision once acquired is the 
 good habit which becomes second nature to the rider, and is so highly 
 indicative of good manners in equitation. 
 
 To some persons the formula I am about to describe may appear 
 too punctilious, and possibly carried to too nice a point of precision. 
 But my idea is that in all these matters it is well to begin by over- 
 doing them a little. We are all more or less prone to become care- 
 less in our carriage and bearing, both on foot and horseback, as we 
 grow older ; therefore overdoing them a trifle with young people 
 may safely be pronounced an error on the right side. 
 
 I have frequently heard the remark that it is of no consequence 
 how a man or woman gets upon a horse, provided they can ride when 
 once up. I maintain that graceful riding is true riding, and that if 
 it is worth while to ride gracefully, it is equally worth while to mount 
 gracefully. 
 
 Let us then suppose the lady to be dressed and ready for her ride 
 in school or manege. She should take the skirt of her habit in the 
 full of both hands, holding her whip in the right ; the skirt should 
 be raised sufficiently to admit of the wearer walking freely. Then 
 she should walk from a point in the school at right angles with her 
 horse quietly to his shoulder, and face square to her left, standin g 
 
THE BAEB AND THE BRIDLE. 27 
 
 just behind the anunal's near elbow and parallel to bis side. Thus 
 facing to the front, and still holding her skirt with both hands, she 
 should pass her whip from her right hand into the left, and " make 
 much of her horse " by patting him on the near shoulder — the best 
 method anybody (man or woman) can adopt as a first step to 
 acquaintance with a strange horse ; at the same time she should 
 speak soothingly to her new equine friend. The horse should be 
 held by a gToom standing in front of him, and holding him by both 
 reins. On the assistant approaching to lift the pupil to the saddle, 
 the lady should return the whip to the right hand and drop her 
 habit. She should then take the snaffle or bridoon rein in the 
 centre with the left hand, at the end close to the buckle piece with 
 the right, and draw them through the left until she has a hght and 
 equal feeling upon both sides of the horse's mouth. The right hand 
 should then be placed firmly on the near side upper crutch of the 
 saddle, the snaffle rein held between the pommel and the hana, the 
 whip in the full of it. The left hand should then grip the reins, and 
 the lady should resmne her position square to the front, without 
 moving her right hand or relaxing her grasp of the pommel of the 
 saddle. The assistant (who should be a gentleman^ not a groom) 
 should then stoop low enough to place both his hands locked together 
 in such a position that the pupil can place her left foot firmly on 
 them, the left knee sHghtly bent. At the same time she should also 
 place the flat of her left hand firmly on the right shoulder of the 
 assistant, keeping her arm perfectly straight. The instructor should 
 then give her the following directions : " On the word ' one,' bend 
 the right knee ; on the word 'two,' spring smartly up from the right 
 foot and straighten the left knee." If the pupil executes these 
 movements simultaneously, keeping her left elbow perfectly firm and 
 the arm straight, the assistant can lift her with the greatest ease 
 to the level of the saddle, where, firmly grasping the pommel, she 
 has only to make a half turn to her left, and she is seated sideways 
 on her horse. The assistant should then straighten the skirt down, 
 and taking the slack of it in his left hand, lift it over the near side 
 upper crutch while the lady turns in her saddle, and facing square 
 to her point, [lifts her right knee over the pommel, bringing her 
 
28 THE BARB AND THE BEIDLE. 
 
 right leg close to the forepoint of the saddle, with the leg well 
 drawn back, and the toe raised from the instep. The assistant 
 should then place the lady's foot well home in the stirrup. Before 
 raising the right knee over the pommel, the lady should lift the 
 snaffle reins with her right hand high enough to admit of her 
 moving the leg without interfering with them. The right knee 
 being firmly placed between the pommels, and the left foot in the 
 stirrup, the pupil should then place her right hand with the snaffle 
 reins between the finger and thumb and the whip in the full of the 
 hand, firmly on the off-side pommel of the saddle. She should then 
 draw her left foot well back, and getting a firm bearing on the 
 stirrup, raise herself well up from the saddle, leaning forward 
 sufticiently to preserve her balance. She should then pass her 
 left hand back, and pull her skirt well out, so that there remains 
 no ruck or wrinkle in it, and then quietly lower herself down to 
 the saddle again. This act of clearing the slack of the skirt is one 
 which it is so frequently necessary for the lady to execute when 
 riding that she should practise it frequently in her early lessons. 
 It is true that when the assistant first places her on the horse he can 
 arrange her habit as she rises from the saddle ; but, for some time, 
 until she has acquired firmness and perfect balance, her habit will 
 inevitably ride up, particularly in trotting, and it is necessary that 
 she should learn to be independent in this respect of the gentle- 
 man who attends her. Moreover, as to arrange the habit grace- 
 fully requires considerable practice, it should form a distinct part 
 of the lesson at first when the horse is standing perfectly still, 
 afterwards at a Avalk, and finally at a trot. In cantering it cannot 
 be done. 
 
 Having arranged the hind part of her skirt, the lady should then 
 take the front in her left hand, and pull it well forward, raising her 
 right knee at the same time, to insure that she has perfect freedom 
 of action for it. The left knee should then be placed firmly against 
 the leaping crutch (or, as it is generally called, the third crutch) 
 of the saddle ; although with saddles devoid of an off-side pommel, 
 it is, in fact, tne second crutch. This important adjunct to a lady's 
 firmness and security in riding should always be most carefully 
 
THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 29 
 
 looked to by Paterfamilias when purchasing the saddle, and by the 
 master after it is bought. I can well remember when the third 
 crutch was unknown ; and in these days, when its efficiency has 
 been so abundantly proved, it really seems marvellous how ladies 
 years ago could not only ride well mthout it, but even acquit them- 
 selves creditably in the hunting field. The secret of the matter, 
 however, lies in this : First, although there was no third support for 
 the rider, the off-side and near-side pommels were much closer 
 together than those now made ; the off-side one was well padded, 
 and in most cases where ladies rode hunting it was usual to have an 
 extra pad, which fitted on to the off-side crutch, and again narrowed 
 the interval, according to the size of the lady, until her leg fitted 
 tightly between the two crutches, thus giving her a very firm hold 
 with the right knee. Nevertheless, it is evident that only the truest 
 balance would enable the fair equestrians of those days to maintain 
 their seats. 
 
 When a young lady is first put on horseback, I believe in anything 
 that can give her confidence, and for this purpose the third crutch is 
 admirable, because she finds a firm purchase between the crutch and 
 the stirrup. As this hold, however, is apt to degenerate into a com- 
 plete reliance on the third pommel, it is necessary in. a more advanced 
 stage of the lessons in equitation to use a saddle without any such 
 support for the pupil. The third crutch, when forming part of a 
 side-saddle, should never he removed^ as is too frequently done by 
 grooms for the purpose of cleaning the saddle. The crutch itself is 
 so constructed as to screw into a socket in the tree. By constantly 
 screwing and unscrewing it, the thread of the screw wears out ; in 
 fact, this will occur much sooner than would be supposed. The 
 consequence is that, let the lady or her assistant turn the third 
 crutch to what angle they may in order to suit the length and 
 formation of the lady's leg, the crutch will not remain in its proper 
 position, but is continually shifting, turning, and wobbling, to the 
 great discomfort of the rider ; nay, I have seen more than one case 
 where the crutch has turned edgeways to the rider's leg, and caused 
 severe pain and bruising of the delicate limb. Let it be a strict 
 injunction then, to your groom, " Never unscrew the third crutch ;" 
 
30 THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 
 
 and if you find the support shifting in its socket, shift the groom as 
 soon as possible, and send the saddle to the saddler to be firmly- 
 fixed in. 
 
 Why saddlers should fit these supports to turn at all, I can see no 
 g3od reason. Some men, it is true, say that in putting a lady on 
 horseback it is necessary to turn the third crutch round, so as to 
 prevent it from catching the skirt ; but for my own part I could 
 never find any necessity for this, or any difficulty in clearing a lady's 
 skirt when lifting her to the saddle. In purchasing a side-saddle, T 
 rej^eat, the greatest judgment is necessary as regards the third crutch ; 
 while it should be long enough to give a good purchase and be well 
 padded, it should be but slightly curved. A crutch that forms a 
 considerable segment of a circle is both inconvenient and dangerous 
 — inconvenient because it is a support of this description (if any) 
 that is in a lady's way in mounting, and dangerous because, if in the 
 hunting field a horse should chance to fall with his fair rider, she 
 would be imable to extricate herself from her fallen steed, inasmuch 
 as the nearly half-circular crutch would completely pin her leg to the 
 horse. It is, in fact, almost as dangerous as if a man were to strap 
 himself to his saddle (which, by the way, I once saw a very deter- 
 mined hunting man do when suffering from weakness in one leg). 
 He had no oiDportunity, however, of testing his experiment, as the 
 master of the hounds very judiciously told him that, if he per- 
 severed, he (the master) would take the hounds home. 
 
 Nor is there any possible use in the enveloping of the leg by the 
 thick crutch of the side-saddle. With the slightest possible bend, 
 the support is sufficient if the rider sits fair and true in her saddle, 
 while plenty of stuffing is necessary to avoid bruising the leg, espe- 
 cially in leaping. These "stumpy-looking" third crutches are certainly 
 less sightly in the saddle-room than the more circular ones ; but I 
 submit that, inasmuch as it is not seen when the lady is up, it is of 
 more consequence to consult her comfort and safety than the eye of 
 the groom. 
 
 When the lady has arranged her dress to her satisfaction, as above 
 described, the next section of the lesson should consist in teaching 
 how she should take up her reins; and here again the greatest care 
 
THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 31 
 
 should be taken by the instructor that this is done coolly and grace- 
 fully, without hurry or " fumbling." A great deal of trouble in this 
 way may be saved by the instructor teaching the lady how to take 
 up her reins on foot. Thus, take an ordinary double bridle, let a lad 
 hold the upper part of the head-stall in one hand, and the bits in the 
 other, and stand opposite the pupil. Hang both reins over your left 
 arm just as they would rest on the neck of the horse, the curb rein 
 underneath, the bridoon rein above. Let the pupil then take hold of 
 both reins at the end with the right hand ; place the second finger of 
 the left hand between the bridoon reins with the nearside rein upper- 
 most, and the little finger of the same hand between the curb reins, 
 the near-side curb rein uppermost. Let her then place both bridoon 
 and bit reins perfectly flat over the middle joint of the forefinger of 
 the left hand, and drop the end of the rems over the knuckles, then 
 close the thumb firmly down on them. She will find then both bit 
 and bridoon reins equally divided, and an equal facility of causing 
 them to act on the horse's mouth, according to the direction in which 
 she turns the wrist of her left or bridle hand proper, or assists it 
 with her right hand, accordmg to the aids hereafter to be described. 
 The mode of holding the reins above laid down is called in the 
 French school " Mode de Paysanne," or civilian method. The 
 military fashion, which is far more elegant, but not so well adapted 
 at first for a beginner, is as follows. 
 
 The pupil takes the end of the bridoon reins between the finger 
 and thumb of the right hand, and passes them over the full of the 
 left, or, to render the explanation still more simple, passes all the 
 fingers of the left hand between them, the off side rein above, and 
 the near side one below ; the buckle piece on the knuckle of the 
 forefinger, the rest of the rein hanging loosely down. Let the lady 
 then take the bit or curb reins between the finger and thumb of the 
 right hand, and pass the little finger of the left between them, the 
 near side rein uppermost. With the right hand then let her draw 
 the reins through the left, until — keeping the left hand perfectly 
 quiet — she has a light, almost imperceptible, feeling on the horse's 
 mouth. Let her then turn the bit reins over the middle joint of the 
 forefinger of the left hand, and close the thumb down closely and 
 
32 THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 
 
 firmly on them. The reins will then be precisely in the form in 
 which a dragoon's reins are arranged when he is riding a finished 
 horse at a field day or elsewhere. This method is therefore called the 
 " mode militaire." But inasmuch as only a highly-finished horse can 
 be ridden on the bit rein alone by an equally finished rider, in order 
 to assist the latter, and to prevent the horse imduly feeling the action 
 of the curb on his mouth, it is necessary that the rider should draw 
 up the bridoon reins so as to obtain an equal feeling upon both bit 
 and bridoon. Nothing can be more simple than to do this, as the 
 rider has only with the right hand to take hold of the bridoon rein 
 ■ on the left or near side of the buckle or centre, and draw it up until 
 the part passing under the lower edge of the hand is of equal length 
 with the bit reins. She then closes her left thumb on both reins, 
 and shortens the right bridoon rein until it is of equal length with 
 the others. The rider has then an equal feeling of all four reins. 
 She should then hold the ends with her right hand, and let th.e reins 
 slip through the left until both hands are drawn back close to her 
 waist, the wrists slightly rounded outwards, the back towards the 
 horse's head, and the elbows drawn slightly back behind the waist. 
 
 The instructor having placed the pupil's hands, should then pro- 
 ceed to correct her general position. The figure should be weU 
 drawn up from the waist, shoulders perfectly square and well thrown 
 back, head and neck erect, the upper part of the arm hanging 
 almost perpendicular from the shoulder, the elbows well back, so that 
 a thin rod would pass between them and the waist ; the obvious 
 reason for this position of the hands and elbows being that, if they 
 are allowed to go forward, the whole flexibility of the waist — upon 
 which depends the comfort, grace, and security of the pupil's riding 
 — is destroyed, and the Hthe figure of the fair rider becomes rigid 
 and wooden in appearance, and stiff in action. 
 
 The upper part of the figure being thus placed, the master's 
 attention should be directed to the position of the feet and legs. 
 That of the right leg I have already described. The left leg, with 
 the knee well bent, should be placed firmly against the third crutch, 
 the heel well sunk, the toe raised from the instep, the foot at first 
 well home in the stirrup. By well stretching down the heel the rider 
 
THE BAEB AND THE BRIDLE. 33 
 
 l>races all the muscles at the back of the leg, and this, joined to 
 drawing the figure well up from the waist, secures that true balance 
 so indispensable to good riding. The right leg should be well bent 
 and drawn back as near as possible to the left leg. 
 
 This should be the position at a walk, the aids for which, and the 
 turns I leave for another chapter. 
 
 D 
 
34 THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 
 
 CHAPTER Y. 
 
 Let me now offer a few remarks on a subject upon which con- 
 siderable diversity of opinion exists, namely, whether the teaching of 
 a young lady in riding may or may not be entrusted to a female pro- 
 fessor of equitation in preference to a man. At the first glance, 
 there seems to be good reason for preferring the tuition of the lady 
 but, on careful consideration, I believe most of those interested in 
 the matter will agree with me that, under many circumstancs likely 
 to occur, one lady, however good a horsewoman herself, is likely to 
 be quite unable to render the desired assistance to a pupil, conceding, 
 at the same time that, as regards the details of dress, the opinion of 
 a lady who has had long practice in the saddle may be very useful. 
 
 In the first place, the placing of the pupil on the horse and taking 
 her off cannot possibly be as well done, to say the least, by a lady 
 instructor as it can by a gentleman ; neither would the performance 
 of such an office be graceful or convenient to either. Secondly, all 
 that portion of the instruction wliich should be given by the 
 instructor on foot while the pupil is on horseback can be better given 
 by a man who understands his business than by a lady, because, 
 although the tone of voice in which the instruction is conveyed 
 should be kindly, and the manner cheerful and encouraging, a degree 
 oijiymnesii and conciseness is necessary, which few ladies possess, for 
 the reason that the art of teaching riding, like riding itself, requires 
 a considerable practice and long drilling into the instructor in a 
 school where smartness of diction and expression form part of the 
 education of an intended professor of equitation. Thirdly, assuming 
 both instructor and pupil to be in the saddle, a lady, although 
 thoroughly mistress of her own horse, is unable to aid her pupil as 
 easily as a man can. 
 
THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 35 
 
 In the early lessons given (the instructor being on horseback), it 
 is necessary that the latter should be close enough to the pupil's 
 horse on the off side to be able at any moment to place the hands of 
 the learner, to check any exuberant action of the horse by laying the 
 left hand firmly upon the reins ; and in the first essays made by the 
 pupil in the trotting lesson, to assist her by the left hand of the 
 instructor placed under the right elbow of the beginner. 
 
 And finally, should any necessity arise during a ride for dis- 
 mounting the pupil, a lady instructor labours under this difficulty, 
 that having dismounted herself, and both pupil and teacher being on 
 the ground, the act of mounting again by two ladies, unattended by 
 a man, is one of considerable difficulty and possible danger. 
 
 From the very necessity of her position in the saddle, a lady 
 teaching another cannot, without inconvenience to both legs (the left 
 especially), approach near enough to her pupil's horse to assist the 
 latter with her left hand, because her left leg is always in danger of 
 coming in contact with the other horse ; while on a windy day the 
 skirt of her habit is likely enough to be blown into his flank, and 
 thereby make him unsteady. Not long since I saw two ladies who 
 were riding, unattended by a man, in a very awkward predicament. 
 Both are practised riders, possessing capital seats and hands, and are 
 equal to any contingency likely to occur as long as they are in the 
 saddle ; nay, one of the ladies is, I beUeve, the most accomplished 
 horsewoman I ever saw. Her seat is both fine and graceful to a 
 degree ; her hands perfection, her nerve first-rate, and her experience 
 in riding even difficult horses with hounds considerable. This lady 
 was the elder of the two ; her companion was considerably younger, 
 but although a very accomplished rider, she lacked the experience of 
 her friend. Something had gone amiss -with the younger lady's 
 saddle, and both ladies dismounted to arrange it. The elder was 
 quite equal to this, for I have seen her many times saddle and bridle 
 her own horse, and with one that would stand quietly (being herself 
 exceedingly supple and active), she can put her hands on the upper 
 pommel and vault into the saddle without any assistance. But in 
 the case I allude to she was completely fixed. Her horse was a 
 chesnut thoroughbred, only four years old ; and, although, despite 
 
 D 2 
 
36 THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 
 
 all difficulty I believe, had she been alone, she would have succeeded 
 in mounting, her friend and her horse placed her in an awkward 
 dilemma. She was compelled from time to time to use one hand to 
 disengage the folds of her habit, and she had to hold both horses, 
 even if her friend could have gained her saddle unassisted. Neither 
 horse would stand still ; the one, as is invariably the case in such 
 little difficulties, setting a bad example, which the other was not 
 slow to follow. To hold two horses, keep clear of her own habit, 
 while the horses were shifting their positions continually, and give 
 her friend even the least help in mounting, proved too much even 
 for the highly-finished lady equestrian, and as the contretemps 
 occurred on a lone country road, I believe they would have been 
 compelled to lead their horses a considerable distance, had I not 
 chanced opportunely to arrive. In such places as Rotten-row a lady 
 instructor may get on tolerably well with her pupil, because, in case 
 of any mishap, there are plenty of men always at hand who know 
 what a horse is ; but in out-of-the-way country places it is very 
 different. The British rustic, whatever other good qualities he may 
 possess, is not celebrated, as a rule, for over politeness to ladies — 
 strangers particularly. In proof of the above, there is a story current 
 in this neighbourhood which is likely enough to be true, although I 
 cannot vouch for it myself. The tale runs thus : — A lady (one of 
 the daughters of a noble house) having married, had gone abroad 
 with her husband, and been absent from the home of her early days 
 so long that the uprising generation of young people about the 
 estate knew her not. She was taking a ride one day unattended, 
 and mounted on a steady cob, had been visiting the long-cherished 
 scenes of her childhood, when she came to a very awkward bridle 
 gate, seated on which was a juvenile "wopstraw" in duck frock, 
 leather leggings, and wideawake. The boy jmnped down and 
 opened the gate for the lady, at the same time takmg off his hat. 
 Now the fair recipient of this delicate attention was well aware of 
 the fact that the village people on the paternal estate were celebrated 
 in the county for their rough manners to strangers, ladies forming no 
 exception, so she was agreeably surprised at the exceptional good 
 behaviour- of the youngster, the more so as she was quite sure he 
 
THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 37 
 
 did not know her. Taking a shilling out of her purse she gave it to 
 him, observing : " You are a very good boy," and added, laughing, 
 " I am sure you were not born at D." (the name of the principal 
 village on the estate). But to the donor's horror the youngster, 
 grasping his hat firmly in one fist and the shilling in the other, with 
 a fiery glare of indignation in his fat face and flashing eye, replied, 
 " Thou be'st a loyar (Har), I wor." 
 
 Verbum sap. All rustics are not so ill behaved as the one above 
 mentioned. But as very few of them will go far out of their road to 
 assist a stranger, it is as well that ladies riding in remote country 
 parts should be attended by a gentleman ; and I repeat, for all 
 purposes of instruction, the attendance of a man will be found far 
 more efficient than that of a lady. 
 
38 THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE, 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 The frontispiece represents the stamp of horse best calculated to 
 carry a lady, and is a very truthful likeness of a five-year-old horse, 
 named Prince Arthur, a son of the celebrated racehorse Stockwell, 
 his dam a half-bred Arab mare. 
 
 The subject of the plate, therefore, has some of the very best 
 Enghsh blood in his veins, in conjunction with that Eastern strain 
 from which in all probability our magnificent British thoroughbreds 
 derive a considerable proportion of their power of endurance, or, in 
 turf phraseology, their staying quality. 
 
 The horse is a first-class hack, as good a performer over the 
 great Leicestershire pastures and formidable oxers which so often 
 bar the way in that sporting county, as he has already proved 
 himself in the manege ; and, as he possesses, in addition to true and 
 most elastic action, fine temper and indomitable courage, I venture 
 to present his likeness as my type of the sort of animal adapted 
 either for Rotten-row or to hold his own in the " first flight " over 
 a country. 
 
 A common error is that any weedy thoroughbred, too slow for 
 racing, and without the "timber" and substance to enable him to 
 carry a 10-stone man to hounds, is good enough for a lady's riding. 
 There can be no greater mistake. While quality and fashion are 
 indispensable in a woman's horse, strength and substance are equally 
 necessary. As I have before observed, the very conditions upon 
 which the comfort and safety of a lady's riding depend, leave her 
 horse without that support in his action which he would derive from 
 the riding of a good man; while, however true the balance of the 
 lady may be, still the horse's powers are called upon in a long ride, 
 either on the flat or over the country, in a way which tests him 
 
THE BAEB AND THE BRIDLE. 39 
 
 severely. There must therefore be plenty of wear and tear in the 
 right place — great strength in the loins, a back not too short, aided by 
 strong and well-arched back ribs, which are at the same time not too 
 closely locked up. 
 
 The Arab horse proper, despite his great capability of endurance, 
 his symmetrical contour and extraordinary sagacity, is still a trying 
 mount for a lady unaccustomed to him. With great power in his 
 hind quarters (as a rule), he is short in the back, low and short in 
 front of the saddle. The consequence is that from his powerful 
 back action, he pitches too much in his collected paces to ride 
 ~ pleasantly to a woman, although when striding away at top speed he 
 is easy enough. 
 
 On the other hand, the English horse that possesses length enough 
 to enable him to travel easily under the fair equestrian too often has 
 the length in the wrong place, and cannot stay — a defect fatal 
 to enjoyable riding for a lady, at all events in the hunting field. 
 
 It is to the admixture of Eastern and Western blood, therefore, 
 that one has to look for symmetry of topping conjoined to length in 
 the right place, power, and substance. 
 
 I now proceed to say a few words as to the " aids " to be em- 
 ployed to put the horse in motion. In order to impress these 
 thoroughly upon the memory of the fair tyro, the preceptor should 
 adopt a form of question and answer to the following effect : 
 
 Q. What are the aids to make a horse walk ? — A. A pressure of 
 the leg to his side, at the same time easing the hand. 
 
 Q. How is the hand to be eased ? — A. From the vmst ; the arm 
 being kept perfectly steady, and the little finger yielding towards the 
 horse's neck. 
 
 Q. How many lines of action should the little finger of the bridle 
 hand move on ? — A. Four. First, towards the waist ; second, 
 towards the horse's neck ; third, towards the right shoulder ; fourth, 
 towards the left. 
 
 Q. What are the objects of these motions? — A. First, to collect, 
 halt, or rein back the horse. Second, to give him facihty of moving 
 forward. Third, to turn him to the left. Fourth, to turn him to the 
 jight. The upper part of the rider's figure to be slightly turned 
 
40 THE BARB AND THE BIJIDLE. 
 
 cr 
 
 from the waist, by bringing forward the right shoulder when tiimin 
 to the left and vice irrsd, in order to enable her to move exactly on 
 the same line as the horse, and so to preserve completely her due 
 aplomb or balance in the saddle. The above, in a slightly modified 
 form, is the instruction laid down in the " Mihtary Aid Book," as is 
 the following. 
 
 Q. What is meant by a light hand ? — ^A. An almost imperceptible 
 easing and feeling of the bridle hand, so as to preserve the natiu-al 
 delicacy of the horse's mouth. 
 
 The foregoing, however, while it indicates correctly and concisely 
 what a light hand is, is scarcely exi^licit enough for a beginner. I 
 believe the best definition to be this : when a horse is " light in 
 hand," according to the technical meaning, it should by no means be 
 understood that he has so delicate a mouth that he fears the action 
 of the bit in it. On the contrary, ha^T.ng in his breaking been fairly 
 balanced, the greater part of the weight on his haunches, and ridden 
 well up to his bridle, he should admit of a steady appid between his 
 mouth and the rider's hand, while he bends in the poll of the neck. 
 
 Tlioroughly balanced, and bending as above described, his mouth 
 yields to the action of the rider's hand, and is " light " in the true 
 sense of the principles of equitation. 
 
 A great deal of nonsense is talked about ladies' hands being so 
 much more light and dehcate than those of a man. The truth is, 
 that, assmning both male and female rider to be equally f)ractised in 
 the saddle, there is no differcnee whatever in the feeling or appui 
 given by the horse. 
 
 Thoroughly habituated to obey certain indications conveyed to 
 him through the medium of the bridle reins and leg or other aid of 
 the rider, he will answer to them precisely in the same manner to a 
 lady as he would to a man ; while, on the other hand, if these 
 indications are not given with well-defined clearness and precision,^ 
 he will not answer to anybody's riding. 
 
 There is a point, however, as regards the action of the hands, 
 to which I beg to call the particular attention both of young ladies 
 commencing their lessons in equitation and of gentlemen (non-pro- 
 fessional) who may undertake the task of teaching riding. 
 
THE BARB AND THE BKJDLE. 41 
 
 A great difference of opinion exists as to whether the action of 
 the bridle hand should be from the wrist only, or whether (spring 
 like, if I may use the expression) the "give and take" action 
 should be conveyed by the upper part of the arm being quite 
 mobile at the shoulder joint and in conjunction with the fore- 
 arm, the latter kept, however, close to the side, and movmg 
 easily and freely to the horse's action. The latter theory is 
 warmly advocated by many thoroughly experienced horsemen and 
 professors of female equitation, who maintain that to teach a yoimg 
 lady to keep the arm firm to the side, in the manner adopted in 
 the military riding school, is not only' to give her a rigid wooden 
 appearance on her horse, but also to destroy the proper flexibility 
 of her figure. 
 
 On the other hand, some instructors — those especially who are 
 veterans of the cavalry manege — insist that firmness of the arm 
 should in all cases be rigidly demanded. 
 
 My experience induces me to come to a conclusion which is 
 midway between these opposing theories. 
 
 In the first lessons given to a lady on horseback it is well to 
 insist upon her keeping the arm steady, because otherwise she is 
 ready not only to yield her hand to every movement of the horse, 
 be that yielding right or -wTong, but gradually and imperceptibly 
 to herself her hands will steal forward until they are eight or ten 
 inches in front of her, the consequence being that the muscles of the 
 waist become rigid, and the flexibility of her figure at its most 
 important point, as regards riding, is lost, while the hands remain 
 in the awkward and ungainly position I allude to. 
 
 For the above reason, therefore, it is desirable to inculcate firm- 
 ness of the lower part of the arm to the side in the early lessons ; 
 the hands drawn back close to the waist. And, in order to make 
 tliis form of riding more easily comprehensible to the pupil at her 
 first essay, the following will be found highly effective : 
 
 Let the instructor stand in front of the horse, and taking the 
 bridle reins one in each hand, let him caution the pupil not to yield 
 to him if he pulls against her. Let him then take a quick, sharp 
 pull at the reins in the same way as a horse would when trying to 
 
42 ' THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 
 
 get his head free from the rider's control. The master will find that, 
 despite the caution, both the pupil's hands will come forward at 
 once ; and if this action on the bridle had been executed by the 
 horse instead of his master, the former would have gained his first 
 step in having his own way, and, for instance, from a collected 
 canter could increase his pace at his own will. Now, there is 
 nothing more important in the action of the hand in controlling the 
 horse than firmness and instantaneous decision in yielding or main- 
 taining the appui. 
 
 " If " (say some theorists) " a horse pulls against you, drop 
 your hand to him." This is rather a vague expression, which, 
 in fact, conveys no real meaning to an inexperienced person ; 
 among horsemen it is intended to convey that you should yield 
 to the horse whenever he pulls or takes a Kberty with the hand. 
 Now, the direct reverse of this is the course to be adopted by all 
 riders who wish to acquire good hands. When a horse endeavours 
 to forereach upon the rider, the latter, instead of yielduig, should 
 close his hands firmly on the reins, and keep the arms perfectly 
 steady, loithout pulling an ounce against the horse ; at the same time 
 closing his leg with equal firmness. In the next stride or two the 
 horse will yield to the hand, which should instantly yield to him ; 
 and thus he learns that you are master of him, and goes well 
 together, or, as it is technically called, collectedly and within him- 
 self ; whereas if the hand is freely yielded whenever he takes a 
 liberty or romps for his head, in a very brief time he wiU be all 
 abroad, and going in any form but that best for hmiself or his rider. 
 
 To ensure firmness and steadiness of the hands, however, equal 
 firmness and steadiness are requisite in the arms, and, for that 
 reason, the pupil should be taught to keep them close to the side ; 
 an additional reason being that, if this is neglected, a beginner, as 
 it were, disconnects the figure from the waist upwards, and loses 
 her true balance. When the pupil has had sufficient practice 
 to ensure steadiness in the saddle, the injunction as to arms 
 perfectly steady may be relaxed; and gradually, while there is no 
 1 nt eral motion of the arm from the side or sticking out of the 
 elbows, the lady will learn to give easy play to the shoulder 
 
THE BAKE AND THE BRIDLE. 43 
 
 joint without destroying the neatness of her riding or her power 
 to fix her arms for a moment if the horse tries to get his head 
 away. In short, my theory is that it is impossible for the pupil 
 to learn the true appui, or acquire what is usually called a light 
 hand, until she has acquired a steady one. It is easy enough to 
 tell her to "give and take" to the cadence of the horse's action; 
 but the precise moment at which to do this must be made clear to 
 the learner by some well defined and easily comprehensible rule. I 
 submit that the readiest way of defining it is that I have attempted 
 in the foregoing, Havuag carefully given the above instruction, see 
 that the pupil is sitting fair and true in the saddle, and be careful 
 to correct any tendency to throwing forward the right shoulder, 
 which is both inelegant and destructive of balance. See that the 
 right knee is in a firm, but still flexible form on the upper pannels. 
 Caution the pupil while she draws her figure well up from the waist 
 to stretch the left heel well down ; and let her then, keeping her 
 hands perfectly quiet, press the horse forward into a walk with the 
 leg, while she yields the little finger from the wrist only. Let her 
 make the horse walk freely out, but up to his bridle, the whip being 
 applied, if necessary, on the off shoulder if he hangs back behind 
 his work. 
 
 Nearly all young people, when first put on horseback, are anxious 
 to be off in a canter at once, and it is a sore trial to their patience 
 to be kept at a walk. But there can be no greater mistake than to 
 allow them to canter a horse until they have learnt the " alpha " of 
 their business — that important lesson, how to make a horse walk 
 true and fair. 
 
 This accomplished, " going large " round school or paddock, the 
 pupil should be carefully instructed how to turn her horse square to 
 the right or left, and to rein him bac£. And in order to make the 
 instruction as clear and concise as possible, again, in a modified 
 form, the " Book of Aids " may be called upon. The formula there 
 laid down, in the shape of question and answer, is as follows : — 
 
 Q. How do you turn a horse to the right or left ? — A. By a double 
 feeling of the inward rein, retaining a steady feeling of the outward. 
 The horse kept up to the hand by pressure of both legs. The out- 
 
44 THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 
 
 ward by the strongest. Now, as in the case of a lady, there is no 
 right leg to support the horse, in turning, he is liable to lean upon 
 the hand ; the rider should close the left leg firmly, and touch him 
 lightly on the off-side with her whip, which will at once cause him 
 to keep his forehand up and his haunches under him. After being 
 once or twice so corrected he will turn carefully, without hurry or 
 coming on his shoulder. 
 
 The pupil should then be taught to turn her horse right and left 
 about in the centre of the manege^ the aids being simply continued 
 until the animal faces the reverse way, the pupil turning her 
 horse upon his centre in the middle of the manege^ instead of his 
 haunches, as at the side. Plenty of practice should be given in 
 making these turns, because Jt»y them the pupil learns to bring up 
 the right or left shoulder according to the hand turned to, the 
 right shoulder in turning to the left, and vice versa ; and this should 
 be most carefully attended to by the master, otherwise the body of 
 the pupil is moving on one line and the horse on another, and in 
 case of his flirting the pupil is already half-way out of her saddle. 
 Too much attention therefore cannot be given to this vital point in 
 the aplomb for this obvious reason — if a lady once acquires the 
 habit (which unfortunately too many do) of allowing the horse to 
 turn without " going with him," it is quite on the cards that some 
 day a horse, a trifle too fresh, may jump round with her. If the 
 above principle of " going " with the horse has been thoroughly 
 well taught her in her early lessons she will have no difficulty in 
 accompanying the action of the horse, if she even fail in checking 
 it ; but if she is permitted so to sit as to be looking over her horse's 
 left ear when she turns him to the right, she is leaving the question 
 of her seat entirely to the generosity of the steed. And it may be 
 as well to say at once that, with the best intentioned, broken, or 
 mannered horse, it may be laid down as a golden rule in riding to 
 leave nothing to his generosity. Horses are very keen in their percep- 
 tions, and can detect in a manner little suspected by the inexperienced 
 when they have one at a disadvant;»ge. 
 
 Reining back may be practised from time to time. To do this 
 well, again clearly defined instructions should be given. First the 
 
THE BAEB AND THE BRIDLE. 45 
 
 liorse should be halted. Thus : A light -firm feeling of both reins, to 
 check his forward movement ; the leg closed tightly at the same 
 time, to keep him up to the hand ; the reins to be eased as soon as 
 the horse is halted. The aids for reining back should then be 
 explained as follows : Closing the hands firmly on the reins, the 
 rider should feel the horse's mouth as though the reins were made of 
 silken thread instead of leather, and close her leg quietly to keep 
 him up to the hand. There should be no dead pull at the horse's 
 mouth, but the reins should be eased at every step he takes back- 
 wards, which, if the aids are smoothly and truly applied, he will do 
 without throwing his haunches either in or out. In the early lessons 
 the pupil should not be allowed to rein her horse back more than 
 two or three steps at a time. The use of reining back is to bring 
 the greater weight from the horse's forehand to his haunches, to 
 collect him and make him light in hand. (See " Aid Book.") It is 
 also of great use in assisting the pupil to correct her own aplomb in 
 the saddle, and acquire a true appui on the horse's mouth. Every 
 movement of the hand of the rider, however, and every step of the 
 horse, should be carefully watched by the instructor. The horse 
 should never be allowed to hurry back, as that will at once enable 
 him to get behind his bridle. 
 
 These lessons at a walk, the turns to the right and left, turns 
 about and reining back, should be continued until the pupil executes 
 them with precision. Her position should be rigidly attended to, all 
 stiffness avoided, and nothing in the shape of careless sitting 
 allowed to pass unnoticed. I repeat, the early lessons should, if 
 anything, be a little overdone in the way of exactness, because any 
 careless habit acquired at sach a stage is most difficult to get rid of 
 afterwards. When the pupil is thoroughly au fait at her walking 
 lesson, she should commence the next important section, that, namely, 
 of learning to trot, the formula of which I will endeavour to explain 
 in my next chapter, concluding this with a description of the form in 
 which a lady should dismount, and the assistance that should be 
 be afforded by the master. 
 
 Having halted the horse in the centre of the school, his head 
 should be held by a steady groom. The lady should then pass the 
 
46 THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 
 
 reins from the right hand to the left, and quietly lift her skirt with 
 the right hand until she can easily disengage her right knee from 
 the upper pommels. At the same moment her left foot should be 
 disengaged by the assistant from the stirrup, and her skirt from the 
 near-side pommel or third crutch. The lady should then drop the 
 reins on the horse's neck, and having disengaged her right knee, 
 turn quietly to the left in her saddle, and face the assistant. She 
 should then with both hands take up the slack of her habit until 
 her feet are quite clear of it, otherwise, on alighting she is liable to 
 trip and fall, possibly right into the arms of the assistant, which is 
 not, by any means, according to rule. 
 
 Having gathered up the skirt, the lady should then carry her 
 hands forward about eight or ten inches from her knees, and rest 
 both her hands firmly on those of the assistant, who should raise 
 them up well for the purpose. It remains only then for the lady 
 to glide smoothly down from the saddle, and, slightly supported 
 by the assistant, she will alight easily and gracefully on terra 
 Jirma. Some riding masters have a fashion of taking a lady off 
 her horse by placing both hands on her waist and allowing her to 
 throw her weight forward upon them. Such a practice is outre^ 
 inelegant, and unsafe, because the lady is likely enough to throw 
 more weight forward than the master anticipated, in which case 
 both may come to the ground, to the great discomfiture of the fair 
 equestrian. 
 
THE BARB AND THE BKJDLE. 47 
 
 CHAPTEE, YII. 
 
 The Trotting Lesson. 
 
 This, once thoroughly mastered, gives the pupil confidence and 
 security on her horse, and is the great inductive step by which she 
 learns the value of balance. Some years ago it was considered that 
 if a lady could sit her horse gracefully at a walk, and securely at a 
 canter, she had accomplished all that was correct or necessary in 
 female equitation. Trotting was altogether ignored, for the simple 
 reason that ladies found "it extremely difficult to do, and impossible 
 to find anybody who could help them out of their difficulty by 
 teaching them the right way. In those days most of the riding 
 masters were men who had been instructors in the cavalry. In that 
 arm of the service, trotting according to regulation is quite a dif- 
 ferent thing to the easy rise and fall seat practised by civihans- 
 on horseback. It is a necessity in cavalry, in order to preserve the 
 dressing in line, that a man should sit down in his saddle at a trot, 
 and allow the horse to shake him fair up and down in it. If the 
 rising seat were allowed, it would be impossible to preserve anything 
 like dressing. This shake-up, or "bumping" seat, however, as men 
 out of the army call it, is by no means so distressing as some people 
 imagine, unless the horse is unusually rough in his action. 
 
 The reason is that the military trot is taught upon the principle of 
 balance. The man sits fair down on his ^eat, and, keeping his knee 
 forward and his heel well down, does not cling to the horse by 
 muscular grasp ; consequently the bumping, so terrific to the eye of 
 the civilian, is scarcely felt by the soldier, and in continental armies, 
 where rough trotting horses are exceptional, the motion or jolt is 
 scarcely perceptible. There are a great many popular fallacies about 
 military riding — as, for instance, that a dragoon rides with a very 
 
48 THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 
 
 long stirrup ; that his seat is insecure ; that the bumping gives a 
 horse a sore back ; and that, except a sailor and a tailor, a dragoon 
 officer is about the worst horseman to be found. This is not exactly 
 the place to enter into any controversy on the subject ; but I may as 
 well observe at once, and I do so because I am sure the old soldiers are 
 not altogether despised by the ladies, even in this non -military 
 country, that all the foregoing are so many mistakes. A dragoon, 
 any time within my memory, rode just the same length as a man 
 does over a country — that is to say that, measuring the cavalry 
 man's leather and iron by the length of liis arm and hand, which is 
 the right length for a civilian, you have exactly the cavalry regula- 
 tion length. The stirrup of a lancer indeed is somewhat shorter 
 than that used by most hunting men. Finally, an acquaintance 
 with the habitue's- of such places as Melton would prove to unbe- 
 lievers in the riding of cavalry officers that the names of most of 
 the men who go to the front in the hunting-field, and keep there, 
 ^re to be found in the " Army List." I have been tempted thus to 
 digress by having referred to the military riding school, from which 
 in former days, most, if not all, the riding masters who taught 
 ladies came. Now, although I stand up (as in duty bound) for the 
 military system of riding jjer se, it does not produce the right man 
 to teach a woman to ride, if the experience of the preceptor has been 
 acquired in the riding school only. Excellent as is our system (or, 
 rather, the German system, for it is imported from the Prussian 
 service), for making a man a first-class dragoon, as regards anything 
 connected with a lady's seat or the principle of her balance, it is 
 useless. 
 
 As regards her hands, or the application of the "aids" of the 
 manege, it is highly beneficial, because nothing can be more clear or 
 concise than the simple rules laid down in military equitation for the 
 apphcation of the " helps," by which a horse's easy movement is con- 
 trolled and regulated. It was principally to the want of men who 
 could teach a lady to ride, however, that the absence of a trotting in 
 the side saddle was to be attributed "lang syne." 
 
 It is altogether different now. Riding masters took to riding 
 .across country, and their daughters took to it also, naturally. 
 
THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 49 
 
 Awkward spills occurred ; and long journeys home after hunting, all 
 done at a canter, terribly shook the horse's legs and the temper of 
 the head of the family. " Why the deuce can't you let your horse 
 trot ?" I once heard the worthy sire of a blooming girl of sixteen say 
 to his daughter, who was pounding away on the hard road on the 
 retour de chasse. " For God's sake let him trot. Carry. You'll 
 hammer his legs all to pieces. Why don't you let him trot?' 
 " Because, pa, he won't let me trot," was the unanswerable reply. 
 True enough ; Carry knew nothing about it, and there was nobody 
 to tell her. She was riding on a saddle that fitted neither her nor 
 her horse. She had no third crutch, and she had a slipper stirrup 
 (that worst of abominations in ladies' saddlery). Looking back at 
 those days, the only wonder to me is, how ladies managed to ride at 
 all. That they did ride is certainly proof (if any were wanting) of 
 their courage and perseverance under difficulties. 
 
 The necessity for trotting having become apparent as ladies took 
 more to riding, it at length called the attention of one or two 
 thoroughly practical men to the subject. The first of these, I 
 believe, was the celebrated steeple race jockey, Dan Seffert, who 
 had been a riding master in his early days, and who was equally at 
 home in the manege or between the flags over a country. 
 
 The running made by Mr. Seffert was soon taken up by other first- 
 class horsemen, among whom were Mr. Oldacre, and Mr. Allen, of 
 Seymour-place. The third crutch was added to the side saddle, and 
 numerous improvements effected in it, which rendered trotting not 
 only practicable, but pleasant and easy to a lady, provided she was 
 taught the right way. I believe we owe the third crutch and padded 
 stirrup to Mr. Oldacre, a first-class judge of female equitation ; but 
 I am not quite certain upon this p'Oint. The saddle having been 
 rendered practicable for the purpose, the next thing requisite was a 
 comprehensible and simple set of rules, by which the lady could be 
 taught to trot, without distressing either her horse or herself. To 
 whom these rules owe their origin is immaterial ; as to their efficiency, 
 such as they are, I have found them highly so, and therefore beg 
 leave to submit them to your readers. 
 
 After the usual walking lesson (abridged, however, to allow more 
 
 E 
 
50 THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 
 
 time for what is to follow), the pupil should ride her horse to the 
 centre of the school, and halt him there, so that the instructor has 
 perfect faciUty of getting at the horse on any side, and seeing the 
 exact form in which his pupil moves. The lady should then be 
 instructed to take a firm hold with the right knee on the upper 
 pommel of the saddle, grasping it well between the thigh and the 
 lower part of the leg, and carrying the latter well back, with the heel 
 sunk as close as possible to the left leg. By sinking the heel well, 
 she will give great firnmess to her hold with the right leg upon the 
 upper pommels. To accomphsh this, however, she should get well 
 forward in her saddle, and care should be taken that her stiiTup is 
 not too short, otherwise she will be thrown too far back to enable 
 her to take the necessary grip with the upper leg. The left leg 
 should then be well drawn back, the front of the thigh pressed 
 firmly against the third crutch, the left heel well sunk, and the toe 
 raised from the instep, because a firmness is thus given to the leg 
 and thigh which would otherwise be wanting. The body, from the 
 waist upwards, should be inclined slightly forward, and the angle at 
 which the left foot is drawn back from the perpendicular line from 
 the knee to the foot should be regulated by the inchnation of the 
 body forward, so as exactly to balance it. 
 
 Having placed his pupil in this position, and seen that her hands 
 are well drawn back and arms firm, the instructor should then take 
 her foot out of the stirrup, and give the following concise instructions : 
 *' On the word ' one,' raise the body slowly from the saddle as high 
 as possible." Now, to do this without the aid of the stuTup can only 
 be accomplished by keeping the heel well down and the leg back (in 
 the first place, in order to balance the body), and then raising the 
 figure by the action of the right knee and its grasp upon the upper 
 pommel. At first the pupil will find this difficult, even when the 
 horse is perfectly motionless, and when the riding master assists her 
 by putting his left hand under her left elbow ; but after a few efforts 
 fihe will succeed. This is the first step in learning the rise with pre- 
 cision. Having accomplished it, the pupil should not lower herself 
 again to the saddle until the instructor gives her the word "two," 
 when she should lower herself as slowly as she rose. 
 
THE BAEB AND THE BEIDLE. 51 
 
 If she has been well tutored in the extension and suppling practices 
 •alluded to in my second chapter, she will understand what "one, 
 two " time means in this way as well as in dancing, and her know- 
 ledge of balance on foot will assist her on horseback. These rising 
 and falling motions should be continued until the pupil executes them 
 with precision, fair intervals of rest being allowed. The master 
 ishould then place the lady's foot again in the stirrup. 
 
 The absence of this support in the previous lesson will have pre- 
 vented the pupil from leaning to the near side, and throwing her 
 weight out of the perpendicuiar — a most pernicious habit, which 
 ladies who try to learn their trotting in one lesson are very apt to fall 
 into, and it is a fault very difficult to correct. In fact, the main 
 object in beginning without a stirrup is to avoid this error. 
 
 With the support of the stirrup the pupil will find the act of rising 
 and maintaining an upright or slightly bent forward position (the 
 figure raised well up from the saddle) a comparatively easy matter, 
 and the lesson should be continued thus for a quarter of an hour 
 longer. However trying to the patience this riding without gaining 
 ground — "marking time" in the saddle — may be, the lady maybe 
 assured, that it is by rigid attention to such minutiae only that she 
 ■can become a first-class horsewoman, and that she is in reality losing 
 no time. 
 
 AVhen we hear the singing of Mme. Titiens, or recollect the un- 
 rivalled dancing of Taglioni, we are apt to forget that with all the 
 natural talent of these great artistes, it was close attention to rudi- 
 mentary elements that laid the foundations of their excellence. It is 
 so in riding, to excel in which is far more difficult than in dancing. 
 It is those only who are content with mediocrity who ignore detail. 
 We come now to the second section of this lesson, in which the pupil 
 will begin to find the first fruit of her previous exertion. The master 
 having led her horse to the side of the school, should give her instruc- 
 tion to walk him freely out, riding him, however, well up against the 
 snaffle, if necessary for this purpose using her whip sharply. The 
 horse will then take fairly hold of her hand, and give her a good 
 appui. The rising and falling should then be continued at a walk, 
 and assisted by the impetus given by the horse's forward motion, and 
 
52 THE BARB AND THE B I? IDLE. 
 
 the stirrup, the pupil \n\\ find her work still easier than when the- 
 horse was at a standstill. 
 
 The instructor should now count his "one," "two," in different 
 times, allowing a longer or shorter interval between each word, 
 according to whether he means to convey to the pupil the notion of 
 quick sharp action in the horse, or long dwelling action. Thus, when 
 the horse trots, he wiU be able to count his time in exact accordance 
 with the animal's movements. Be the time quick or slow that he 
 counts, he should exact rigid conformity of action in the pupil ; 
 because this harmony of motion to the counting is as important to 
 success in the riding master as it is to the music master. Time and 
 cadence in action are vital points in equitation. 
 
 As soon as the instructor is satisfied that his pupil can easily 
 accommodate her action to his word, he should prepare to test both 
 in the trot. But if he takes a week to get the pupil to do the two 
 previous lessons (one of them even) properly, they should be con- 
 tinued until she does it; nobody can spell until he knows the 
 alphabet. 
 
 To carry on the lesson in the trot, the instructor should mount a 
 cob or pony of such height as will admit of his easily placing his 
 left hand under the right elbow of the pupil. He should ride with 
 his reins in his right hand, and be sure that the horse he gets on is a 
 perfectly steady one. 
 
 He should now put plenty of vivacity into his own manner ; he 
 will then easily impart it to his pupil and her horse. The latter 
 should be smartly "woke up "if at aU behind his work — pressed 
 up to the bridle with whip and leg, and " made ready" to increase 
 his pace at any moment. The master should then caution his pupil 
 that on the words " Prepare to trot," she should strengthen her. 
 grasp on the upper pommel, her pressure against the third crutch, 
 and well stretch down the left heel, while she carries back the left 
 leg, and inclines the body slightly forward from the waist, arms 
 very firm, fingers shut tight on the reins ; and while the body inchnes 
 forward there should be no outward or lateral curvature of the 
 spine, nor should the head be dropped. The shoulders pressed weU 
 back, and the hands close to the waist, will give firmness and 
 
THE BAEB AND THE BRIDLE. 53 
 
 suppleness to the whole figure. Directly the master is satisfied with 
 the pupil's position, he should place his left hand under her right 
 elbow, urge his own horse smartly on, and give the word " Trot," 
 on which the pupil should, without altering her position or yielding 
 her hand, touch her horse smartly on the shoulder with the whip ; 
 he will then trot forward. At the first step he takes the master 
 should help the pupil up with his left hand, and commence counting 
 his "one," "two" in exact accordance with the horse's action. 
 In nine cases out of ten the lady will succeed, with a fair stepping 
 horse, in catching at the first attempt the rise at the right moment, 
 and the increased impetus given by the horse will assist her, while 
 her preparatory lessons in rising and falling will now prove their 
 value. 
 
 Should any failure, however, attend the first effort, both horses 
 should again be brought to the walk ; the lady should be allowed to 
 re-arrange her habit, and recover from the inevitable flurry which 
 attends any failure of this sort. Patience, concise explanation, and 
 cheerful manner on the part of the master will jDresently find their 
 reward. All ladies do not possess great nerve, but most of them 
 have great courage and perseverance, and after a false start or two 
 they get on their mettle, and are sure to catch the true action. 
 When once they have it, the master should make the pace sharp 
 and active three or four times round the school, which is long 
 enough for a first attempt. A couple more turns of equal duration 
 should terminate the first trotting lesson. The lady should walk 
 her horse round the school until both are cool, make much of him 
 by patting him on the neck, and then be taken off. Day by day the 
 instructor can slightly increase the length of the lesson, always 
 beginning it, however, as above described, until the rise and fall of 
 the pupil at a trot is perfectly true and" fair. There should be no 
 twist from the waist, the shoulders perfectly square, every movement 
 in exact harmony with the horse's action. After the lady can rise 
 and fall in the saddle unaided by the master, he is better on foot, 
 because he can stand behind his pupil, and at once correct any fault 
 in her position or riding ; and no fault, be it remembered, however 
 trivial, should be allowed to pass uncorrected. 
 
54 THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 
 
 For some time the lady should continue trotting out round the- 
 school, riding altogether upon the snaffle and sending her horse 
 well up against it. There should be no " give-and-take " action in 
 the hand in this case ; but while she does not pull the weight of a 
 feather against her horse, she should make him maintain the appui' 
 by taking well hold of her hand ; his trot will then be regular and 
 fair. 
 
 After about ten days or a fortnight of such practice, the master 
 may commence the third section of his trotting lesson, namely, that 
 in which the pupil begins to collect her horse, raise his forehand, and 
 bring his haunches under him. 
 
 The first step in this should be to ascertain that the lady is not 
 dependent upon the horse's mouth for any part of her firmness in 
 the saddle, or, more correctly speaking, to see that her balance is 
 right unaided by the bridle, because, although perhaps imperceptible 
 to the rider (man or woman), the appui of the mouth has more to do 
 with the seat than most people imagine. In good schools of equita- 
 tion men tell you " There are no hands without legs." True, and if 
 we were to ask many a good man that we see crossing a country to 
 ride over a big fence without a bridle we should perceive that there 
 are few seats without hands. It is to correct the tendency to trust 
 for support to the horse's mouth that the efforts of the instructor- 
 should now be directed. 
 
 To carry this out, he should be mounted upon a horse of about 
 equal height to that of his pupil, on the off side, and close to whom 
 he should place himself. He should direct her to drop her reins 
 entirely, and then take them in his left hand, riding his own horse 
 with his right. He should then instruct the lady to place her 
 hands behind her w^aist, the right hand grasping the left elbow, as 
 described in the suppling practices. Cautioning her again as to 
 firmness of grasp and good balance, he should then urge both horses 
 into a smart trot, and keep them going round the school two or 
 three times, carefully watching the action of the pupil, and if he 
 perceives the least indication of distress pull up immediately. The 
 exertion necessary to execute this lesson is severe if the pupil has 
 not been weU suppled before being put on horseback. If she has,. 
 
THE BAEB AND THE BRIDLE. 55 
 
 there will be considerably less effort in it ; but, in any case, on first 
 practising it, the fair tyro requires every encouragement to perse- 
 vere, because in doing one thing well, she is very apt to forget 
 another. Constantly reminded as to her position as the trot goes 
 on, she will succeed in doing all well. After two or three such turns 
 (the arms of course disengaged during the interval^, the lady should 
 take up her reins again ; this time the curb and snaffle reins of equal 
 length, and in the form (No. 1) described in a previous chapter. 
 She should then trot her horse freely out round the school, and she 
 will find the full benefit of her recent drilling without reins, inas- 
 much as her seat will be many degrees firmer, and her balance more 
 true, leaving her more liberty of action in hand and leg to apply the 
 necessary aids to her horse in the coming lesson, in which at a well- 
 regulated and collected pace, she will learn to turn him in any direc- 
 tion at her will, to rein him back, to make the inclines and circles, 
 and prepare him for the cantering lesson by finally riding him in 
 his trot entirely on the curb rein, and throwing him well upon his 
 haunches. 
 
66 THE BAEB AND THE BRIDLE. 
 
 CHAPTER YIII. 
 
 The Trotting Lesson {continued). 
 
 I COME now to the final section of tlie trotting lesson— that "which, 
 thoroughly acquired, I may term the thorough bass of the matter. 
 Having satisfied himseK that his pupil has command of her horse, 
 steady seat and hands, and true balance when riding equally on the 
 snaffle and curb, the master should proceed to instruct her as to the 
 mode of arranging the reins so as to ride on the curb alone. 
 
 As this has been abeady described, it is needless to repeat the 
 formula. I may observe, however, that, in order to give increased 
 facility of action to the bridle hand, and avoid anything like sudden 
 jerk or rough pull upon the horse's mouth, it is best for the lady to 
 retain the end of the curb reins between the fore finger and thumb 
 of her right hand, by doing which she is enabled, keeping her 
 left hand perfectly steady, and opening and closing the fingers, to 
 give easy play to the reins. Without this she would find riding on 
 the curb alone difficult at first with the left hand only, because 
 all the motion must come from the wrist, and considerable practice 
 is necessary to accommodate this motion exactly to the action of the 
 horse. Care should be taken that the elbows are kept well back, so 
 as to preserve the suppleness of the waist, and by this time also the 
 pupil ought to have acquired sufficient steadiness in the saddle to 
 admit of her giving easy play to the uj^per part of the arm at 
 the shoulder joint. But until complete firmness of seat is gained 
 this should not be attempted, because in the case of a novice it 
 disconnects the figure, and interferes with the horse's mouth materi- 
 ally. The most rigid attention also should be given to the pupil's 
 
THE BAKE AND THE BRIDLE. 57 
 
 general position, and the firmness and correct placing of both legs — 
 the heels well down, the upper part of the body well drawn up from 
 the waist, " the whole figure pliant and accompanying every move- 
 ment of the horse" (see "Military Aid Book"). 
 
 The lady should commence the lesson by walking her horse two or 
 three times round the school ; and it is here, by close attention, that 
 she will learn that light hands are neither " heaven-born" nor 
 impossible to acquire. On pressing the horse forward with her leg 
 or whip, so as to make him walk up against the curb, it is possible 
 her hand may be a little heavy, and that the horse may resist it. In 
 this case, if not cautious and carefully watched, she will let her 
 hands go forward. It is for the instructor to take special 
 care of this, and point out to his pupil how she can ease the 
 reins through her left hand by the aid of the right, so as to 
 catch the true appid, without yielding altogether to the horse. In 
 other words, she should allow sufiicient rein to go through her hand 
 to enable the horse to walk freely forward ; and then, closing her 
 fingers again firmly, make him go up to every hair's breadth of rein 
 she has given him, and fairly against the curb. There should 
 not be a particle of slack rein. In fact, it may be received as 
 a sound principle in riding that there should never be slack reins, no 
 matter what the pace. If you give your horse the full length of 
 the reins even, make him go up to them. 
 
 When once the lady has gained the above-named ojjjmi (the right 
 hand assisting the left), she should be instructed to halt her horse 
 lightly on his haunches preparatory to reining back. And again she 
 should do this by drawing the reins through the fingers of her left 
 hand with the right, keeping the former perfectly steady, and 
 drawing her own figure well up, in order to avoid any tendency to 
 lean forward. On the word " Rein back," which should be given in 
 a very quiet tone of voice, and in the exact cadence in which 
 the master desires his pupil to move her horse to the rear, the lady 
 should feel both reins lightly but firmly for a moment, closing at the 
 same instant her leg so as to keep her horse's haunches under him, 
 in the manner before described when using the snafile only, but in 
 the present case with greater care and precision. Lightly and Jirmly 
 
58 THE BAEB AND THE BEIDLE. 
 
 feeling the curb reins while pressed by the leg, the horse will take a 
 step back. The reins should be yielded the instant he does so. Two 
 or three steps back are sufficient, when the word "Forward" should 
 be given, preceded by the caution to close the fingers firmly on the 
 reins, and, with whip and leg, keep the horse well up to his work. 
 Feeling this amount of constraint laid upon him, the horse will be 
 inclined at any moment to canter. But here the tact of the master 
 should be exhibited in instructing his pupil to release the horse from 
 his fore-shortened position, by allowing about six inches of rein (or 
 more, if necessary), to pass through her left hand as she presses the 
 horse forward into a free trot (about eight miles an hour). All her 
 firmness of seat will be necessary now, because any irregular action 
 on her part will cause her hand to become heavy, and make the 
 horse canter. The great thing is, not to continue trotting on the 
 curb-rein alone too long. Short lessons often repeated, and intervals 
 in which to correct everything are best for pupil and instructor. 
 
 AYhen the lady can accomplish trotting out for twenty minutes: 
 without allowing her horse to break, she should then be instructed 
 to collect him to a slower pace, bringing him more upon his haunches, 
 and with his forehand more up. This requires the nicest tact and 
 discrimination on the part of the rider, perfect steadiness in the 
 saddle, and firm pressure of the left leg ; while the reins should be 
 drawn through the left hand with as much care as though the lady 
 feared to break them. The shortened pace should be smart and 
 active, and the horse so collected as to be ready to turn to the right, 
 or left, or about, or make the inclines at any moment. All these 
 exercises should then be practised in the same order as when the 
 pupil rode, assisted by or on the snaffle only. 
 
 After the lady has performed these to the satisfaction of the 
 master, she should bring her horse to the walk and be instructed to 
 carry the end of the curb reins, which she has held hitherto in her 
 right hand, through the full of the left hand, and place both reins 
 (the off-side one uppermost) over the middle joint of the fore finger, 
 and close the thumb firmly on them. The end of the reins should 
 be dropped to the off-side of the horse, and hang down outside the 
 off-side crutch ; the whip (with the point doivnwards) kept quiet. 
 
THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 59 
 
 Raising the point of the whip, when a lady is trotting a horse on the 
 curb alone, and unassisted by her right hand, is very apt to make 
 him break, because the point of the whip is always in motion, and 
 causes the horse to turri his eye back at it. 
 
 The instructor should now carefully place the lady's bridle hand, 
 with the wrist rounded outwards and the thumb pointing square 
 across the body, the back of the hand towards the horse's head, and 
 the little finger turned upwards and inwards towards the waist, the 
 arm perfectly firm, and the wrist quite supple — as in this case it is 
 from the wrist only that every indication to turn, to halt, or rein 
 back is given, aided by the whip on the off side and the leg on the 
 near side. The pupil can then be taught to turn her horse to either 
 hand, or about, at a walk, without any motion of the bridle hand 
 perceptible to a looker-on, although perceptible enough to the horse. 
 In turning to the right, the little finger should be turned down 
 towards the left shoulder, and the back of the hand turned up. 
 This movement will shorten the right rein, and cause it to act on 
 the right jaw of the bit. The whip should be closed firmly (not 
 with a blow) just behind the flap of the saddle on the off side. The 
 left leg suiDporting this will cause the horse to turn square to his 
 right. Exactly the reverse movement will turn him to the left. 
 Right or left about, aids continued, until the horse has reversed his 
 front. 
 
 The trotting lesson may then be gone through again, the pupil 
 riding entirely with the left hand. But in beginning these lessons 
 care should be taken to let them be very short, because, in spite of 
 all previous supplying, considerable constraint is thrown upon the 
 wrist at first. Any yielding to the horse is accomplished by turning 
 the little finger towards his neck, while to collect him simply the 
 little finger is turned up again towards the waist. But the fingers 
 and thumb of the bridle hand must be kept firmly shut upon the 
 reins, otherwise the hand becomes heavy and uneven in its action. 
 
 By lessons, gradually increased in length, the pupil should be 
 accustomed thus to ride her horse throughout the trotting lesson, 
 and trot him out, riding with one hand. It is not usual for ladies 
 to continue for any length of time riding in this form ; but it is 
 
^60 THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 
 
 highly necessary that they should be thoroughly well practised at 
 it, otherwise an important part of their course of equitation will be 
 neglected. The same may be said of the bending lesson, previous 
 to cantering. It is rarely put in practice by any but professional 
 female equestrians. But a lady ought to be thoroughly acquainted 
 with its formula, because it teaches the principle upon which a horse 
 acquires his souplesse, which is just as necessary to his freedom of 
 action and pleasant riding as the early suppling lessons of the pupil 
 herseK were conducive to her own progress. 
 
THE BAKB AND THE BRIDLE. 61 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 The Beimding and Cantering Lesson. 
 
 According to the ordinary acceptation of the term, a horse is sup- 
 posed " to bend well" when he arches his neck, yields to the bit, and 
 uses his knees and hocks freely. This alone by no means conveys an 
 adequate idea, however, of what is meant by bending a horse in the 
 scientific sense. The " Mihtary Aid Book " supplies the following 
 question and answer, which gives in a very concise form a better 
 notion of the matter. 
 
 Question: What is the use of the "bending lesson"? — Answer: 
 To make the horse supple in the nech and rihs^ to give free action to 
 his shoulder, and teach him to obey the pressure of the leg. 
 
 It will be seen, then, that "bending a horse" really means^ 
 rendering him supple in every portion of his frame,, and especially in 
 his ribs and intercostal muscles, as it is suppleness in that part that 
 gives him the lithe, easy motions so pleasant to the rider. 
 
 I have before observed that I do not consider an intimate know- 
 ledge of the " haut ecole de manege" indispensable for ordinary 
 riding purposes, either for a lady or gentleman. But, although the 
 " bending lesson " thoroughly carried out may be said to be the very 
 gist of " liaut ecole riding," even in its simple form^ unaccompanied 
 by the higher aids, it is of great service in rendering a horse docile 
 and obedient to hand and leg, and for that purpose is always 
 resorted to in our schools of military equitation. 
 
 Now, although I do not expect every lady to acquire the art of 
 suppling her own horses, still a knowledge of the " bending lesson" 
 will make her thoroughly acquainted with the reasons why a horse 
 renders ready obedience to her aids of hand and leg ; and, on the 
 contrary, why he resists them. 
 
^62 THE BAEB AND THE BEIDLE. • 
 
 Stiffness (as it is technically termed) has more to do with what is 
 commonly called restiveness than most people imagine. A horse is 
 asked to do something that calls upon him to bend or supple a joint 
 in which, even in early youth, he is still far from supple. He can- 
 not do it. The rider perseveres, and the horse resists. AVhereas, 
 when he is thoroughly suppled, he does not know how to disobey 
 his rider (supposing the latter to know what he is about). If a lady, 
 therefore, wUl pay close attention to the instruction of her master, 
 she will discover that her horse will obey her more readily, and move 
 with more ease to himself and her, when she applies her aids 
 "smoothly" (without which the bending lesson cannot be done), 
 than by the application of sudden or violent indications of her will. 
 For it must be borne in mind that a double bridle is an instrument 
 of great power in a horse's mouth, and that what may seem light 
 handling to the uninitiated rider may be rough to the horse. A fair 
 amount of practice, therefore, in the above-named exercise will have 
 the effect of rendering a lady's hands remarkably true and steady ; 
 and, although the lesson may be a little trying to the patience, the 
 pupil will find her reward in increased confidence and proficiency. 
 
 For all practical purposes the "bending lesson" proper may be 
 divided into two sections, namely, the "passage" and the "shoulder 
 in," all other movements of the lesson being simply variations from 
 the above named. The "half passage" may be looked upon as an 
 introduction to the "full passage," but admits of being practised 
 with facility at an increased pace at the trot or canter, and at the 
 latter is a very elegant exercise. To begin with the " shoulder in." 
 Let us suppose a horse standing parallel to the boards at the side 
 of the school. To place him in the desired position it is necessary 
 to bring his forehand in, so that his fore and hind legs are placed 
 upon two lines, parallel to each other and to the boards, and then to 
 bend his head inwards at the poll of the neck. No more correct 
 idea, I believe, can be conveyed of the position than that given in 
 the "Aid Book," which furnishes the following answer to the ques- 
 tion. How should a horse be placed in "shoulder in"? "Ans, : AVhen 
 a horse is properly bent in ' shoulder in,' the whole body from head 
 to croup is curved ; the shoulders leading, fore and hind feet moving 
 
THE BARB AND THE BEIDLE. 63 
 
 on two lines parallel to each other, hind feet one yard from the 
 boards." 
 
 Again. " Q. Whsd, are the aids for working this lesson? — A. 
 On the word ' right or left shoulder in,' the horse's forehand is 
 brought in by a double feeling of the inward rein, the outward 
 leg closed, so as to bring the horse's hind feet one yard from the 
 boards." 
 
 The outward rein leads, the inward preserves the bend ; a pressure 
 -of the inward leg (of the rider) compels the horse to cross his legs ; 
 the outward leg keeps him up to the hand and prevents him from 
 swerving. The horse should be well bent in the pole of the neck, 
 and well kept up to the hand with the outward leg, the shoulders 
 always leading. 
 
 It will be seen from the above that the rider compels, or rather 
 ■coaxes, the horse, by very firm and steady aids, to move with his 
 forehand well up, and his whole figure bent (neck and ribs), with his 
 feet moving on two distinct parallel lines — the effect being to call 
 upon every important joint, and thoroughly to supple the ligaments 
 and tendons, as well as to create muscular development, in a way 
 similar to that of gymnastic or extension exercises in the human 
 being. "With young horses in training it is necessary to watch this 
 lesson very carefully, and never to "ask too much" at one time, 
 because any forcing of it would certainly result in restiveness ; the 
 ^strain, even with naturally supple horses, is considerable, and must 
 not be persevered with one moment after it is eivdently painful. Of 
 course, in the case of a lady practising the lesson, it must be done 
 upon a horse that has gone through a long course of teaching, and 
 to whom, therefore, the movements cause no inconvenience. But 
 even here the pupil will find that she must use her hand and leg with 
 firmness, steadiness, and decision, without hurry or impatience, or 
 the horse will not answer to her. 
 
 The movement must be executed very slowly, and at first only by 
 a few steps at a time, because, however au fait at his work the 
 horse may be, the pupil will find considerable difficulty in continu- 
 ing to apply the aids. 
 
 In working the " shoulder in" to the right, it is necessary for the 
 
64 THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 
 
 master, after putting the horse and rider in true position, to place 
 himself on the horse's off side, when he should give the word, 
 " Right shoulder in — march ! " The lady then, firmly closing her 
 left leg to keep the horse up to the hand, should keep her right hand 
 well back and low down close to the saddle, lead the horse off with 
 the left rein, and close her whip to his ribs on the off side, just 
 behind the flap of the saddle. 
 
 If the horse has been accustomed to work the lesson, with a lady 
 he will obey these aids. But in some cases it is necessary for the 
 master (to supply the absence of the right leg of a man to the horse), 
 to push firmly with his left hand against the horse's ribs to move 
 him off. The rider, while leading the horse off with the left rein, 
 should keep up a continual, light easy play of the right rein, so as to 
 preserve the bend inwards. The instructor should count " one, 
 two," in very slow time, as the horse moves first his fore and then 
 his hind leg. After a few steps onward the horse should be halted, 
 by the rider feeling both reins, and closing the whip firmly on the 
 off side. He should then be made much of and moved on again. A 
 quarter of an hour is ample for the first lesson. 
 
 After the pupil understands and can apply the aids for the 
 "shoulder in" (riding on the snaffle), she maybe taught to do it 
 on snaffle and curb together, and then on the curb alone, when she 
 will find the nicest balance in her seat and the most careful and 
 delicate manipulations of the reins necessary — joined, however, to 
 distinct and perceptible feeling upon the horse's mouth. And on 
 moving her horse forward she will find that her hand is true and 
 steady. 
 
 The " shoulder in" having been neatly done, the lady should rein 
 her horse lightly back and ride him forward, making the corner of 
 the school quite square, and then halt at the centre marker. On the 
 word "right half passage," she should turn the horse's head square 
 down the centre of the school, and exactly reverse the aids by which 
 she worked the *' shoulder in " ; that is, she should lead the horse 
 off with the right or inward rein, well balancing and assisting its 
 power by the outward one; with her leg she should press the 
 horse until he places one foot before the other, gaining ground to 
 
THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 65 
 
 his front, and obliquely to his right at the same time, until he 
 arrives at the boards, when he will completely have changed the 
 hand he was working to, and at a canter would, if necessary, be 
 called upon to strike off with the left leg instead of the right. 
 
 After executing the " half passage " correctly, the pupil may 
 practise the "full passage," the difference between which and the 
 " shoulder in" is again concisely explained in the "Aid Book." 
 
 " Q. What is the difference between the ' passage ' and ' shoulder 
 in'? — A. In the passage the horse bends and looks the way he is 
 going. The outward are crossing over the inward legs, and the 
 inward rein leads. In the ' shoulder in ' the horse does not look the 
 way he is going. The inward are crossing over the outward legs, 
 and the outward rein leads." 
 
 "Q. What is the difference between the full and half passage? — 
 A. In the 'full passage ' the horse crosses his legs. In the 'half 
 passage ' he only half crosses them, placing one foot before the 
 other." 
 
 The pupil will find the passage much more easy to execute than 
 the "shoulder in," though, I repeat, no horse would do the former up 
 to the hand as he ought to do unless he has been well drilled in the 
 latter. 
 
 The greatest care on the part of both master and pupil is indis- 
 pensable to carry out this lesson. The slightest inadvertence or 
 false movement is at once answered on the part of the horse by 
 his taking advantage of it and putting himseK in a wrong position, 
 whereas if he is carefully ridden, and kept well up to the hand, 
 the subsequent cantering lesson will be much more easy to 
 perform. 
 
 It must be clearly understood, however, that for a lady to attempt 
 to execute the" bending lesson" by written directions alone, and 
 unaided by the vigilant superintendence and oral instruction of a 
 first-rate master would be a mistake. Clear and concise as the 
 language of the "Aid Book" is, it is impossible for any man writing 
 such directions to indicate the precise moment at which each move- 
 ment of hand and leg is to be made, any more than the man who 
 writes the score in music can regulate the hand of the instrumental 
 
 F 
 
66 THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 
 
 executant of it. There must be energy, patience, and close attention 
 on the part of the pupil ; vigilance, patience, temper, and thorough 
 knowledge of his craft on the part of the instructor. Master and 
 pupil thus in accord, the latter will derive great advantage and 
 insight into the elegant accomplishment she is endeavouring to 
 acquire, while anything like carelessness on either side will be fatal 
 to the utility of the lesson. It should be thoroughly well done or 
 not at all. 
 
 After the careful execution of the above lesson, the pupil should 
 prepare her horse for cantering by reigning him back lightly on his 
 haunches ; touching him if necessary smartly with her whip, in 
 order to put him well up to his work. A step or two back (well up 
 to the bridle) is sufficient, when she should move forward, and the 
 instructor should give her the aids for cantering ; which (once 
 more to quote the simple language of the "Aid Book ") are as 
 follows: "A hght firm feeling of both reins to raise the horse's 
 forehand, a pressure of both legs to keep his haunches under 
 him, a double feeling of the inward rein, and a stronger pressure 
 of the outvrard leg, will compel the horse to strike off true and 
 united." 
 
 The above of course is intended as instruction to a man ; but sub- 
 stituting a liglit tap of the whip on the oif shoulder for the pressure 
 of the inward leg of the man, and very light for strong aids, the 
 instruction holds good in the case of the lady. 
 
 Now, I have observed before that a horse to be thoroughly broken 
 to carry a woman should be taught to answer to very light aids, and 
 require, in fact, very little leg in order to understand and answer to 
 the indications of his rider's will. If this has been properly carried 
 out the lady will have no difficulty in striking her horse off to the 
 right, true and united^ which means in cantering to the right (as 
 nearly every hack and lady's horse does) with the off fore, followed 
 by the off hind leg. 
 
 A charger or "high ?«a??e9e " horse — which must use either leg 
 with equal facility, and go to the left as well as the right — in 
 cantering to the former hand will go wich the near fore, folloAved 
 by the near hind, and be still " true and united " in his pace. 
 
THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 67 
 
 When he goes with the near fore, followed by the off hind, or 
 vice vei'st, he is " disunited." 
 
 A point of vital importance to be looked to by the master is that 
 his pupil at her first attempt at cantering her horse is perfectly 
 •cool and self-possessed, and that she applies her aids smoothhj^ 
 Avithout hurry or excitement , for so great is the sympathy of the 
 horse in this respect, that flurry on the part of the rider is sure to 
 cause passionate, excited action in the horse. The manner of the 
 master has much to do with this ; while it should be such as to 
 keep his pupil and her horse vif and on their metal, he should be 
 careful not to crowd the former with too much instruction at once. 
 Her position should be corrected before she is allowed to strike her 
 horse off. Care should be taken that her arms are firm, and hands 
 well back. The waist should be bent slightly forward, which will 
 give it more suppleness. She should have a firm grip of the upper 
 crutches, both heels well down, and at her first effort she should 
 ride equally upon the snaffle and curb reins. To do this (assuming 
 that she is riding with her bridle in military form), it is only neces- 
 sary that she should draw up the slack of the near-side snaffle rein 
 with her right hand until it is level with and under the near-side 
 curb rein; then carry the snaffle' rein thus shortened over the middle 
 joint of the forefinger of the left hand, and shut the thumb firmly 
 on them. She can then place the slack of the off-side snaffle rein 
 for a moment under the left thumb, while she places the rein between 
 the third and little finger of the right hand, brings the rein through 
 the full of the hand over the middle joint of the forefinger, and 
 closes the thumb firmly on it. The whip should be held in the full 
 of the hand, the point downwards. 
 
 With her hands and figure in the above-named forni, the lightest 
 appHcation of the aids ought to strike her horse off "true and 
 united ; " but if by any chance he takes off with the wrong leg or 
 ''disunited," as may sometimes happen with the best broken horse, 
 from a little over-eagerness or anxiety on the part of the pupil, or a 
 little unsteadiness of hand, the master should cause her to bring her 
 horse again to the walk, and reassure her — taking care, however, 
 •on these occasions that she never " makes much of" or caresses her 
 
 F 2 
 
68 THE BARB AND THE BEIDLE. 
 
 horse, which would tend to confirm him in a bad habit, but reins hinii 
 back, and again puts him up to his bridle. 
 
 It is a rare occurrence when a horse (thoroughly well-broken) 
 strikes oif incorrectly ; but I am endeavouring to write for every 
 contingency. 
 
 Assuming the horse to have struck off smoothly to the in- 
 structor's word Ca-a-n-te-r — which should be given in a quiet,, 
 soothing tone of voice, and drawn out as if every letter were a 
 syllable — the horse should be allowed to canter freely forward, 
 although without rush or hurry. The paq^ should not be toO' 
 collected at first ; the military pace of manoeuvre is about the 
 correct thing ; eight miles an hour or thereabouts ; the cadence 
 true ; the horse well ridden into his bridle, and in this case 
 yielding to the bit — because, in cantering, it is necessary to have an 
 ajjpid upon the mouth, quite different from that to be maintained 
 in trotting, in which it is best for the lady that the horse should feel 
 her hand fairly and firmly, and that there should be little " give-and- 
 take " action of the latter. In cantering, on the other hand, an easy 
 give-and-take play of the hands is indispensable, to cause the horse 
 to bend in the poll of his neck, yield to the hand, and go in true 
 form. By this time the pupil should have acquired sufficient firm- 
 ness and aplomb in the saddle to justify the instructor in commencing 
 to impart to her that mobile action and flexibility of the upper arm 
 at the shoulder joint, which may be regarded as the artistic finish- 
 ing of her course of equitation. But it will not do to commence 
 this (so goes my experience) at the outset of the cantering lesson, 
 wherein at first it is best to insist upon firmness of the arms, other- 
 wise the pupil is most likely (imperceptibly to herself) to allow her 
 hands to glide forward, and thus destroy the flexibility of her waist, 
 which is a point always to be most carefully watched. It is pos- 
 sible that at first the figure of the pupil, from over-anxiety to main- 
 tain her position and ride her horse correctly at the same time, may 
 be somewhat rigid ; but complete flexibility cannot be expected at 
 once. It must be remembered that, although the action of cantering 
 in a horse is much easier than trotting, still it is novel to the rider,, 
 who moreover has to keep her horse up to his work. 
 
THE BAEB AND THE BEIDLE. 69 
 
 It is not the case of putting a young lady upon an old tittuping 
 liack that can do little else than canter along behind the bridle and 
 " drag his toe " at a walk. A horse that has any action or quality 
 in him, and has been taught to trot up to his bridle, requires " ask- 
 ing" to canter, and in the early efforts of the pupil requires keeping 
 to his -work a little after he has struck off in his canter, otherwise he 
 will drop into a trot again. Such a horse, however, is the only one 
 upon which to teach a lady to ride. The easy-going old hack above 
 alluded to is fit only for an invalid to take the air on. At the same 
 iiime it is asking a good deal from the pupil in her early cantering 
 lessons to keep her horse up to his work, and to maintain her own 
 position correctly ; and if she exhibits a little stiffness or formality 
 (if I may use the expression) at first, it may fairly be passed 
 over untn increased confidence permits the master to give his atten- 
 tion to what I may perhaps call the "unbending" of his pupil. 
 After a few days' cantering as above described, the lady may begin 
 to collect her horse ; and by this time also she should be fitted 
 -with a spur, of which the best I know is Latchford's patent. 
 An opening in the skirt on the inside is necessary. The shank of 
 -the spur should not be too short, otherwise it is very apt to cut 
 holes in the habit. The pupil, when the spur is first fitted on, 
 should be cautioned to keep her left toe as near the horse's side as 
 the heel, in order to avoid hitting him when he does not require it ; 
 :and, indeed, the wearing of the steel aid is in itseK a good exercise as 
 -to the true position of the left leg, while the blunt head of a Latch - 
 ford (when not pressed hard to the horse's side) does away with any 
 danger. 
 
 The use of the spur in a lady's riding is objected to by some ; but 
 I cannot consider any rider (man or woman) worthy of the name 
 who cannot use one and be safe "^enough in the saddle at the 
 .same time. One objection to spurs for ladies is, that they are apt 
 to do all sorts of mischief in the event of the lady being thrown from 
 lier horse. Now, the latter is a contingency which (except in the 
 hunting field) I do not admit as possible, if the lady has men about 
 her who know their business in the horse way. If she has not such 
 j)eople about her, she is better without spurs decidedly ; and 
 
70 THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 
 
 there is anotlier thing she is better witliout, namely, a horse of any 
 sort. 
 
 If a horse is projDerly broken, and has a man about him who will" 
 give him plenty of work, and keep him from getting above hunself, 
 and his fair owner has been as well taught as her horse, she ought 
 to be as safe on his back as in her brougham, in any kind of riding, 
 except in exceptional cases in the hunting field. By exceptional 
 cases I mean where a lady, unaccompanied by a good pilot, takes 
 a line of her own when hounds are going fast in a big grass 
 country, and rides (jealous of the field) at impracticable places. 
 In such case she is likely enough to get down, horse and all. But 
 even so — and I have witnessed more than one such accident — I have 
 never found that the lady got hurt by the spur when she wore the 
 sort I allude to ; and again, I think it is only just to that clever- 
 loriner, Mr. Latchford, to say that he has invented a lady's stirrup- 
 which renders danger from it in the event of a fall next to im- 
 possible — certainly she cannot be dragged by it. In this stirrup 
 there is no opening at the side by means of springs or complicated 
 machinery of any sort. It requires neither diagram or drawing to 
 describe it, because it is the perfection of mechanism — extreme 
 simplicity. One has only to imagine an ordinary stirrup, rather 
 elongated than usual from the opening for the leather, the bottom 
 bar broad and flat ; the latter perforated with two holes. Within 
 the above-named stirrup another, a size smaller, but fitting nicely 
 into it. On the lower side of the bottom bar of the inner 
 stirrup two projections, or obtuse points of steel, which fit into 
 the holes of the lower bar of the outer stirrup. Now, as 
 long as the lady is in her saddle the inner stirrup must, from its 
 mechanism, remain in its place ; but in the event of her being thrown 
 her weight acts upon the lower part of the outer stirrup, which turns 
 over and releases the inner stirrup entirely. 
 
 To return, however, to the question proper of spurs for a lady, I 
 must say that they are of the greatest assistance to her when, having 
 acquired the necessary degree of steadiness on her horse, she desires 
 to ''wake him up." Too much whip is a bad thing. In riding in 
 the coimtry a lady must perforce have to open a bridle gate- 
 
THE BAEB AND THE BRIDLE. 71 
 
 sometimes for herself, and if she is always using a whip to liven her 
 her horse up, she will find it difficult to get him to stand still, even 
 while she opens the lightest of gates. As regards the pupil in the 
 school, I repeat she should be habituated to wear a spur as soon as 
 her progress justifies it. 
 
72 THE BAEB AND THE BRIDLE. 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 The Cantering Lesson {continued). 
 
 Haying satisfied himself as to the proficiency of liis pupil in canter- 
 ing "going large" — that is, round the school or menage — the atten- 
 tion of the instructor should next be directed to teaching her to 
 make the turns and circles, and execute the "half passage" with 
 precision. 
 
 The use of these exercises is to confirm (while riding upon both 
 snaffle and curb reins) the steadiness of hand and seat and true 
 balance of the rider, because, although these may appear good 
 enough while a lady is riding her horse on a straight line, or only 
 wdth the turns at the corners of the school, many shortcomings will 
 be detected when she attempts to turn him square from the boards, 
 or asks him to make a true circle, in which the hind legs follow 
 exactly over the same track as the fore legs. 
 
 To commence tliis lesson in proper form, the pupil should collect 
 her horse, by reining him quietly back, then move him forward well 
 up to the hand, at a walk and at a smart active pace. AVhen she 
 arrives at the centre marker at the end of the school, the master 
 should give the word "down the centre," when the rider should 
 turn her horse square to the right (assuming, as is usually the case, 
 that she commences her lesson to that hand). The aids for turning 
 at a walk having been already given, it is only necessary to say that 
 the turn down the centre requires only a trifle stronger application of 
 the left leg, to counteract any tendency of the horse to throw liis 
 haunches outwards, and that, looking steadily to the centre marker 
 at the other end of the school, the pupil should sight that marker 
 well between her horse's ears, and ride true and straight to it, taking 
 care, by closing the leg in time, that the horse does not cut off any 
 
THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 
 
 73 
 
 of the ground, but plants his near fore foot close to the boards and 
 makes the corner equally square, because whenever a horse is allowed 
 to " cut the corners off" he endeavours to get behind the bridle, and 
 generally succeeds. The pupil, therefore, should be cautioned in 
 time by the instructor, and if she fails to make good every inch of 
 ground, the word " halt" should be given and the horse reined back. 
 Arrived about midway down the school, the turns to the right should 
 be made square from the boards, the horse's haunches kept under 
 him so that he does not hit the side of the school with his hind feet. 
 His doing which is at once a proof that he is out of hand. Arrived 
 at the centre of the school, the words ''right turn" should be given 
 again, instead of allowing the pupil to ride right across the school to 
 the boards on the opposite side. She should then ride a couple of 
 lengths down the centre, and again turn her horse, by word from the 
 master, square to the right, and once more to the left, when arrived 
 at the boards. This, repeated two or three times, is a good prepara- 
 tion for executing the circle ; in order to facilitate the correct riding 
 of which, the master should cause his pupil to halt her horse at the 
 side, and himself walk over the ground he desires her to ride over. 
 If he does this correctly, the pupil will find little difficulty in riding 
 the circle with precision. 
 
 Starting from a point close to the boards, a couple of horses' 
 lengths in front of the pupil, the master should make an incline to 
 the right, at an angle of about forty-five, until he is half-way 
 between the boards and the centre of the school ; he should then 
 bring up his left shoulder, and make another incline at the same 
 angle to the centre of the school. Down the centre he should walk 
 straight, the distance of a horse's length ; again bring up his left 
 shoulder, and make two inclines to the side. The figure he will thus 
 describe does not quite represent a circle as he walks ; but when the 
 horse is called upon to move his fore and hind legs on the same track, 
 it will be a circle in his case as nearly as possible. Having caused 
 the pupil to move her horse forward, the instructor should give her 
 the aids for circling, which are a double feeling of the inward rein, 
 the horse well supported with the outward, and well kept up to the 
 hand by the leg. 
 
74 THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 
 
 In circling to the right, the horse to be well bent to the right, so 
 that the rider can see his inward eye ; fore and hind legs moving 
 exactly on the same track, the horse not throwing his haunches out.. 
 The great use of this circling is, that as the horse changes his 
 direction no less than six times in a small space, to keep him up to 
 his work the lady must bring up her left shoulder as many times as 
 the horse alters his direction. To do this, she must be quite supple 
 in the waist, and circling is therefore a capital practice to insure this 
 freedom of action at that portion of the figure. To render the 
 lesson still more easy to the pupil, I have found it answer well, after 
 walking over the ground, to mark it out on the tan with a stick. In 
 military schools the circle to the right or left is followed by the 
 " circle and change," in which, when arrived at the boards, the pupil, 
 instead of turning the horse's head to the hand he is working to, 
 changes the bend, and turns to the reverse hand. This, however, 
 cannot be executed at a canter with due precision without the use of 
 the right leg, and is therefore (in my opinion) better omitted in a 
 lady's course of equitation, an additional reason being that, when 
 she is taught to make the change at a canter, she can do it much 
 more effectually and elegantly by the " half passage." 
 
 The circles having been neatly done, the pupil should rein her 
 horse back, put him well upon his haunches, and strike him off at 
 a collected canter, about five miles an hour, the cadence true, the 
 position of the rider correct. 
 
 It is at this point that the instructor should begin carefully to get 
 his pupil to supple herself in the saddle, while she still rides her 
 horse well up to his work. It should be borne in mind that 
 a horse cannot make turns or circles at the "pace of manoeuvre" 
 without considerable danger to himself and his rider, because at such 
 a pace it is next to impossible to keep him fairly balanced, and he is- 
 liable, even on well-kept tan, to slip up, whereas at a very collected 
 pace, with his haunches well under him, there is no danger whatever, 
 although at first it will call very much upon the energy and close 
 attention of the rider. Having her horse well into his bridle, the 
 give-and-take action of the hand should now come gradually from 
 the shoulder joint, and the pupil should be frequently reminded to- 
 
THE BAUB AND THE BRIDLE. 7i> 
 
 avoid resisting the action of the horse in his canter, but to endeavour, 
 on the other hand, to accompany him in his short stride. This is ta 
 be done by simply keeping both heels well down, the hands back, 
 the waist bent slightly forward and perfectly supple, and avoiding 
 too strong a grasp with the right leg upon the upper crutches of the 
 saddle. The figure from the waist upwards, however, should be- 
 perfectly erect, leaning neither backwards nor forwards, either posi- 
 tion being both unsafe and ungainly. 
 
 Nothing is more common than to see a lady sitting with the upper 
 part of her figure bent forward in a canter, and, if not overdone, the 
 effect is by no means ungraceful to the eye of a looker-on. But it is 
 a habit likely to increase in degree, and unsafe in any case, because^ 
 it is opposed to the principle of true balance. 
 
 With the shoulders well back, the body, neck, and head upright, 
 the waist slightly bent forward, the hands well back, and acting by 
 an easy play of the upper arm at the shoulder joint — sitting, in fact, 
 with freedom in the saddle — the action of the horse at a collected 
 pace will give the rider a slightly cjUdhig motion from the cantle- 
 towards the pummels, and gradually she will thus acquire the habit 
 of suppling herself on her horse ; ready, however, at any moment 
 "to seize her seat " (to use the expression of old Sam Chifney) by 
 muscular grip if the horse flirts or plunges, which, however, it is 
 difficult for him to do when going well within himself and up to his 
 bridle. 
 
 The left leg at a canter should not be drawn back, as in trotting,, 
 but kept close to the horse's side, with the heel down, and the foot 
 as nearly as possible under the knee. Of course, the above-described 
 easy deportment in the saddle is not to be acquired in a single 
 lesson ; it requires considerable practice and close watching by both, 
 master and pupil. Once learnt, however,- the lady has gained another 
 important step in her equitation. 
 
 The length of time requisite to insure complete souplesse at this 
 point is dependent upon several circumstances, over which the master 
 has only a moderate amount of control. 
 
 The figure of the pupil is an important point in the matter. If 
 she is naturally lithe and has been well suppled on foot, the task 
 
76 
 
 THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 
 
 will be considerably easier. If, on the contrary, she is of a square 
 figure — short in the neck and waist, and stiff in the shoulders — con- 
 siderably more time is requisite. But with care, attention, and 
 perseverance it can be acquired by all in early youth. 
 
 I know a lady who rides with both dash and judgment with hounds 
 who is anything but a good figure; but she began imder proper 
 tuition when she was very young, and, although no longer so, she 
 has preserved the souplesse and true balance acquired in her early 
 days. Natural aptitude, too, is of great assistance to both master 
 and pupil, and should be energetically developed by the former ; at 
 the same time, care should be taken that the pupil does not overrun 
 her lessons. 
 
 As an instance of what can be accomplished even at a first essay 
 by a lady gifted with natural talent for riding, I cannot refram 
 from relating the following : — Some years ago I chanced to be at 
 the school of a fashionable riding master in London, when a class 
 of young ladies was going through a ride. In the gallery from which 
 I was observing them was also the mother of one of the young ladies 
 who was riding, and of another much younger, who was standing 
 by her side watching with the most intense interest the riding below. 
 The younger lady was not more than ten or eleven years old, but of 
 -a form and figiu-e exactly fitted for performing well in the saddle, 
 being tall of her age, and lithe and supple in her movements. She 
 did not speak, but I could see from the excitement of her manner, 
 the gUtter of her large dark eyes, and her changing colour, that she 
 was heart and soul with the fair equestrians. The ride finished 
 with a leaping lesson, and there was some capital jumping over a 
 gorsed bar, hurdles double and single, and an artificial brook. The 
 last performance completely overcame the little spectator in the 
 gallery. Bursting into a violent fit of sobbmg and weeping, she 
 clutched her mother's dress, and cried convulsively, "Dear mamma, 
 let me ride, let me ride." The lady, quite surprised and very much 
 aifected by the emotion and excited state of the child, nevertheless, 
 refused, declaring she was too young. But the young supiDlicant 
 for equestrian houom^s was not to be denied ; she continued to 
 implore and weep, and, the riding master coming to her aid, the 
 
THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 77 
 
 mother gave way. Her little daughter was put on a quiet horse, 
 and the master himself led him round the school at a walk, but 
 this by no means satisfied our ambitious little tyro. "Let me 
 trot," she said; "I am sure I can trot." The professor was quite 
 sure she could not, and told her so ; and, to convince her, he started 
 the horse trotting, and ran by his side. He was never more mis- 
 taken. The lessons the pupil had been witnessing from the gallery 
 must have made a strong impression on her mind ; for, to the 
 surprise of all of us, she caught the action of the horse at the 
 first step, and made the best attempt at trotting I ever saw for a 
 beginner. Feeling that trotting fatigued her, she asked to be 
 allowed to canter, and this she did in very good form. But the 
 crowning part of the thing was, that when we were about to take 
 her oif her horse, she begged to be allowed to have a jump. I 
 confess, I thought the riding master wrong in consenting to this. But 
 again our little friend electrified us all. A hurdle was put up, well 
 sloped, so as to make the jump a very moderate one, the little 
 pupil's hands placed, and her position rectified. No sooner had the 
 horse turned the corner of the school, and before the riding master 
 had time to check her, than the girl's eye lit up just as I had seen it 
 in the gallery. She caught the horse fast by the head, hit him with 
 her heel, put down her hands, and sat as though she had been 
 hunting for years. It was too late to stop her, and any interference 
 at the moment would have done more harm than good. With my 
 heart in my mouth, I saw the horse go at the hurdle. He was one 
 that had " an eye in every toe," and did not know how to make a 
 mistake. But his daring little rider had roused him thoroughly, 
 and he jumped high enough to clear a big fence, and far enough to 
 take him over a small brook. Just as the horse took off, I shouted 
 involuntarily, " Sit back ; " and the little enthusiast answered as 
 though my voice had been inspiration. Her lithe little figure was 
 bent from the waist, precisely at the right moment ; and she 
 landed safe, except that the concussion threw her slightly up in 
 the saddle. Her marvellous aptitude (talent the professionals 
 would have called it) induced the riding master to let her make 
 another attempt, and this time, putting her horse at the hurdle at 
 
78 THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 
 
 the same dashing pace (which, by the way, with her wonderful nerve 
 and confidence, made it easier for her), she sat in the saddle, 
 as the old groom who tended the hurdles said, "as if she had' 
 o^rown there," and landed fair and true without jolt or concussion. 
 
 This young lady is now one of the most brilliant horsewomen in 
 England. Her genius (if I may be permitted the expression), 
 joined to close application and the best of opportunities of riding 
 good horses, enabled her in a brief space to far outstrip all her 
 youthful competitors, and in less than twelve months after the time 
 1 speak of she could execute most of the "bending lesson," at a 
 canter as well as a professional rider, while over the country with 
 hounds she was always close to her pilot, than whom there was no 
 better man. This when she was barely thirteen years old. 
 
 Such instances of extraordinary aptitude, nerve and courage, 
 combined with the necessary elasticity and physical power to ride, 
 are very rare indeed ; in fact, in a long experience of such matters, 
 I do not know of a parallel case. Nevertheless, if the natural dash 
 and fitness for riding possessed by this young lady had not been 
 •carefully watched, moulded into proper form, and restrained within 
 due bounds, they would inevitably have run riot with her, and 
 brought her to grief. It is in such cases as the above, or rather 
 such as tend in that direction, that the tact and judgment of a 
 riding master is required. If the young lady I speak of had been 
 allowed, and the of>portunity had offered, she would have mounted 
 without hesitation any brute that would carry a saddle, and mischief, 
 •of course, would have resulted. 
 
 To return to the cantering lesson proper. When the instructor 
 has succeeded in completely regulating the cadence of the horse in 
 his pace and the position of his pupil, he should give her due caution 
 to wait for the last sound of his word, to keep her body back and 
 her leg close, supporting the horse well with the outward rein, and 
 he should then give the word, well drawn out, gently and without 
 hurry, "right turn," when the pupil should turn her horse from the 
 boards with the same aids as at a walk, but more firmly applied, 
 and if the horse leans upon her hand she should keep him up with 
 her spur. 
 
THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 79 
 
 "Many a horse" (says the "Aid Book") "keeps a tolerable 
 •canter on a straight line, but when turned he feels too much con- 
 straint laid upon him, and leans upon the rider's hand. If at such 
 a moment the rider yields the reins instead of closing the hand 
 firmly on them, turning the little fingers up towards the waist, and 
 closing the leg firmly, the horse comes upon his forehand." 
 
 Concise as the above passage is, it describes exactly what occurs 
 on first making a turn at a canter, and it calls upon all the energy 
 and attention of the pupil to keep the horse up to his work. But 
 as in other exercises in the course of equitation, her reward will be 
 in her thorough command over her horse under all circumstances, 
 because by learning to ride him with such minute precision she is 
 always able to anticipate his every movement. 
 
 The first three or four turns at a canter should be made square 
 across the school, from side to side, and no second word should be 
 given on arriving at the boards ; the pupil turning her horse again 
 to the right without any caution, and continuing to "go large" 
 round the school until she again gets the word to turn. This 
 practice will teach her to be constantly on the alert, and to maintain 
 such a balance as will enable her in turning to move exactly on the 
 same line as her horse, bringing her left shoulder up precisely at the 
 right moment. 
 
 Three or four turns are quite sufficient for the first lesson, because 
 the horse before completing these must go several times round the 
 school, and the pupil should ride hun well up to his bit. After a few 
 turns, smoothly and correctly made, the pupil should bring her horse 
 to the walk, halt, make much of him, and sit at ease. 
 
 Making much of a horse when he has performed well is always a 
 judicious mode of letting him know that he has been doing right ; at 
 the same it affords him an interval of rest, which is quite necessary. 
 U'his may appear absurd to those who are accustomed to see horses 
 continue galloping for hours. But it must be remembered that the 
 sort of work I have been endeavouring to describe is altogether 
 artificial ; that the animal thrown upon his haunches only goes 
 through the lesson with considerable exertion, and that if he is 
 kept too long at it, this can only be done by an amount of fatigue 
 
80 THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 
 
 on the part of the rider which would be far from beneficial to a lady. 
 The object of the lesson is to induct the pupil into a mode in which 
 she can obtain complete mastery over her horse. It is, as it were, a 
 gymnastic exercise for both steed and rider, and must not be 
 persevered with too long at one time. After about ten minutes' 
 rest the pupil should again collect her horse, rein him back, and pre- 
 pare him again for cantering. She should then strike him quietly off, 
 and ride him very collectedly, so as to be ready to make the circles. 
 These should be made from about midway down the boards ; and on 
 the last sound of the words " circle right," the pupil should turn her 
 horse's head from the boards, and, supporting him well with the left 
 leg and rein, ride in a figure exactly similar to that she described at a 
 walk. She will find, however, that the horse requires considerably 
 more support in making the circles than he did in the simple turns. 
 Being on the bend from the time he leaves the boards until he arrives 
 at them again, the nicest riding is necessary to keep his fore and 
 hind feet on the same track, and prevent him from throwing his 
 haunches out. The pace, too, should be more collected than when 
 the turns were made. Four miles to four miles and a half an hour is 
 quite fast enough, and, if necessary, the horse must be halted and 
 reined back several times in order to get him thoroughly collected^ 
 Two circles well done are quite sufficient. The pupil should then again 
 halt, " sit at ease," and make much of her horse. By this time 
 both he and the pupil will have gone through a tolerably severe 
 lesson, because the collected pace necessary to execute it, and 
 especially the circles, necessitates a great deal of cantering before a 
 beginner can ascertain the true cadence — without which, and a con- 
 siderable amount of support from her hand and leg, it is unsafe and 
 useless for her to attempt her turns and circles ; frequently, too, a 
 horse will have to go several times round the school before the 
 instructor can see the opportunity to give the word. Reining back 
 again, and collecting him, call very much upon the horse's powers, 
 while, on the other hand, over-fatigue is specially to be avoided as 
 regards the pupil. After resting ten minutes or so, the lady should 
 conclude this lesson by walking him quietly about till he is quite cool. 
 
THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 81 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 The Cantering Lesson (continued) — The Half Passage and 
 
 Change. 
 
 Although the last-named exercises belong, strictly speaking, more 
 to tlie curriculum of the military riding school than to female 
 equitation, still, to be able to execute them with precision is of 
 great advantage to a lady, because they teach her that by getting 
 a good bend on her horse, and placing him in a certain position by 
 the application of the proper aids, she can compel him at her plea- 
 sure to canter with either near or ofF foot leading ; and, although it 
 may not be agreeable to her to keep her horse going with the near 
 leg, unless she is riding on the off side, nevertheless, the practice of 
 the half passage and change is an admirable, and indeed very 
 elegant, mode of acquiring ready facility in the effective use of 
 hand and leg. I have said before that the horse in the " half pas- 
 sage " places one foot before the other, instead of crossing his legs 
 completely, as in the full passage. The former mode of progression 
 enables the horse therefore to gain ground diagonally to his front, 
 instead of moving upon a line at right angles with the boards as in 
 the latter. 
 
 The aids by which the haK passage is executed are the same as 
 those of the " full passage," with the following exceptions. First, 
 there is a lighter pressure of the leg on the outward side ; and in the 
 case of a lady it is necessary that she should use her whip on the off 
 side behind the saddle alternately with her leg on the near side, in 
 order to cause the horse to gain ground to the front, as well as to 
 place one foot before the other. 
 
 After starting her horse at a walk, "going large," the rider 
 
 G 
 
82 THE BAKB AND THE BRIDLE. 
 
 should rein him back, collect and balance him — riding equally upon 
 snaffle and curb reins — she should make the corner perfectly square ; 
 and when midway between it and the centre marker, the instructor 
 should give the word " light half passage," upon which the pupil 
 should still further collect her horse into the slow pace she used in 
 the bending lesson, and, having arrived at the centre marker, she 
 should bring the horse's forehand in, by a double feeling of the right 
 rein ; the outward leg closed, to prevent the haunches from flying out. 
 The inward rein leads ; the outward balances and assists the power 
 of the inward. A pressure of the left leg causes the horse to place 
 one foot before the other (see Aid Book). The whip used in alter- 
 nate action with the leg will cause him to move to his right front, 
 towards the boards. 
 
 A very light and delicate application of the leg, in unison with a 
 similar application of the whip, is sufficient with a well-broken 
 horse to enable the rider to do the " half passage " correctly at a 
 walk. The point at which, strictly speaking, she should arrive at 
 the boards is just midway between the ends of the school; and in a 
 properly-regulated one there should always be a white marker on 
 the wall, just above the place where the sockets for the leaping bar 
 are inserted in it. 
 
 Keeping her eye upon this marker, the rider should lead her horse's 
 forehand lightly with the right rein, maintaining an easy, playful, 
 feeling of the snaffle in his mouth, and carefully balancing his every 
 step with the left rein, while she presses him up to his work with 
 the leg and whip. The horse's head should be bent to the right, so 
 that his right eye is visible to the rider as she sits perfectly square 
 in the saddle. The pace can scarcely be too slow, but every step 
 must be taken up to the bridle, the horse's forehand up, and his 
 haunches well under him. 
 
 In no part of a lady's course of equitation is it necessary for the 
 instructor to pay more close attention to his pupil than in this : the 
 temptation to the latter to relax her position, and sit, as it were, "all 
 over the saddle " is great, from the difficulty she at first experiences 
 in applying the aids effectually, and her anxiety to do well, Causing 
 her to twist her figure in pressing the horse with the left leg. The 
 
THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 83 
 
 horse, too, is moving with his fore and hind feet in two distinctly- 
 different lines, which renders it far from easy, without considerable 
 practice, to sit fair and square in the saddle. Close attention and 
 quiet correction, however, will obviate all this. 
 
 Many people, I am aware, assert that riding with such precision 
 is unnecessary to a lady. From this opinion I beg leave to dissent 
 in toto, my idea being that a course of equitation for a lady means 
 teaching her everything (less the lessons of the " Haute Ecole ") 
 connected with the subject, and that whether she chooses hereafter to 
 practise the "bending lesson," "half passage," and change at a 
 ■ canter or not, a thorough knowledge of them will give her a facility 
 of riding unattainable by any other means, and make her also 
 thoroughly an fait to the reason for everything she does in order to 
 .control the animal under her. 
 
 Again, I can see no possible reason why the nicest precision should 
 be considered unnecessary in a lady's riding any more than it is in 
 music ; and, to try back on my old simile, I submit that as the same 
 scale is written for a Thalberg as for the fair daughter of the house 
 who performs on the pianoforte for the post prandial amusement 
 ■of paterfamilias, and inasmuch as the mode in which the music 
 is performed is dependent in a great measure upon precision and 
 practice, so in riding it is necessary to make a young lady acquainted 
 with the principles of equitation in their minutest details, and 
 xjarefuUy to watch that she executes them with the most rigid 
 exactness. 
 
 To return to the half passage. On arriving at the boards the 
 lady should halt her horse for a moment and make much of him, 
 then rein him back, and again walk him round the school to the left. 
 The half passage should then be done to that hand, reversing the 
 aids, and using the whip instead of the left leg. This will bring the 
 horse again upon the right rein. He should now be well put up to 
 his work, and pressed smartly off at a very collected canter. The 
 instructor should be most careful that the proper cadence in pace is 
 arrived at before he gives the word, and should caution the pupil 
 also that when she arrives at the boards she should bring her horse 
 -to the walk. 
 
 G 2 
 
84 THE BARB AND THE BEIDLE. 
 
 To facilitate this exercise also, it may be advisable in some cases- 
 to take the whole school instead of half of it ; but in that case the 
 horse should go over the same ground in the " half passage" at a 
 walk, as he afterwards does at a canter. 
 
 When the exercise is done at the latter pace, no attempt should 
 be made at the first effort to change the horse at the boards. The 
 master should give the word very quietly directly the pupil turns the 
 corner of the school, and she should then press her horse well up, and 
 turn his head smoothly from the centre marker, applying her aids 
 with firmness and decision, endeavouring at the same time to prevent 
 him from hurrying his pace. This, however, at the fii'St attempt, it 
 is scarcely to be expected that she will accomplish. 
 
 If the whole school is taken, the point of arrival at the boards 
 should be about a horse's length from the end, where he should be 
 brought quietly to a walk, the rider for this purpose keeping the 
 body back, turning the little fingers of both hands up towards 
 the waist, and drawing the hands themselves well towards her 
 waist. The bend of the horse's head should then be changed to the 
 left, by allowing the off side reins to slip through the right hand 
 about two inches, and drawing the near-side reins through the left 
 hand, with the right, to an equal extent. The near-side reins should 
 then be passed into the right hand, while with the left the rider 
 "makes much" of her horse on the near side. This, of course, should 
 only be done if he has executed the movement with reasonable pre- 
 cision, for (to repeat) perfection cannot be expected in the pupil's 
 first effort. 
 
 Plenty of time should be taken between these " half -passage " 
 lessons, because they are severe, calling very much upon the 
 physical powers of both horse and rider. 
 
 In order to give both a fair chance, the lesson should be again 
 done at a walk, then at a canter, the pupil carefully instructed on 
 arriving at the boards to strike the horse off collectedly to the left. 
 To do this she should quietly change the bend to that hand, carry 
 her left foot well forward towards the horse's shoulder, so as to use 
 an action of her leg reverse to that she had recourse to in striking 
 him off to the right. She should keep him well bent, but well sup- 
 
THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 85 
 
 ported with the outward rein. When she has him in the corner of 
 the school, and bent both in his neck and ribs (which in turning and 
 putting his off fore foot into the angle must be the case, if she 
 applies her whip smartly behind the flap of the saddle, and presses 
 her left foot to his near elbow, keeping his forehand well up at the 
 same time), he can scarcely refuse to strike off with his near leg ; 
 but it must be borne in mind that a lady cannot be expected to 
 execute this movement with any certainty unless the horse has been 
 previously taught by a man to obey the aids the lady applies as 
 above directed. This, however, every breaker who knows his busi- 
 ness can easily do. 
 
 When a fair amount of proficiency is acquired in this lesson, the 
 ■change may be made from what is technically called a " half halt," 
 which means simply that, the horse being thrown more upon 
 his haunches, the aids are applied with great firmness, and 
 the horse compelled to change his leg without being brought com- 
 pletely to the walk. The degree of proficiency, however, should 
 be when the pupil can change her horse with certainty after halting 
 him. 
 
 The pace at which the half passage is done should be very col- 
 lected, and, I repeat, if the rider and horse do it only reasonably 
 well (that is, the latter continuing true and united in his pace, and 
 ■changing freely after being halted), that for some little time it 
 should be considered sufficient, and every allowance made for the 
 fact that the lady, unlike the male rider, cannot give support to her 
 horse with both legs. 
 
 Most likely at first the horse will throw his haunches out a little, 
 -and the rider slightly lose her position. Practice and the close 
 application most ladies give to riding will suffice to correct all this, 
 and in due time the pupil will be able to execute the lesson with 
 smoothness and ease to herself and her horse. She will then be 
 sufficiently advanced to commence cantering on the curb rein alone. 
 This, as regards finish in the rider's hand, is in equitation what tone 
 is in music. Every motion of the little finger, or the slightest turn 
 of the wrist, acts upon the curb when it is unrelieved by the snaffle 
 with so much more power, that the greatest care is necessary to 
 
86 THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 
 
 teep the bridle hand steady at first, and to avoid anything 
 approaching to suddenness or roughness of action. 
 
 This steadiness is best accomplished by causing the pupil to ride 
 with the reins arranged military fashion, with the snaffle reins 
 hanging over the full of the left hand, the off side rein upper- 
 most, and the right hand holding the end of the curb reins, as 
 before described, which affords greater facility for easing and 
 feeling them than can at first be expected, when the action is given- 
 altogether from the left wrist. In the latter case, the hand without 
 considerable practice would be far too heavy, even when the arm 
 was kept quite firm, and unbearably heavy to the horse if there was 
 any motion from the shoulder of the rider. 
 
 I must repeat that the lines of action of the little finger of the 
 bridle hand are four — namely, towards the right and left shoulder 
 respectively, according as the rider desires to turn the horse right 
 or left ; and towards his neck and her own waist, as she wishes to 
 collect, rein back, or move him forward. 
 
 Now, while in trotting on the curl) rein only the hand and arm 
 should be kept as steady as possible, in order that the horse may 
 make a free appul between mouth and hand, '• taking hold a 
 little of the latter ; " in cantering the direct reverse of this is the 
 case, and the hand of the rider should give and take to every stride 
 of the horse. 
 
 It is in the mode of timing these give-and-take motions in exact 
 harmony with the action of the horse that fine and finished hands 
 consist ; and I will endeavour to give an idea of the readiest way in 
 which this delicate manipulation may be acquired, with as much 
 precision as the fair rider can exercise when pressing the keys of 
 a pianoforte. 
 
 Let us suppose, then, that in preparing for the cantering lesson 
 on the curb, in order nicely to collect the horse, the reins are drawn 
 quietly through the left hand by the right, as above described, the 
 object being to rein the horse back a step or two, and balance him 
 well with forehand up and haunches under hun. By the above- 
 named drawing up of the reins a firmer appui is created against 
 the liorse's mouth. By closing both leg and whip, however, while- 
 
THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 87 
 
 still maintaining this appui., the horse will step back. The instant 
 he does the reins should be yielded to him, and he will bend in the 
 poll of the neck and yield to his rider's hand. So that the appui is 
 then scarcely perceptible. This alternate action of hand and leg, 
 aided by the whip, should be repeated just as many times as it is 
 desired to rein the horse so many steps backward, the latter 
 moving very slowly ; a couple or three stejDS for the purpose 
 above named are always sufficient. To move the horse to the 
 front again at a walk, the leg should be closed, and the reins 
 eased until he moves forward, when he should be again collected. 
 But if the rider desires to strike him off at once at a canter, at 
 the moment she eases her hand she should apply her spur smartly 
 just behind the girth, and touch the horse lightly on the off 
 shoulder with her whip. Being properly bent and prepared, he 
 will then strike off with his right leg first, and well within himself ; 
 but having eased the reins as the horse takes his first short stride 
 forward, the rider should feel them again the next instant, keeping 
 her left hand well back, her arm steady, and manipulating the reins 
 with the right hand and the fingers of the left, so that she feels 
 them just as the horse's fore foot is on the ground, and eases them 
 as he raises it. 
 
 This may appear to the uninitiated a very difficult matter, but in 
 reality it is not at all so, any more than it is difficult in dancing to 
 keep time to music, or for the nmsician to count the time to himself ; 
 and by careful watching it can be mastered as well as either of the 
 above, or the stroke in swimming. 
 
 Anybody who has witnessed a cavalry field day will have noticed 
 that the regimental band and the action of the horses both in trotting 
 and cantering past the commanding officer are in exact harmony ; 
 and many people believe that the horses are taught to canter to the 
 music. The reverse of this, however, is the case. The leader of the 
 band, having himself passed through a course of equitation, knows 
 the exact cadence of the pace of manoeuvre, and regulates the time of 
 the music accordingly ; but it is because he is able to count the 
 time of the horses' footfall so well that he is also able to set the time 
 of the music. In like manner the fair equestrian, with a little 
 
88 THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 
 
 practice, can learn to count the time of her horse's canter to herself, 
 and regulate the action of her hand accordingly. 
 
 The pupil must throw plenty of life into her riding, and, while 
 she sits easily and flexibly as regards her whole figure on the saddle, 
 should keep the horse equally upon his mettle. In a riding school 
 he requires more calling upon than when out of doors, and more 
 *' pressing up," as it is technically called ; but when once the rider 
 has him going, well balanced, and bending nicely, the great thing 
 is to " let well alone," and not ask too much, by which she would 
 only fret and upset him. In bringing the horse to the walk, the 
 . pupil should be cautioned to feel him up very gradually, avoiding 
 any sudden jerk on his mouth. The gradual stronger feeling for 
 two or three strides, of the taking action of the hand, followed by a 
 much slighter giving of the reins, will bring the horse smoothly to 
 the walk. The body of the rider should be inclined slightly back 
 from the perpendicular. 
 
 When the lady has acquired ease and freedom in riding on the 
 curb, the turn, circles, "half passage " and change may be practised, 
 close attention being given that the aids are applied smoothly and 
 quietly. 
 
 After a few such lessons, the pupil may commence riding with 
 the left hand entirely unassisted by the right. For this purpose it is 
 necessary first to carry that portion of the reins held in the right 
 hand over the middle joint of the fore finger of the left ; close the 
 thumb firmly down on them, and drop the slack of the rein to the off 
 side of the saddle near the horse's shoulder. 
 
 The give-and-take action must at first be from the wrist only, 
 the arm being kept firm, and the hand opposite the centre of the 
 body. 
 
 For a time this will be a little diflicult, especially in turning, when 
 the rider has only the motion of the little finger to depend upon for 
 the action of the bit in the horse's mouth ; but by supporting the 
 horse well with the leg and whip, she will find that he will presently 
 answer readily to her aids. In turning to the right, the hand must 
 be turned with the knuckles up, and the little finger down towards 
 the left shoulder, the wliip pressed to the horse's side, and the leg 
 
THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 89 
 
 kept close, in order to make the turn square. In turning to tlie left, 
 the little finger should be directed inwards and upwards towards the 
 right shoulder, and the left leg pressed to assist the turn, while the 
 whip on the off side insures its squareness. The wrist must be 
 quite easy and supple. In collecting, reigning back, halting, or 
 bringing the horse to the walk, the action by which he is restrained 
 should again at first be altogether from the wrist, because motion 
 from the shoulder would be too heavy. In yielding to the horse, 
 nothing more is necessary than to turn the knuckles up and the httle 
 finger towards the horse's neck. 
 
 By degrees, as the pupil learns to command her horse riding in 
 this form she must be instructed once more to give free and mobile 
 action to the arm at the shoulder joint, as when riding on both 
 snaffle and curb reins. But at first firmness of the arm is essential 
 to give steadiness to the hand. A good deal has been said about 
 turning horses by pressure of the rein against the neck without 
 acting upon the metal in his mouth ; and opinions very diverse have 
 been expressed on this point. With all deference to the disputants, 
 I submit that both are right and both wrong in some respects. 
 For instance, when the rider has the reins divided and the hands well 
 apart (a section of the lady equitation I propose to say something 
 about hereafter), if the rider turns the horse square to the right or 
 left he must use his legs as weU as his hands, and imperceptibly 
 perhaps to himself (even if he has not been taught by rule) he 
 closes both the outward leg and feels the outward rein firmly, in 
 order to support the horse and prevent him from falling, which 
 otherwise he would be in danger of doing. Now, this support with 
 the outward rein causes it to press against the horse's neck, and to 
 some extent gives him the indication of the rider's will. But still it is 
 simply impossible to do this without acting on the snaffle or bit rein, 
 as the case may be, on one side or the other, as long as the reins are 
 attached to a bit of any sort. And after all, it is the leg which gives 
 the surest indication of the rider's wiU. 
 
 One sees a lad in an Irish fair riding with a flat-headed 
 halter turned through the horse's mouth, and, with the rope only 
 •on one side, he will put the horse through his paces, jump him, 
 
90 THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 
 
 and turn him to either hand. There is no metal at all in the mouthy 
 although the hemp is not a bad substitute ; but the rope being only 
 on one side, it is evident that it is not pressure upon the neck that 
 turns the horse, but the action of the boy's leg against the inter- 
 costal muscles of the horse, and the inflection of the lad's body to 
 the hand he desires to turn to. 
 
 Moreover, in the case, let us say of a dragoon, we will suppose at 
 riding school drill, it would be utterly out of the question to turn 
 horses by pressure on the neck and preserve order at the same time. 
 Let us suppose a double ride — seven mounted men on either side of a 
 school or manege. They are going large round the place, and the 
 instructor gives the word " Right and left turn." If each man of 
 the fourteen were to turn his horse by pressure of the reins against 
 the neck, instead of by the aid of leg and hand, the result would 
 be that in place of making a square turn at right angles with the 
 boards, each horse would describe a segment of a circle, more or less 
 large, according to the susceptibility of his neck, and the stiffness 
 or otherwise of his ribs. The consequence would be that the two 
 sides, instead of passing left hand to left hand through the 
 intervals (and it must be remembered that there is little room to 
 spare), would be on the top of each other, and in confusion at once. 
 And if this would be bad at a walk, it would be still worse at a 
 canter. In either case it would be impossible, by the application of 
 such aids, to preserve the dressing. The above, I submit, is a 
 sufficient reason, where the utmost precision in riding is required, why 
 turning a horse by the action of the rein against his neck (if, indeed, 
 it can be done at all without the leg) is objectionable; and another 
 objection in the case both of the dragoon and the lady rider is that 
 the motions by which such aids could be applied are too wide for neat 
 and elegant riding. 
 
 Horses in their breaking may be taught to answer all sorts of 
 " cross aids ; " but for simplicity and ease of comprehension there is 
 nothing in equitation so good as the system practised in the German 
 and our own cavalry riding schools, the proof of which lies in the 
 fact that, although years ago one did not get even an average 
 amount of intelligence as a rule in our rank and file, yet every 
 
THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 91 
 
 cavalry soldier could readily understand the simple system upon 
 ■which he was taught. It is because that system forms, after all, the 
 basis of much that applies to female equitation that I have so 
 frequently quoted from and alluded to it. 
 
 AYhen the instructor finds that his pupil is quite at her ease, riding 
 her horse with one hand only, that she can do this, giving due 
 freedom of action to the arm at the shoulder joint, has perfect 
 command of liim, and plenty of liberty and confidence in her 
 own deportment on his back, he should take her out and ride 
 with her in the park or road, and subsequently prepare her 
 to extend her horse at a gallop, and commence her leaping 
 lessons. 
 
 At this stage a more finished style of equestrian toilette will' 
 of course be adopted, in lieu of the loose habiliments hitherto- 
 used. 
 
 I do not pretend to lay down any arbitrary rule on this subject. 
 Much of course depends upon the taste of the lady herself, and in 
 this respect English ladies are pre-eminent; a good deal also upon 
 the judgment and experience of those about her. But as I have 
 good opportunies of seeing the best types of fashionable attire for 
 ladies' riding, I venture to suggest some of them. 
 
92 THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 Dress for Park Riding, and the Extended Paces. 
 
 In no department of the charming art of dressing well is a lady so 
 much shackled by conventional usages as in her " get up" for riding. 
 In all other kinds of dress, from the full Court costume to simple 
 morning wrapper, such is the almost endless variety of style that 
 there is something to suit every woman, from the lady of high degree 
 to "Dolly Varden," and the "Molly Duster;" and the selection 
 made is conclusive as to the good or bad taste of the wearer. In 
 riding dress it is altogether different. " Chimney pot" hats, tight- 
 fitting jackets, and flowing skirts of orthodox dark rifle-green seem 
 to be de rlgueur^ whatever may be the figure, style, or complexion 
 of the wearer. I submit (and in this opinion I am borne out 
 by several accomplished lady riders, to one of whom I am indebted 
 for the following suggestions) that this is wrong, and that some 
 modifications as regards shape and colour would be advantageous 
 both as regards the comfort of the ladies themselves, and as a 
 matter of taste. 
 
 To begin with head-dress. It is manifest that whereas a lady of 
 tall, lithe figure, with an oval Grecian style of face, and classical 
 contour of head, will appear to the greatest advantage on horseback 
 in a plain or gentleman's hat, and with her hair so arranged as to 
 show the outhne of the head and neck, one of the Hebe style 
 of beauty, particularly if slightly inclined to the " em&07i.," if so 
 accoutred, would not look by any means well. Yet one constantly 
 sees the same sort of head-dress worn by ladies whose general style 
 is in direct contrast, the reason presumably being that fashion admits 
 of such little latitude for choice. 
 
THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 93 
 
 Again, as regards the jacket. A lady of slight figure (for effect) 
 can scarcely wear anything that fits too close, consistently with her 
 freedom of motion ; but the fair equestrian whose proportions are 
 not " sylph like" is badly equipped in such a garment. 
 
 To revert to the hat for the latter type of lady, the most becoming 
 style seems to be one with a low crown, and brim more or less wide,, 
 according to the features of the wearer, as such hats admit of great 
 variety, both in material, and, what is more important, in colour ; 
 and consequently it is not difficult for a lady to obtain that which is 
 exactly suitable to her both as regards feature and complexion. 
 
 Some of these hats for park or road riding, ornamented with 
 ostrich or other feathers, are exceedingly elegant and becoming, and 
 protect the skin from the rays of the sun, without any necessity for 
 a veU, which cannot be said of the plain black or gentleman's hat. 
 For the hunting field, of course, feathers or ornaments are out of 
 place ; but nevertheless most elegant low-crowned, wide-rimmed 
 hats, made of fine felt and without ornament, of shaj)es suitable to 
 every class of feature, are obtainable in Melton, and I presume are 
 equally accessible in London. 
 
 The form of jacket most suitable for a lady whose proj)ortions 
 incline to fulness is a tunic, made Hussar fashion, that is, it should 
 have two seams in the back and be well sprung inwards towards the 
 waist without fitting tight ; the short skirt made full, and reaching 
 well down to the saddle ; the sleeves wide. Broad braiding 
 judiciously arranged on such tunics, too, will have the effect of 
 considerably diminishing the appearance of redundant fulness of 
 figure in the wearer. 
 
 Two rows of braiding, commencing at the lower edge of the tunic 
 behind, should bend inwards towards the waist; but instead of 
 diverging thence to the shoulder points, as in a military coat, should 
 pass over the shoulders, about midway between them and the neck, 
 and thence be continued with a turn (ornamental or plain) to the 
 front of the tunic on both sides, and reaching down to its lower 
 extremity. There should be no braiding round the bottom edges of 
 the jacket. These tunics can be made either single or double 
 breasted, but in either case should have broad lappets in front; 
 
"94 THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 
 
 and neckties of any colour suitable to the wearer's complexion, 
 arranged as a gentleman ties his neckcloth, and fastened with 
 gold horseshoe pins, jewelled or plain, are very effective. The 
 single-breasted tunic should be fastened with hooks and eyes, 
 ■covered by the braid ; the double-breasted jacket should fasten 
 with plain silk buttons. The advantage of these tunics is that, 
 while they afford plenty of room to the rider, and while they in 
 no way cramp her flexibihty in the saddle, they tend to diminish 
 to a degree scarcely conceivable the appearance of redundant 
 fulness or squareness of form, and give a very elegant tournure 
 to a figure that would look by no means well in a tight-fitting 
 jacket. 
 
 Again, neckties of moderately large pattern, and ornaments in the 
 way of feathers and pins, or other fastenings for the cravat, all 
 tend to diminish to the eye the appearance of weight and size, and 
 as a rule, are as becoming on horseback to ladies of full figure as 
 rigid plainness in habits, collars, &c., are to those of spare and deli- 
 cate form. It should be borne in mind that it is on the off side that 
 the figure of a lady equestrian is most critically noticed by the 
 observer. On the near side the skirt has a great effect in increasing 
 or diminishing the apparent size and form of the rider. On the off 
 .side every defect in form or dress is patent, and it is on the off side 
 that the gentleman attendant rides. Close-fitting jackets, then, I 
 repeat ; plain gentleman's hats, with or without lace lappets, and 
 extreme simplicity of get up, will be most effective on the off side 
 in the case oi a lady of slight figure. The style of hat and tunic 
 I have attempted to describe is most suitable to those whose physique 
 is more developed. 
 
 As regards skirts, a fair amount of fullness, according to the size 
 of the rider, for road or park, gives a very graceful appearance on 
 the near side, care of course being taken that the habit is not so 
 long as to admit of the horse treading on it. For hunting skirts 
 can scarcely be too circumscribed, as long as they afford the wearer 
 freedom of action, 
 
 A word now about colours. I repeat that except in the 
 arbitrary dictmn of fashion there is no warranty for the all but 
 
THE BARB AND THE BEIDLE. 95 
 
 universal prevalence of dark rifle-green for riding habits. It 
 must be evident that a lady who is a " brunette " will look far 
 better in a riding dress the coloiu" of which is dark chocolate 
 -or purple than she will in green of any sort ; and on the other 
 hand a "blonde" would be more suitably attired in a habit of a 
 shade of light blue suitable to her complexion than in anything of 
 more sombre hue. Again, in the hunting field why should our 
 atrician ladies who grace these sporting reunions with their 
 presence, and go as straight and well as any men, shewing 
 always in the front rank, be debarred by fashion or conventional 
 usage from wearing scarlet jackets. Scarlet is worn on foot — for 
 opera cloaks, in shawls, in whole dresses. Why not scarlet on horse- 
 back? I saw a lady this season riding with one of our crack Midland 
 packs who wore a scarlet jacket of very fine cloth ; a light blue silk 
 cravat, fastened with a diamond horseshoe pin ; a skirt of very dark 
 blue, and a plain man's hat of Melton style. She was a blonde with 
 golden hair, mounted on a bright chestnut blood-like hunter; and, 
 as she was of slight, lathy figure, and rode exceedingly well, the 
 ensemble was quite charming. This lady was the cynosure of all 
 eyes, not only on account of her capital riding but her dress, which 
 I heard deprecated by some as " too lovd.'''' My humble opinion 
 was that it was exactly in harmony with the place and the sport, 
 most becoming to the wearer, and calculated to give dash and 
 hrilliancy to the coup d''oeil afforded by the field as they streamed 
 away after the hounds ; moreover, the lady herself had that 
 thoroughbred stamp and aristocratic bearing that would have ren- 
 dered any innovation in equestrian costume admissable in her case. 
 But when the complexion and style of any lady admits of it, I can 
 see no reason why she should not wear scarlet with foxhounds as well 
 as her brother or her husband. In summer time, too, is not dark rifle- 
 green or any dark colour and thick cloth which attracts the rays of 
 the sun to the certain discomfort of the wearer an absurdity, when 
 the fair equestrian would look far better, because more seasonably 
 attired, in light grey, light blue, or even in a habit of perfectly white 
 linen, or similar fabric ? . 
 
 As I have ventured to point out a pleasing alteration of conven- 
 
96 • THE BAEB AND THE BRIDLE. 
 
 tional dress in the hunting field, I trust I may be pardoned for 
 describing what appeared to me an equally consistent innovation in 
 summer costume for the saddle. Last summer I sa^Y fom* young 
 ladies taking an early morning canter over a breezy down in this 
 neighbourhood. The weather was sultry. Three of the ladies wore 
 habits of different shades of grey, according to their respective 
 complexions, the fabric evidently very thin. Their equipment was 
 completed by felt hats of different shapes, exceedingly becoming 
 The fourth lady, who was very fair, wore a perfectly white 
 habit, made, I presume, of linen ; the jacket edged with a narrow 
 light blue cord ; her headdress was a yachting hat of Tuscan straw, 
 encircled by and also fastened under her chin with light blue 
 ribbon. In the front of her jacket she wore a moss rosebud. She 
 was riding an Arab-like blood horse, and being, like her companions, 
 not only well mounted, but a first-rate horsewoman, the effect was 
 not only pleasing to the eye and full of " dash," but, I am sure, 
 most conducive to the comfort of the fair riders themselves. 
 Fashion apart, I may fairly ask, would not these four ladies have 
 looked equally well, and felt as much at their ease, in Rotten 
 Row as on the springy Leicestershire turf? I devoutly hope 
 yet to see some of the leaders of fashion in the gay London 
 season inaugurate some such change as I venture to suggest ; and 
 certain I am if they did so. Rotten Row in the month of May would 
 present a brilliant Watteau-like appearance, very different from 
 that produced by the prevalence of sombre colours now worn by the 
 equestrian habitues of that fashionable ride. 
 
 To return to our fair pupil (having made such selection of riding 
 di'ess as is most suitable to her style). Her first outdoor rides 
 should be taken on some quiet and little frequented road until she 
 becomes accustomed to control her horse ; for there is a great 
 difference in the form of going of the same animal in the riding 
 school and on the road, as many horses that require consider- 
 able rousing in the school are all action and lightheartedness out of 
 doors. 
 
 On the road, especially when they are hard, walking and trotting 
 should be the pace, the pupil riding equally on snaffle and curb 
 
THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 97 
 
 reins ; the pace free and active ; the trot about eight to eight and a 
 half the hour. 
 
 Cantering should never be practised on hard ground, as it is 
 certain, sooner or later, to cause mischief to the horse's legs. 
 Where there is a good broad sward by the roadside, as in the 
 Midland counties, a good stretching canter for miles may always 
 be had where the ground is good going. But such places are not to 
 be found in the neighbourhood of the metropohs ; and it is necessary 
 therefore to select some open common, such as Wimbledon or 
 Wormwood Scrubs, for cantering at first. 
 
 By degrees the pupil should be accustomed to ride through 
 thoroughfares where there is considerable traffic, and may then, 
 make her debut in Rotten Row ; and here I may remark that nobody, 
 lady or gentleman, should ever attempt riding in this fashionable 
 equestrian resort until they have thorough command of their horses, 
 and, indeed, know scientifically what riding is. The place, strictly 
 speaking, is a ride intended for royalty alone ; and I believe I am 
 correct in saying that the admission of the general public to it is by 
 no means a matter of right. Great pains are bestowed to keep 
 it in good order throughout the year ; especially, it is always soft 
 and good for a horse's legs. But as a great concourse of equestrians, 
 male and female, is always in the Row in the London season, and as 
 the horses are nearly all well bred and high couragcd, there is con- 
 siderable danger, both to themselves and others, in persons with 
 indifferent seats and hands venturing to ride in the fashionable 
 crowd, the danger being considerably enhanced by the fact that such 
 people are altogether ignorant of the risk they are running. For 
 my own part, after seeing some corpulent citizen rehearsing "John 
 Gilpin " in Hyde Park, with his trousers half-way up to his knees, 
 and his feet the wrong way in the stirrups, the wonder has always 
 been to me not that accidents occur in Rotten Row, but that there 
 are not a great many more. 
 
 There are adventurous ladies, too, who occasionally create a 
 sensation among the crowd, not at all flattering to themselves if 
 they only knew the sentiments of those about them ; and I really 
 think it would be a capital plan to appoint some competent gentle- 
 
 H 
 
98 THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 
 
 men to take charge by turns of the Row in the London season, and 
 order the mounted police on duty quietly to see everybody out of 
 it who was unable to command their horses. Matters, since 
 the mounted constables have been put on, are not quite so bad as 
 formerly ; but there is plenty of room for improvement still, both as 
 regards dogs, pretty horsebreakers, and tailors. 
 
 At all events, I recommend any man taking a young lady into the 
 Park in the height of the London season " to have his eyes about 
 him" in every direction, lest some "dashing equestrian," male or 
 female, should come bucketing a horse in rear of his charge, and 
 to keep a close watch also upon the latter — to see that she rides her 
 horse all the time she is in the place, keeping him well into his 
 bridle, which reduces to a minmium the chances of his suddenly 
 flirting. 
 
 Elsewhere I have gone at considerable length into the subject of 
 possible accidents in the Park. It is perhaps necessary that I 
 repeat the gist of it here, which is simply that no young lady, how- 
 ever accomplished a horsewoman she may be, should be allowed by 
 her friends to ride in the Row unattended by a male companion, who 
 is not only a thoroughly good horseman, but accustomed to ride 
 beside a lady and anticipate anything in the shape of bad manners 
 on the part of her horse ; that the attendance of a groom, who 
 rides at a considerable distance in rear of the lady (whatever appear- 
 ance of conventional style it may give to the fair equestrian), is 
 utterly useless to her in case of accident, nay, in more than one 
 instance that I have known has been productive of it from the 
 groom galloping up at a critical moment, and still further exciting 
 the lady's horse. Finally, that no lady should ever ride a horse 
 of high breed and courage that has been allowed to " get 
 above himself," by remaining day after day in the stable, or having 
 insufficient work, when exercised, to keep down exuberant fresh- 
 ness. 
 
 There is no danger to a thoroughly good horsewoman in riding a 
 horse that is •' light-hearted." But there is risk to everybody, man 
 or woman, in riding one " mad fresh," ready to jump out of his 
 skin, as the grooms say, in a crowd of other horses. 
 
THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 99 
 
 For my own part, of two evils, I would rather see a lady jammed 
 into a lane with twenty or thirty horses, after hounds had just got 
 away, and everybody wag strugghng to get out, than I would see 
 her in the Park unattended by a gentleman, and mounted upon 
 a well-bred horse that was very fresh. I do not by any means 
 deprecate riding in the Row. It is a splendid piece of riding 
 ground, and relieved to some extent, as it now is, of overcrowding 
 by the ride on the upper side of the Park ;"' it is a glorious place for a 
 canter. But I repeat, let everybody who takes a horse there be able 
 to ride him, and have eyes for liis neighbours as well as himself ; 
 and especially let gentlemen who attend ladies there be always on 
 the qui vive for the adventurous Gilpins and "pretty horse-breakers." 
 
 The canter for the Row, conventionally and wisely, should be 
 almost as collected as that of the riding school. It is an understood 
 thing, in fact, that no lady or gentleman (properly so called) "sets 
 a horse going " there ; and trotting when practised should also be 
 done very collectedly, both paces admitting of the display of talent 
 and proficiency in equitation of the rider. 
 
 For the more extended paces, it is necessary again to have recourse 
 to open heath or common; and, before the pupil attempts to "set 
 her horse going," the difference between cantering, in the " andante " 
 pace, and galloping, should be clearly explained to her. The main 
 difference in this cantering is to some extent an artificial pace, 
 because, when practised collectedly, the greater weight of the horse 
 is brought from his forehand on to his haunches ; and the shorter 
 the pace, the more his weight is on his hind legs. It is for this 
 reason that very collected cantering should not be continued for 
 any great length of time, from its tendency to strain the hocks , 
 nevertheless cantering, Hke trotting, cannot fairly be pronounced 
 altogether artificial, because anybody who has had the handling of 
 a great number of young horses must have seen many of them 
 rimning loose who would canter the length of a paddock at quite a 
 short pace, both legs on the same side (generally the near side) ; and 
 I have seen a foal at a mare's foot trot, true and fair, for a consider- 
 able distance. 
 
 Gallopping, however, like walking, is a perfectly natural pace, 
 
 H 2 
 
100 THE BARB ANii THE BRIDLE. 
 
 although it is a mistake to say that in the gallop the horse moves 
 
 both fore and hind legs together, in what is frequently termed 
 
 " a succession of jumj)s." That he does this in his top speed, and 
 
 especially in making a supreme effort, as in a desperate finish of a 
 
 race, is perfectly true : but it' is equally certain that at half or three 
 
 quarter speed he is leading with either near or off fore leg, and that 
 
 anything but a full speed gallop is simply a very extended canter. 
 
 Any man who has ridden a race must know that where the distance 
 
 is great, say four miles or more, and men do not force the pace, for 
 
 perhaps two-thirds of the way every horse (say of a score of them) 
 
 will be leading with either near or off leg, generally the former, and 
 
 that a very hot excitable horse, eager to get to the front, will 
 
 change Ms leg when he finds his rider keeps his hands doAvn, and his 
 
 horse back. It may be said that this is not galloping but cantering ; 
 
 but I beg to assure all those who maintain this opinion that such a 
 
 canter is faster than any gallop resorted to, apart from racing, that, 
 
 in short, such a gallop is a very extended canter. Whatever the 
 
 term, however, may be most applicable to it, half racing speed is 
 
 quite as fast as a lady will have occasion to ride, unless in cases of 
 
 desperate emergency. At such speed the horse has altogether a 
 
 different balance to that maintained in the short canter ; and, 
 
 although he does not go altogether on his shoulders, still, to afford 
 
 him freedom of action, he must be allowed to extend his head and 
 
 neck, because, if too much bent, his action will be clambering, 
 
 instead of sending him freely to his front. 
 
 To gallop a horse in good form the lady should adopt a different 
 arrangement of the reins to any heretofore used. It is simply to 
 divide them, so that the little fingers of both hands pass between the 
 snaifle and curb reins, the latter under the little finger, and a Uttle 
 longer than the former, the appui bemg principally uj^on the snaftie, 
 although there should be no slack rein on the curbs. Her hands 
 shoiild be kept well apart, and as low down as she can get them. 
 The reason for separating the hands is, that it is far more difficult 
 for a lady to set her hands down than for a man to do the same thing, 
 because the front forks of the saddle are very much in her way. 
 If, however, she rides with a saddle, the off side crutch of which 
 
THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 101 
 
 is " cut down," and she places her right hand outside her right 
 knee, and her left hand outside the near side upper crutch, she will 
 have the reins at nearly the same angle, and about the same feehug 
 on the horse's mouth, as would be obtained by a man in setting his 
 horse going. 
 
 In order to counteract any tendency of this position of the hands 
 to interfere with the rider's proper balance, the left foot should be 
 ■carried well forward, while the leg is pressed firmly againt the third 
 crutch, and an equally firm grasp of the upper crutch is taken with 
 the right knee. A slight bend forward of the figure from the waist 
 upwards is admissible, but great care should be taken by the 
 instructor that this is not overdone, but regulated by the angle at 
 which the left foot is placed. With the slight bend forward, how- 
 ever, there should be no rounding of the back or shoulders, or drop- 
 ping of the head. Neither should the hands be allowed to get too 
 forward; they will be somewhat in advance of their position at a 
 canter, but not be more than six or eight mches from the body — the 
 hands with the knuckles upwards, the elbows only shghtly bent. 
 
 The ground selected for this exercise should be well known to the 
 instructor — sound, good-going turf, perfectly free from rabbit holes 
 or rotten places. The pace should be gradually increased from a 
 free canter to about half -racing speed, the master making the pace 
 himself, and carefully watching his pupil in every stride her horse 
 takes. The lady should be instructed to let her horse "take fairly 
 hold " of her, and press him with the leg imtil he strides freely 
 along in his gallop. She should keep her hands shut firmly on the 
 reins, and rest the former against the saddle. The horse then, 
 while taking well hold of her, will not pull^ nor will she pull an 
 ounce against hhn, the consequence being that when she desires to 
 decrease her speed, she has only to"" lean back gradually from her 
 galloping position, bringing the body first perfectly upright, and 
 then inclining back at about the same angle she previously carried 
 it forward, raise her hands up from the saddle, and carry them back 
 to her waist, while she turns the little fingers inwards and upwards 
 towards it, which will cause her to feel the curb reins with a double 
 feeling to the snaffle, and in about a dozen strides she can thus collect 
 
102 THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 
 
 her horse into a steady canter and bring him subsequently to a walk. 
 The length and speed of these rides must be carefully regulated by 
 the master according to the nerve and strength of his pupil. With- 
 out a fair amount of both nerve and physical power such gallops 
 should not be attempted at all. Where there is plenty of both, a 
 half-mile spin is admissible to begin with, and, with good going 
 ground, this may be increased gradually to a couple of miles. The 
 instructor should be very careful in cautioning his pupil to diminish 
 the speed of her horse by degrees and in the manner above described, 
 especially avoiding any sudden pull at him, or any unsteadiness of 
 the hands. Carefully practised, these gallops will give the pupil 
 great freedom and confidence in the saddle ; and they are, more- 
 over, wonderful promoters of health. 
 
THE BAKB AND THE BRIDLE. 103 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 The Leaping Lesson. 
 
 I COME now to a section of our courses of instruction, which, if not 
 as some suppose the most difficult to impart or acquire, is neverthe- 
 less of great importance. The principles, however, upon which a 
 horse "■ does a fence " neatly and safely, and those upon which 
 depend the secure riding of the lady, once properly understood, the 
 rest is a question of practice, the thorough training of the horse 
 and his complete fitness for his task being assiuned. The two latter 
 points are, however, of such vital consequence that I wiU endeavour 
 to direct attention to several matters connected with them, which I 
 trust may be useful. 
 
 In the first place, then, it should be borne in mind that whereas 
 every horse of every breed in the world can be taught to jump, 
 jumping comes so aptly to some as to be perfectly natural, and no 
 more trouble to them with a fair weight than walking or galloping. 
 Such horses are easily taught to be clever ; that is to say, to do 
 " doubles," " in and out," and crooked places, with ahnost the 
 surefootedness of a goat, as well as to jump clean timber or fly 
 sixteen or eighteen feet of water. The sort of animal I speak of is 
 fond of jumping, and consequently when carefully broken learns to 
 balance himself with the greatest nicel:y ; and, provided the ground 
 is sound, you cannot get him down, while he does not know what 
 refusing means, except in the case of utterly impracticable places. 
 
 It is upon such horses, or those which approach the nearest to 
 them in their quaUfications, that a lady should be mounted, not only 
 for the hunting field itself, but in her initiation in the riding school 
 into the art of riding her horse over a fence. Horses that rush at 
 
lot THE BARB AND THE BEIDLE. 
 
 their jump, are hot-headed, or intemperate in any way, are utterly 
 unfit for a lady to attempt leaping with, either indoors or out. 
 There should be blood and quality undoubtedly, as well as substance 
 and power, but these must be joined to the best of temper. Pos- 
 sibly the very perfection of a horse exists in that wonderful little 
 animal the Lamb, who has just exhibited at LiverjDOol the most 
 extraordinary feats of cleverness and endurance, coupled with 
 splendid action, speed, and temper, ever yet sho"wii by any horse. 
 The form in which, galloping at top speed, he jumped over two 
 horses lying Jwrs de combat right in his way, and cleared both and 
 their riders without further injury to any, will live always in the 
 memory of those who witnessed it ; while his unflinching and deter- 
 mined effort to win under a weight that scarcely admitted of hope 
 stamp the Lamb as a horse without equal in our day. In my 
 opinion no price in reason could be too much to ask or give for such 
 animal. 
 
 A short time ago I had the great honoiu" and privilege accorded 
 me by his noble owner of a close inspection at his private training 
 quarters of this unrivalled little equine gem ; and I am bound to say 
 that, although I never quite believed in perfection of a horse until I 
 saw the action, manner, and general form of the Lamb, as far as my 
 judgment or experience goes, I freely accord to him the palm over 
 every horse I have seen in a lifetime spent among horseflesh in one 
 quarter or another of the world ; but, although it is not possible in 
 my humble opinion to find his equal as a cross-country horse, our 
 endeavours should be directed to obtain for a lady hunter that wliich 
 approximates most closely to the Lamb. Let me briefly point out 
 what are the qualities that render such horses the fittest for carrying 
 a lady to hounds. 
 
 Li the first place, the connecting points of such an animal are so 
 true in their relative adjustment, that while in galloping he does not 
 claniber or fight the air, he goes with action so safe as always to 
 clear any of those apparently insignificant obstacles, which too often 
 bring to grief a gallant-looking steed and his fair rider. When 
 " ridge and furrow " (as must sometimes occur) run the wrong way, 
 he can go safe from land to land ; and this is of greater consequence 
 
THE BAEB AND THE BRIDLE. 105 
 
 to a lady's riding than many suppose. The stamp of horse I speak 
 of, too, will gallop with his hind legs well under him, while he 
 maintains a proper balance of his fore hand without getting his head 
 too low. He will do his fences without rush or passion, and measure 
 his distance to perfection. 
 
 Secondly, his breeding gives him the power to endure through 
 long runs, while his temper prevents that feverish excitement so 
 detrimental in its reaction on a hot horse after a long day's hunting. 
 
 To return to the detail of the leaping lesson. This should always 
 be commenced either in a riding school or in a space so inclosed as 
 to do away as nearly as possible with any chance of the horse 
 refusing. It is not possible always to procure one that is quite a 
 "Lamb;" and, however well trained the animal on which the fair 
 pupil is put, no possible temptation to do wrong should ever be 
 allowed to remain in his way, A gorse-bound bar, a wattled hurdle 
 or common sheep hurdle are all equally good for the first attempt, 
 care being taken not to make the leap too high. But I do not, from 
 experience, believe in putting the bar or other obstacle on the 
 ground, because the effort a well-broken horse makes to clear it is so 
 slight, that it puts the rider off her guard ; and when afterwards 
 he rises higher in his jump, he is very apt to shift her in the saddle. 
 There is a very natural inclination on the part of a tyro in riding, 
 lady or gentleman (having seen a horse jump under another person), 
 to suppose that some effort of the hand is necessary to lift the horse 
 over the obstacle. 
 
 It should be the duty of the instructor carefully to warn his pupil 
 against any such effort, and in the first attempt to attend only to 
 her true equilibrium, while she presses the horse well up to his 
 bridle, keeping her hands perfectly steady, well back, and well 
 down. She should take a firm hold of the upper crutch of the saddle 
 with her right knee ; sit well into the saddle, and not on the back of 
 it, because the further back she sits, the greater the concussion 
 when the horse alights. She should put her left foot well home in 
 the stirrup, and press her leg firmly against the third crutch, while 
 she keeps the left knee quite flexible, and the left foot well forward. 
 She should draw her figure well up from the waist, which should be bent 
 
J 06 THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 
 
 slightly f orw ard ; and she should avoid stiffening the waist, because 
 it is from that point that she is able to throw the upper part of the 
 figure backwards at the proper moment, and at the true angle, to 
 preserve her balance. She should direct her glance straight between 
 the horse's ears, and well in front of him to the end of the school, 
 because if she looks down at her hands or the bar, she relaxes her 
 upright position. The horse should be led up to the bar by the 
 instructor, who should be able to jump lightly over the obstacle 
 with the horse ; and another assistant should follow with a whip, 
 the presence of which the horse will recognise in an instant, without 
 any noise being made with it, and he will go at once into his bridle, 
 and "take hold" of the rider's hand. A groom should hold the 
 end of the bar or hurdle so lightly, that if the horse touches it, it 
 will fall ; while another groom should stand in such a position, about 
 a horse's length to half a one outside the instructor, as to do away 
 with all chance of the horse swerving from any nervous action of the 
 rider's hand. 
 
 In jumping, at first the pupil should ride entirely upon the snaffle 
 rein. In fact, for early leaping lessons, it is best to put a good broad 
 reined snaffle in the horse's mouth, instead of a double bridle, 
 because it prevents any confusion about the reins, and consequent 
 derangement of nerve in the pupil. On approaching the bar, the 
 latter should incline the body back from the waist upwards, at 
 such an angle, that a line from the back point of the shoulder would 
 fall about a couple of inches behind the cantle of the saddle. This 
 is not according to the strict formula laid down by high-class pro- 
 fessors of equitation ; on the contrary. " The Aid Book " teUs us 
 that "the body should be inclined forward as the horse rises, and 
 backwards as he alights." But I have found in teaching ladies to 
 jump their horses that, particularly with a quick jumping one, any 
 such attempt would result in the horse hitting the lady in the face 
 with his head, and thereby thoroughly disgusting her with leaping 
 lessons, to say nothing of possible disfigurement or injury. The 
 instructor cannot be too quiet, simply keeping well hold of his 
 horse, making him walk close to the boards, and cautioning his 
 pupil to sit back — not away Jrom the crutches of the saddle, but to 
 
THE BAEB AND THE BRIDLE. 107 
 
 throw the upper part of her figure back the instant the horse drops 
 his head. Any more instruction will only confuse her. The master 
 should jump with the horse, hut not hold the habit, as is customary 
 with some preceptors of riding, because no man is so clever on his 
 legs butj that some inequality in the tan or turf might cause him 
 to stmnble, in which case assuredly he would pull the lady off her horse. 
 
 After the first jmiip the master is better away from both horse 
 and pupil. In nine cases out of ten I have found that the above 
 simple directions to the latter result in her landing all right, except 
 a little derangement of equilibrium to the front ; but the easy 
 spring of a well-bred and well-broken horse, and the hold he takes 
 of her hands, reassure her. She has made her premiere pas in. 
 jumping, and finds that it is by no means so difl&cult a matter as she 
 anticipated In her second attempt, if she exhibits good nerve, 
 as most young ladies of the present day do, the instructor need only 
 walk up the side of the school with her, close to the horse's shoulder, 
 quietly correcting her if she allows her reins to become slack, 
 because in that case she loses the appid on the horse's mouth, which 
 in her early attempts at leaping is of vital importance to her. In 
 fact, it is necessary, in order to give the pupil confidence, that the 
 horse should jump with a firm hold upon her hand. 
 
 Many authorities on riding teU us that a horse's jump is simply 
 a higher stride of his galloj) ; from this notion I beg entirely to 
 dissent. In leaping, a horse first raises his forehand upwards with 
 a half rear, both feet quitting the ground at the same instant, the 
 height he rises corresponding to the angle at which he takes off. 
 Secondly, from his hind legs he propels himself forwards, both hind 
 legs moving together, and, if he is a good jumper, weU under him. 
 If leaping, therefore, is to be compared to any other action of a 
 horse, it must resemble a plunge gainin'g ground to the front. There 
 is no possible gain in teaching, however, by comparing a horse's 
 leap to his any other movement. Instinct teUs him what to do in 
 order to clear his legs of the obstacle, and, like walking or galloping, 
 the action is by no means artificial, inasmuch as a thoroughly 
 unbroken young horse loose in a paddock will jump through a gap 
 on an ill-kept farm (if his dam makes the running) with precisely 
 
108 THE BARB AND THE BEIDLE. 
 
 tlie same action as a finished hunter ; and, therefore, in one sense 1 
 endorse the dictum once expressed to me by an Irish farmer when 
 I asked his opinion as to the natiu-al paces of a horse. His reply- 
 was, " Sure some of 'em goes no way natural, but just the way you 
 don't want thim to go ; and there's some of tliim that nothing's so 
 natural to as to ate a lot of good oats a man never sees the 
 price of again. Thim's bad ones. But if you're spakmg of a 
 good maning, rale Irish horse, the most natural pace he has is to 
 jump well." I quite agree, bar the word pace, that jmnping to 
 a horse is as natural as any other instinctive action. The weight, 
 however, to be carried, and the mode in which that weight is 
 distributed at the critical moment, makes a material difference to 
 both horse and rider. Therefore, the early leaping lessons should 
 be confined to causing the pupil to do as little as possible to impede 
 the action of the horse, while she preserves her due balance. Like 
 the breaking of a young colt in the case of a pupil learning to ride 
 over a fence, if you ask too much at once or confuse the learner, 
 you obtain nothing but discomfitiu-e. 
 
 As regards this portion of the course of equitation, it is specially 
 necessary to bear in mind the old French maxim, Cest ne pas le 
 premiere pas qui coute. At the same time it is quite possible, if 
 the first step is injudiciously taken, to spoil the whole of your 
 previous work. Special care should be taken that the horse does 
 not take off too soon ; and if, from any unevenness of the rider's 
 hands or legs, he attempts this, the instructor shoald be quickly at 
 his head again, and compel him to do his work coolly and collectedly. 
 " The standing leap," as this is technically called, is considerably 
 more difficult as regards catching the precise moment at which to 
 throw the weight of the body back than the " flying leap," because 
 in the standing leap the horse, being nearer to the obstacle, pitches 
 himself forward with a much rougher action, and does not land so 
 far on the other side of the fence ; whereas when he canters freely 
 at it, the difference in the shock to the rider is as great as that 
 €xperienced in the pitch of a boat in a short chopping sea, and the 
 boat's rise and fall in a long swell, the pace also causing the horse to 
 take more freely hold of the rider's hand. 
 
THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 10^ 
 
 Complete confidence, however, must be established before a lady 
 should be asked to ride her horse at a fence out of a walk ; and 
 nearly as much time should be expended over this new step in the 
 series of lessons as were occupied in trotting. 
 
 I have not, however, to define the principle upon which, in either 
 standing or flying leap, security of seat must be sought. Some say 
 that in leaping it is by muscular grasp only that a lady can retain 
 her true equilibrium in the saddle ; others adhere to the notion that 
 it is all done by balance. Now the truth lies midway between these- 
 two theories. It is quite possible for a man to ride over a fence by 
 balance only. AVitness what one sees frequently in a circus, where- 
 some talented equestrian maintains his footing on a bare-backed 
 steed, while the latter jumps a succession of bars. Here there is 
 nothing to keep the rider on the horse but sheer balance ; and, of 
 course, if this can be done by one man standing up, it can be much 
 more easily done by another sitting down in the saddle, although 
 very few men ride across country in such form, nor indeed is it 
 either safe or desirable to do so. The thing, nevertheless, is quite 
 easy. It is not so easy with a lady, because her position on the 
 saddle is altogether an artificial one ; and, moreover, the weight of 
 the skirt is sufficient to render riding by balance alone most diffi- 
 cult. It is by a combination of firm grasp on the crutches, seized 
 just before the horse arrives at his fence, and a true balancing of the 
 body from the waist upwards, that seciu-ity of seat in jumping is 
 obtained. A most necessary adjunct to the above, however, is firm- 
 ness of the arms, because, if the latter are allowed to ffy out from 
 the sides, the whole figure becomes, as it were, disconnected, and the 
 proper liplomh is lost. By taking a firm hold of the upper crutch of 
 the saddle with the right leg, the rider is enabled to balance her 
 body as the horse rises, while the pressure of the left leg against the 
 third crutch prevents the concussion of his landing from throwing 
 her forward, provided always she throws back her weight at precisely 
 the right moment. This requires practice, and well-timed assistance 
 from the instructor, thus : 
 
 As soon as the pupil acquires sufficient confidence to ride her 
 horse fairly up to the fence, and keep his head straight to it, the 
 
110 THE BAKB AND THE BRIDLE. 
 
 master should stand far enough from her to obtain a good view of 
 the whole contour of figure of horse and rider. He should place the 
 hands of the latter icell apart, cause her to shut her fingers firmly 
 on the reins, which give firmness to the body ; keep her hands well 
 down and her figure well drawn up, ready on the instant to throw 
 the weight back. He should then caution her to execute the last- 
 named movement on his giving the single sliarp word " IS^ow." The 
 pupil should then press her horse Avell up against her hand, and keep 
 his head steady and straight to the bar. The instant he rises the 
 instructor should give his word sharply, and the rider will then 
 catch the true time at which to act upon it. This requires only close 
 attention and watching by instructor and pupil, both being " vif " 
 and thoroughly on the alert. After a few efforts the lady is then 
 sure to find out the time without any word. I have taught a great 
 many very yoimg ladies as well as gentlemen to ride over a fence by 
 the aid of the word given in the above form, and have found it 
 always of the greatest assistance both to myself and pupils. Special 
 attention is necessary to keeping the hands well down and well apart, 
 and the shoulders quite square, because there is a natural tendency 
 on the part of most ladies in the first leaping lessons to throw the 
 right shoulder forward, which not only destroys her balance but 
 causes her to pull the horse's head to the near side. The hands 
 cannot be kept too quiet at first, for any effort to give and take to 
 the action of the horse is nearly certain to result in the pupil check- 
 ing him at the very moment he springs forward, and pulling him 
 upon his fence. 
 
 A well-broken horse, when put up to his bridle, will take a good 
 hold of the rider's hand, and if sufficient length of rein is given him 
 will clear the bar without the necessity of the rider moving her 
 hands a hair's breadth. Subsequently, when she has had sufficient 
 practice to feel quite at home, she can be taught how to assist liim 
 when he does a long striding leap over water or a strong double 
 fence with ditches on both sides. 
 
 After the standing leap is executed neatly, and in good form by 
 rider and horse, the flying leap should at once be practised. 
 
 The pupil should put her horse into a steady canter, going to the 
 
THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. Ill 
 
 left round the school ; and for this purpose the hurdle or bar 
 should for the time be removed, so as to enable the lady to get her 
 horse into a good free stride. AVhen the instructor sees that she 
 has her horse in proper form, the hurdle should be put up again 
 and well sloped, because, even so, the horse will jump considerably- 
 higher in all probability than the rider expects. 
 
 This is the moment at which the master requires to be thoroughly 
 on the alert. He should caution the lady not to let her horse hurry 
 when he turns the corner and sees the hurdle, which many horses are 
 very apt to do. "Hands down," "Sit back," " Press him against 
 your hand," and the "Now!" at the right moment should be the 
 concise words, given in a tone at once lively and encouraging. The 
 result will be a clean, clever jump, well done by horse and rider, 
 when the former should be " made much of." 
 
 A couple or three leaps so executed are quite enough in a school, 
 because nothing so worries most horses as to keep them continually 
 jumping at the same place, and if the leap is too often repeated, 
 they are apt to sulk or blunder at it. 
 
 Within the walls of a good riding house almost every kind of 
 obstacle can be represented which can be met with out of doors. 
 The double, the artificial brook or painted wall, all give the pupil 
 sufficient insight into the form in which a well-taught horse will 
 negotiate any of the fences to be met with in the hunting field ; and 
 the lady should be carefully taught how to stop and steady her horse 
 at a crooked or cramped place. 
 
 When once the leaping lessons are commenced, one should be 
 given every day, either before or after the riding out. If the ride 
 is intended to be a long one, the jmnping should be done while the 
 horse is fresh, and has all his powers in hand. 
 
 When the pupil can do the standing and flying leap, the in and 
 out or double in good form, riding on the snafile, she should again 
 return to her double bridle, which should be fitted with a curb chain 
 with broad links ; and the whole of it should be well padded and 
 covered with soft leather, to prevent any jar upon the horse's mouth 
 in jumping. The reins should be separated and placed as for gallop- 
 ing, the greatest care being taken by the instructor that the curb is 
 
112 THE BARE AND THE BKIDLE. 
 
 no tighter than just to keep it in place, for which a good lip strap 
 should be used, and the curb chain fitted so as to admit the play of 
 quite two fingers between it and the horse's jaw. In placing the 
 reins, the master should see that the greater appui is on the snaffle, 
 and that after the pupil closes her hands upon the reins she does not 
 shift her hold of them in the slightest degree. Having now four 
 reins instead of two as formerly, there will be a tendency to " fidget " 
 with them, or obtain a better hold. This must instantly be corrected 
 if it occurs, otherwise ten to one but the lady gets the cm-b rein too 
 short, and pulls her horse on his fence. At the same time there 
 should be no slack curb rein hanging down, but it should be of such 
 length that, on landing, the horse can just feel the action of the 
 curb, and the reason for this is obvious. In school all leaping may 
 be accomplished on the snaffle ; but in the hunting field it is far 
 otherwise. In deep groimd a horse requires holding together, and 
 no lady could do this with a snaffle bridle. And, again, in a long 
 rim, when a horse has been severely called on, he may make a 
 blunder on landing from a drop m a bit of boggy ground, in which 
 case the curb rein is necessary in aid of the snaffle. As, therefore, 
 it is in the school that the pupil should be prepared for every out- 
 door eventuality, riding over her fences with both curb and snaffle 
 must be practised ; and, finally, over a small jump she must be 
 taught to ride with the curb alone. 
 
THE BARB AND THE BEIDLE. 113 
 
 CHAPTER XIY. 
 
 The Leaping Lesson (continued). 
 
 It may fairly be accepted as a general rule, that a horse should not 
 be ridden over a fence upon the curb alone. The rule, however, has 
 its exceptions. One of these is the possible case of a lady being- 
 placed in such a predicament that she has no alternative in the pre- 
 sence of imminent danger but that of leaping her horse to avoid it, 
 and in such case it may be (and, indeed, in my own experience has 
 occurred) when the lady Avas riding her horse with a single curb 
 bridle. If the fair equestrian so placed lacks the necessary nerve, 
 dexterity of hand, and firmness of seat, she must come to certain 
 grief. It is therefore highly desirable that, although on ordinary 
 occasions she should use both snaffle and curb in leaping, she should 
 also be thoroughly an fait at doing it, if the necessity arises, upon a 
 "hard and sharp," or single " Hanoverian." 
 
 Again, leaping on the curb rein only teaches the pupil the full 
 value of every particle of her balance and muscular grasp on the 
 saddle, while it also shows her that, although as a rule a horse 
 requires to be kept well together, there are exceptional instances in 
 which it is necessary to yield the hands freely to him. The above- 
 named is one of these cases. The leaping lessons, however, which 
 lead up to the point of proficiency at which the pupil shoidd be per- 
 mitted to attempt so critical and difficult a piece of riding must be 
 carefully and inductively given. 
 
 Assuming that the fair tyro rides her horse boldly and confidently 
 over the ordinary fences used in a school, and can execute an "in 
 and out " jump without derangement of seat or hand, the effort of 
 the master should next be directed towards teaching his pupil how to 
 
114 THE BARB AND THE BKIDLE. 
 
 cause her horse to extend hhnself over a jump where there is con- 
 siderable width as well as height. I must repeat that, for this pur- 
 pose, a horse should be used that is thoroughly up to his business — 
 one that will stride freely away and gallop at his fence. The best 
 practice to begin with, in what I may perhaps call "fast jumping" 
 for a lady, is at an artificial brook. 
 
 This is easy enough to arrange in a riding school. It requires only 
 a sheet of canvas, painted the colour of water, of such dimensions 
 that the people in the school can increase or diminish its width at 
 pleasure. This canvas should be long enough to extend from one side 
 of the school to the other, which can be managed by fastening the 
 canvas to a couple of light rollers. On the taking-off side of this 
 artificial brook there should be some low wattles, gorse bound, or 
 otherwise ; and these also should extend quite across the school. 
 There is then no chance of a well-broken horse refusing. 
 
 Before the canvas arrangement is stretched across the riding- 
 house, the pupil should be instructed to set her horse going at a free 
 striding canter — as fast as is compatible with safety in turning the 
 corners, which should be well cut off in this case, the pupU riding a 
 half-circle at both ends of the school. After two or three turns 
 round the house at this pace, in order to get the horse well into his 
 stride, the assistants should arrange the jump while the instructor 
 prepares his pupil for it. And now let me endeavour to explain the 
 difference in the position and action of the hands of the rider neces- 
 sary for a long jump as compared with that requisite in a short one. 
 In the latter, safety consists in a horse jumping well together or col- 
 lectedly, because in a cramped or crooked place speed is almost 
 certain trouble. Where, on the contrary, there is a broad sheet of 
 water to be got over, "plenty of way" on the horse — sufficient speed 
 to give great momentum to his effort, is indispensable. In the short 
 leap or crooked place, then, the horse should be made to jump 
 throughout right into his bridle ; and for this purpose the position and 
 steadiness of hand described in the last article, accompanied by such 
 pressure of the leg as will keep him up to it, is the true mode of 
 " doing such places," 
 
 But to clear a wide jump, it should be remembered that the horse 
 
THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 115 
 
 must not only go a good pace on it, but he must be allowed to 
 extend his head and neck the instant he takes off. If this is 
 neglected, the fair equestrian, in attempting a water jump, will 
 inevitably find herseK in the brook. 
 
 Now, a man in riding at water has this great advantage over a 
 lady in the same case, that, having equal power with both legs, he 
 can force his horse up to any length of rein, no matter how long, in 
 reason, and compel him to face it, thus enabling the rider to hold 
 him through every inch of his jump, while he gives him plenty of 
 scope to extend himself. For a lady to do this is impossible. Too 
 much pressure of the left leg or repeated use of the spur, even if 
 counteracted on the off side with the whip, would cause the horse 
 to throw his haunches to one side, and he would not jump straight. 
 Steadiness of seat, hand, and leg are therefore indispensable to the 
 lady. The horse ought to be well practised at the particular jump 
 before she is allowed to attempt it, and therefore should require no 
 rousing or urging, to get plenty of way on, for his effort. But 
 before the pupil faces her horse towards the brook, she should be 
 emphatically but quietly enjoined by the instructor to respond to his 
 word " now " as follows : Let it be understood that her elbows 
 should be drawn back until they are three inches or thereabouts 
 behind her waist, the hands about the same distance below the 
 elbows, the former about six inches apart, with the fingers closed' 
 firmly on the reins and turned inwards and upwards imtil they touch 
 the waist, the reins divided, as for galloping, but with the slightest 
 possible feehng upon the curb. With her hands in the above-named 
 form she should ride her horse to his jump, never moving them until 
 she hears the sharp sound of the word " Now ! " from the instructor, 
 when at the same instant the body, from the waist upwards, 
 should be thrown back and the hands shot forward, the elbows 
 following, until they are just level with the front of the w^aist. As 
 the hands go forward, the little fingers should be turned downwards 
 and the knuckles upwards ; this wUl bring the middle jomts of both 
 hands with the nails dowm wards against the right thigh, about four 
 to six inches above (or, as the rider sits, behind) the knee ; and this 
 turning down of the nails and forward motion of hands and elbows 
 
 I 2 
 
116 THE BAEB AND THE BRIDLE. 
 
 will give the horse free scope of his head and neck, while the hands? 
 coming in contact with the right thigh will still maintain the proper 
 appui, and support the horse when he lands in his jump. Although 
 the foregoing appears prolix in description, it occupies little time ta 
 explain viva voce ; and with the instructor by her side the lady may 
 practise the action two or three times while her horse is standing 
 still before he faces his jump. The instructor should then quit the 
 lady's side and place himself near the brook in such a position that 
 he has a fair view of the horse as he takes off, Tlie pupil should 
 turn her horse quietly about, and ride to the left into the corner of 
 the school, and as soon as the horse's head is square to the jump, 
 and himself square to the boards, the master should give the word 
 smartly, " Canter." With plenty of vivacity, the pupil should 
 immediately strike her horse into a striding pace, keeping her 
 hands well back and hitting him smartly once with the spur. An 
 assistant with a whip should also crack it slightly behind the horse. 
 
 Let the master then closely watch the moment at which the horse's 
 fore feet quit the ground, and give his word quickly and sharply, 
 and in nine cases out of ten the jump will be a success. 
 
 The artificial brook should be arranged about two-thirds of the- 
 distance down the school, so as to give the horse plenty of space to 
 get into his stride before he comes to it, while there will be sufficient 
 room to collect him after he lands. If he does it well the first time 
 (and with the above described handling he will scarcely fail to do 
 so), and the rider performs her part moderately well, the jump 
 should not be repeated. If, however, it is necessary again to go 
 through the instruction, the horse should not be put at the place 
 back again, but the end of the canvas be rolled up and the wattle 
 removed, so as to admit of his passing to the longer reach of the 
 school. These lessons should be given daily until the pupil executes 
 them with the requisite energy and correctness of riding, the in- 
 structor taking special care never to ask his pupil, however, to do 
 such jumps unless he sees that she is quite equal in health and good 
 spirits to the occasion. For riding which requires any extra " dash'* 
 about it must never be attempted by anybody if they are at all out 
 of nerve. 
 
THE BAEB AND THE BRIDLE. 117 
 
 After the pupil does the brook well, it may be replaced by a 
 •double set of gorsed hurdles, jjlaced just so far apart as to neces- 
 sitate their being done at a single jump. In this case, however, the 
 pupil, while giving her horse by the action of her hands sufficient 
 scope to allow him to jump a considerable distance, should not be 
 allowed to ride so fast at the obstacle, about half the speed neces- 
 sary to do water being quite sufficient ; and the oif-side hurdles 
 should be so placed that if the horse strikes them they will give 
 way. 
 
 As a rule ladies do not perform, even in Leicestershire, over big 
 double fences, or very strong oxers, and the indication of what is 
 required to do them should be sufficient for riding school practice. 
 
 As I have elsewhere observed, a horse will jump higher and 
 further when going with hounds than you can with safety ask him 
 to do when in cool blood, or when only roused to extraordinary 
 effort by the use of the spur or whip. And no man in his senses in 
 the hunting field would ever think of piloting a lady to a place 
 which he would only ride at himself at a pinch. Such jumps, there- 
 iore, as I have endeavoured to describe within doors should represent 
 the biggest which most ladies are likely to encounter with in a fair 
 hunting country. As regards riding over a fence, with the curb rein 
 ^unrelieved by the snaffle, the practice should be as follows : 
 
 A hurdle should be well sloped, so as to render the leap a very 
 moderate one. The rider should quit her hold of the reins, which 
 should be knotted and fastened by a thong to the mane. A leading- 
 rein should then be attached to the ring of the snaffle, and the horse 
 led quietly up to the fence, and halted. The pupil should then draw 
 her hands back until they are in the same position as she would place 
 them in putting her horse at his jump, with the hands closed firmly, 
 which will give steadiness to the body. She must take a de- 
 termined hold of the u^Dper pommel with her right knee, and be 
 ready with the figure perfectly poised to throw her weight back at 
 the proper moment ; placing her left thigh also firmly against the 
 third crutch, her foot well home in the stirrup and well forward, the 
 shoulders perfectly square, and the waist quite pliant. An assistant 
 ishould then crack a whip smartly in rear of the horse, without 
 
118 THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 
 
 hitting him ; this ■will cause him to spring lightly over the hurdle > 
 If the position of the pupil before the horse takes off is carefully 
 looked to, there will be little derangement of seat. 
 
 This lesson should be repeated until it is executed with precision. 
 At the same time, two or three jumps of this sort are quite sufficient 
 in one day, because, if repeated too often, the horse, missing the 
 support of the hand, is apt to blunder. When the lady can ride over 
 her fence in the above-named form, she should take up and arrange 
 her reins, so that, while that of the snaffle is not in the horse's way, 
 she feels him on the curb only. She should give him fair length of 
 rein, draw her left hand back to her waist, and place the right hand 
 lightly on the left, just in front of the knuckles ; but the reins should 
 be held military fashion — the little finger between them, the leather 
 over the middle joint of the forefinger, the thumb closed firmly on it, 
 the little finger well turned up towards the waist. The horse must 
 be riden at a smart walk, well up against the curb, until he is close 
 enough to the hurdle to jump. The whip must again be used, and 
 the instructor's word again sharply given, when the pupil should 
 yield both hands freely, turning the little fingers downwards, and 
 slipping the elbows forward. Great firmness and steadiness of seat 
 are necessary to do this lesson well, and considerable practice is 
 necessary to insure complete unity of action in the body and hands, 
 the former being yielded quickly as the latter is actively thrown 
 back. To assist the pupil in her first attempts at this portion of the- 
 leaping lesson, the curb chain should be slackened as much as pos- 
 sible, and it should be one that is broad and well padded. 
 
 As the lady acquires the requisite lightness of manipulation and 
 additional firmness in the saddle, the cm-b (link by link) may be 
 tightened until it is in its proper place, namely, so that it admits of 
 the play of one finger only between it and the jaw of the horse. But 
 the greatest care on the part of the instructor is necessary in 
 watcliing how both horse and rider behave before this can be 
 accomplished. 
 
 The lesson is called technically "jumping from the hand," and 
 once thoroughly acquired, the pupil has little to learn, as regards 
 indoor work, in the way of riding over her fences. She may in that 
 
THE BARB AND THE BEIDLE. 119 
 
 respect be considered fit to take her place any time at the covert side, 
 and hold her own, under proper pilotage, with hounds, where of 
 course she will use snaffle and curb reins equally, or according to the 
 temper and breaking of her mount. 
 
 During the leaping lessons, and in fact throughout the whole 
 course of equitation up to this point, the pupil should be put upon 
 as many different horses as possible consistent with her progress, 
 care always being taken that she is thoroughly master of one before 
 she is put upon another. The action of horses varies so much in 
 degree, no matter how much from similarity of breed and form it 
 may assimilate in kind, that to attain anything like proficiency the 
 rider's mount requires frequent changing ; otherwise, when put upon 
 a strange horse, she would find herself sorely at a loss. 
 
 With the exception of one practice, which in some degree resem- 
 bles the leaping lesson, we may now safely dismiss our fair pupil 
 from technical indoor instruction, except in the way of an occasional 
 refresher, whenever those about her discover any inclination to lapse 
 into a careless form of riding. This both men and women are so apt 
 to do (imperceptibly to themselves), that an occasional sharp drilling 
 does no harm to the most practised rider of either sex. 
 
 The final instruction to be given in the school is called the 
 "Plunging Lesson," and maybe briefly described as follows, pre- 
 mising that although it is the bounden duty of every man who has 
 anything to do with a lady's riding to avoid by every means allowing 
 her to be put on a restive horse, yet it is always possible that, from 
 some unavoidable cause, a lady (especially in the colonies) may some 
 day find herself on a bad-mannered animal that will "set to" with 
 her. In order, therefore, that in such an undesirable case she may 
 not be at a loss, it is well that when thoroughly practised in leaping, 
 she should be put upon a horse that will kick smartly whenever he is 
 called upon by the master. Such a horse is useful for the above pur- 
 pose, and is generally to be found in most riding establishments. The 
 trick is easily enough taught, and requires no description. Neither is 
 it at all incompatible with general good manners. 
 
 The first thing, then, as regards the pupil, is to impress upon her 
 that whenever a horse " sets to " kicking with her, that her tactics 
 
120 THE BAEB AND THE BRIDLE. 
 
 should consist first in keeping his head up, and, secondly, in finding 
 him something else to do than kick. 
 
 A horse cannot have his head and his tail up at the same time, 
 therefore, when he kicks, his first effort is to get his head down. This 
 should be immediately counteracted by the rider sitting well back, 
 keeping her hands up as high as her elbows, feeling the horse 
 firmly on the curb reins as well as the snaffle held in one hand, while 
 she applies the whip vigorously across his neck. This will have the 
 effect of causing him to keep his head up and go to the front. The 
 same firm treatment will be successful in most cases where a horse 
 attempts to plunge. But in the latter case the hand must be 
 yielded if there is any attempt to rear, and if the last-named 
 dangerous vice is carried to any length, the rider should not hesi- 
 tate to take fast hold of the mane, or put her hand in front of the 
 horse's neck. Both rearing or plunging, however, may be effec- 
 tually prevented by the use of the circular bit and martingale, 
 described under the heading " Rearing Horses and Runaway Dogs " 
 in the Field of Nov. 11, 1871. In my humble oj)inion, every lady 
 going to India and the colonies should have one or two such bits 
 among her outfit of saddlery, and if properly fitted in the horse's 
 mouth, all risk of rearing or even violent flirting is done away with . 
 Such tackle, however, does not prevent a horse from kicking^ and 
 although no lady should ever attempt to ride one that is possessed 
 habitually of this vice, a sudden accession of kicking may arise in an 
 otherwise good-meaning horse from some ill-fitting of the saddle, or 
 similar casualty, causing tender back or otherwise upsetting him. Of 
 course, no punishment should be resorted to in these cases ; but it is 
 as well for a lady to be able to keep her seat in such an emergency, 
 and this she will easily do if she keeps the horse's head up, and her 
 leg well pressed against the third crutch. 
 
 On Brighton Downs, some years ago, I saw a young lady 
 thoroughly master a kicking horse in the manner above described, 
 accompanied, however, with a considerable amount of punisliment, 
 most resolutely applied with a formidable whalebone whip. No 
 second glance was necessary to perceive that in this case the lady was 
 well aware of the horse's propensity, and had come out for the pur- 
 
THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 121 
 
 pose of thoroughly taking it out of him, which certainly she did 
 effectually, and as he was a vicious-looking weedy thoroughbred, "it 
 served him right." 
 
 But I must again enter my protest against ladies running such 
 risks, however accomplished they may be as horsewomen. Let them 
 accept the respectful advice of a veteran, and avoid vicious horses. 
 Brutes that run back, plunge, rear, or kick from sheer vice (and 
 there are many that do) are fit only for the ridiag of the rougher 
 sex, and only of such of them as have the ill fortune to be compelled 
 to get their living by riding. The so-called plunging lessons above 
 alluded to, however, will give a lady a thorough insight into the orm 
 in which to ride in case of emergency. 
 
122 THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 
 
 CHAPTER XY. 
 
 The Hunting Field. • 
 
 "We enter now upon a new and important phase of our pupil's educa- 
 tion in the saddle. Before doing so, however, I feel bound to observe 
 that from time to time a vast amount of "twaddle" is ventilated on 
 the question of the propriety of ladies riding with hounds. All sorts 
 of absurd objections have been brought forward against the practice ; 
 as, for instance, that hunting as regards ladies is a mere excuse for 
 display and flirtation, and that it is both unfeminine and dangerous, 
 I believe that these objections, made by people who never knew the 
 glorious exhilaration of hunting, may be very briefly disposed of. I 
 reside where the very cream of the midland hunting is carried pn, 
 and I perceive that year after year the number of ladies of high rank 
 and social position who grace the field with their presence is on the 
 increase ; while to the best of my belief no female equestrians wl/o 
 are not ladies have been seen with hounds in Leicestershire or it& 
 vicinity for some years. So much for the stamp of woman that 
 hunts nowadays. 
 
 As regards flirtation and display, I am at a loss to understand why 
 anti-foxhunting cynics should have selected the covert side, or the 
 road to it, for their diatribes ; for there can be no time for flirting 
 when hounds are once away. It must be manifest to every man 
 who has the most remote notion of what manner of people our 
 aristocracy and gentry are, that they will only know at the covert 
 side precisely the same stamp of person they meet elsewhere in 
 society. In that society there are dinner parties, flower shows, balls, 
 the opera, all affording equal or better opportunities for flirtation than 
 the hunting field. As to hunting being unfeminine, it is difficult, I 
 
^ THE BAEB AND THE BRIDLE. 12S 
 
 submit, to pronomice it any more so than riding in Rotten-row. 
 And finally, as regards danger, I propose to show how it can be 
 rendered all but impossible if due care and forethought are exercised 
 by the male friends or relatives of the hunting lady. Let us now, 
 therefore, having traced out the course of instruction in the riding 
 school, on the road, and in the park, consider how safety is best 
 ensured to the beginner. 
 
 As regards the stamp of horse the fair debutante of the chase should 
 ride, I have already endeavoured to give my idea. I have only to 
 add that he should be very fit for his work, the pink of condition, 
 without being above himself ; and, finally, that no temptation as to 
 fine action or clever fencing should ever induce a lady to ride a 
 hunter that has a particle of vice about him. With the best of 
 piloting it is impossible always to keep her out of a crowd, where 
 she is in a woeful dilemma if mounted on a horse that kicks at 
 others. I have seen this more than once, and have heard expressions 
 from the suffering riders that must have been far from pleasing to 
 refined feminine ears. I must, however, record a special instance of 
 politeness under difficulties which I witnessed during the past season. 
 Hounds were running with a breast-high scent, the pace very fast, 
 when the leading division had their extended front diminished to 
 single file by a big bullfincher, practicable only in one place. Among 
 those waiting their turn to jump was a lady who always rides very 
 forward. She was mounted on a rare-shaped, blood-like animal, 
 that looked all over like seeing the end of a long day, but exhibited 
 considerable imjDatience at the check. In some cases, as all hunting 
 people know, the difficulty is always increased to those who are 
 compelled to wait by a ruck of riders crowding up from the rear. 
 The case I allude to was no exception to this rule, and among others 
 came a welter middle-aged gentleman, riding a horse quite up to his 
 weight — a grand hunting looking animal, that appeared intent upon 
 clearing every obstacle in his path, not excepting the unpatient ones 
 who were doing the gap in Indian file. The veteran, however, who 
 was a capital horseman, managed to pull up his too-eager steed just 
 in rear of the lady's horse, and was forthwith accommodated with a 
 most vicious kick with his near hind leg. Fortunately, the distance 
 
124 THE BAEB AND THE BRIDLE. 
 
 was too great to admit of the stout gentleman receiving the full 
 benefit of the intended favour, which nevertheless made his boot-top 
 rattle, and materially altered the genial expression of his rubicund 
 visage. Turning gracefully in her saddle, the fair votary of the 
 chase expressed her deep regret at the bad behaviour of her horse. 
 "I am very sorry — awfully sorry ; 1 hope you are not hurt," she 
 said, in a tone which ought to have consoled any middle-aged 
 sportsman for a broken shin. " I never knew him to do it before," 
 continued the lady. " Pray don't say a word, JSIiss," replied the old 
 gentleman, taking off his hat with a genuine thoroughbred air; 
 "don't say a word; they are only dangerous when they do it 
 behind." Whether they do it "behind" or "before," kick in a 
 crowd at other horses, or hit at hounds with their fore feet (as some 
 thoroughbreds will do when excited), they are equally disqualified 
 for ladies' hunters, however gaily they may sail over the turf or clear 
 the obstacles in their way. 
 
 To proceed with our lessons. Before venturing to take our 
 aspirant for the honours of the chase to a regular meet of foxhounds 
 — where she is apt to become excited, and possibly unnerved by the 
 imposing array of "pink," gallant horsemen, and aristocratic ladies 
 riding steeds of fabulous price, dashing equipages, and thrusting foot 
 people, always ready to embarrass a beginner — it is best to seek out 
 a quiet line nearly all arable land, where the fences will be small, 
 where there are few ditches to be met with, and where the going on 
 the stubble or fallow will be good enough when the crops are off the 
 ground. The pupil should wear a "hunting skirt" properly so 
 called — that is, one not too redundant, made of strong cloth, and 
 booted with leather about eight or ten inches wide round the bottom. 
 This is a very necessary precaution, because it prevents the skirt 
 from hanging up in the fences and getting torn. Hunting boots 
 also should be worn, back-strapped, tongued in at the foot, and 
 reaching nearly to the knee, the upper part made of thick but very 
 flexible leather — buckskin is the best. It is soft, and at the same 
 time thick enough to save the leg from a blow from a strong binder, 
 which occasionally hits very hard in its rebound, having been pre- 
 viously bent forward by somebody who has just jumped the fence. 
 
THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 125 
 
 A " Latchford " spur of the sort before described is also requisite^ 
 and the question of the arrangement of skirt necessary to enable the 
 rider to use the spur effectively has caused considerable diversity of 
 opinion among cognoscenti on hunting matters. Some ladies have 
 an opening made in the skirt, through which the shank of the spur 
 passes ; and in order to keep the latter in its place, it is usual to 
 have a couple of strings strongly stitched on to the inside of the 
 skirt. These are tied round the ankle, and prevent the skirt to a 
 great extent from getting foul of the spur. But this method 
 decidedly involves a certain amount of risk, because, in case of the 
 horse making a blunder and falling, the lady has not the free use of 
 her leg. Again, there is a method of letting the spur shank through 
 a small opening similar to a large eyelet hole, made of strong elastic, 
 and let into the skirt, the point of insertion having been previously 
 measured when the rider is in the saddle and her left leg and foot 
 are properly placed as regards the third crutch and stirrup. But a 
 still better way is that which I have seen adopted lately by severa 
 ladies who go very straight with hounds. It is as follows. After 
 the skirt has been carefully measured and marked (the lady up), an 
 opening is made perpendicularly, large enough to admit of the lady's 
 foot passing through it. This opening should be made about six or 
 eight inches above the place where the ankle will touch the skirt, 
 when the left leg is fairly stretched down, the knee bent, and the heel 
 sunk. AVhen the instructor has assisted his pupil into the saddle, 
 he should put her foot in the stirrup, and wait until she has care- 
 fully arranged her habit ; he should then take her foot out again, 
 and the lady should lift it high enough to enable her attendant ta 
 pass it through the opening. The foot can then be replaced in the 
 stirrup, and the spur buckled on. The upper leather (by the way) 
 should be broad and slightly padded. By these means the left foot 
 and the leg from six to eight inches above the ankle will be entirely 
 clear of the skirt, which will give the rider perfect freedom of action, 
 while the opening is not sufficiently wide to admit of the skirt being 
 blown clear of the leg. This, moreover, is prevented by the leather 
 booting ; in fact, in a well-made hunting skirt there should be no 
 slack cloth for the winds to play with at all. 
 
126 THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 
 
 The kind of whip to be used is the crop (without the thong) of a 
 hunting whip ; a Malacca crop is the best for a lady, because the 
 lightest. It should have a good crook to it, well roughened on the 
 outside, and be furnished, moreover, with a roughened nail head, in 
 order to prevent the crop slipping when the rider attempts to open 
 a gate. Gauntlet gloves with strong leather tops are best, because 
 they prevent the possibihty of the rider's hands being scratched or 
 injured in jumping a ragged fence ; but if the lady dislikes gauntlets, 
 the sleeve of the jacket should be made to fasten with three buttons 
 dose to the wrist, because the sleeves now so much in fashion, being 
 very wide at the wrist, are apt in taking a fence to catch and get 
 torn, in addition to the risk of the rider being pulled off her horse. 
 These casualties, which of coiu-se cannot occur with the clean-made 
 jump taken in the riding school, are likely enough to happen in the 
 field, and should be carefully guarded against. 
 
 As regards the shape and make of the jacket I have already said 
 so much, that I must leave it to the taste and figure of the rider, 
 always assmning that while she allows herseK plenty of freedom of 
 movement, she does not wear anything too loose, or any steel 
 supports about her, as for hunting these are highly dangerous. 
 
 As regards headgear, the same style of thing that sufficed for the 
 riding school may not be considered sufficiently effective for the 
 hunting field ; and, without venturing upon ground so delicate as an 
 opinion or even knowledge of ladies' "coiffure," I may say that at 
 Melton and other fashionable hunting centres there has for some 
 time existed an artful combination between the ladies' hat makers 
 and the hair dressers, by means of which that very elegant affair 
 the "Melton hat" is deftly fitted with an arrangement of hair 
 behind which is immovable, no matter where the wearer jumps in 
 hunting. The hairdresser's services are first called into requisition ; 
 possibly he imparts the " arcana " of his craft to the lady's maid; 
 but one or other succeeds in making such an arrangement of the 
 hair as renders it at once secure in riding and becoming to the style 
 of the lady herself. The hat with the hair attached behind is then 
 placed on the head, and secured by an invisible elastic band. Should 
 any of my readers desire information on these matters, so important 
 
THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 
 
 127 
 
 to a lady's comfort in the hunting field, I can furnish them with the 
 names of the people in Melton and elsewhere who can give them 
 -every detail. 
 
 Having our pupil accoutred as before described, and taken her to 
 a quiet farm, the instructor should pick out a line, start at a walk in 
 front of his charge, pop his horse quietly over the fences, and see 
 that his pupil does them with equal coolness and without rush or 
 liurry. When she can do this well, the pace should be increased to a 
 steady canter ; and the master riding beside her should be careful 
 that she steadies her horse three or four lengths before he takes off, 
 always riding him well into the bridle. 
 
 This kind of practice should be continued for some days, until 
 the pupil is quite at home at her work, and the master should then 
 proceed to instruct her as to the mode in which to make her horse 
 "crawl" through gaps and crooked, cramped places, and do "on 
 and off " jumps and doubles. The animal best adapted for this sort 
 of practice is one that is clever rather than fast. An Irish horse, 
 out of a ditch and bank country, is preferable. But the instructor 
 should take special care, by first doing these "on and off" jumps 
 "hi in self, to ascertain that the banks are sound; otherwise there is 
 danger of just the worst kind of fall a woman can have. We have 
 lately had a lamentable instance of this in the case of a noble lady, 
 one of the most brilhant horsewomen in England. 
 
 For my own part, I am entirely against a lady jumping her horse 
 in the field at any place where there can be the slightest doubt as to 
 good foothold, unless she is preceded by a man to pUot her. If the 
 latter gets down, he can always (assuming him to be a good work- 
 man) get clear of his steed, whereas at these rotten places a lady and 
 her horse are likely to fall "all of a heap," and injury greater or 
 less is a certainty to the rider. 
 
 Not long since I saw a little girl, about ten years old, riding with 
 hounds on a mite of a pony which was as clever as a monkey. The 
 little heroine took a line of her own (no doubt she knew the country 
 well), and kept her place among the foremost for some time ; pre- 
 sently she disappeared, and we found her impounded, pony and all, 
 up to the back of the latter in a piece of rotten ground which had 
 
128 THE BARB AKD THE BRIDLE. 
 
 lot them in like a "jack in the box." Neither the pony nor his 
 l)lucky little rider were hurt, but (as they say in Ireland) that was 
 more by good luck than good guiding. 
 
 I maintain that cliildren at that age should never be left in the 
 hunting field to their own devices, however well they may ride, and 
 that, either in their case or that of young ladies of riper age, they 
 should never be allowed to go with hounds, unless accompanied by 
 a man who is not only a thorough horseman and judge of hunting, 
 but is also well acquainted with the country he is riding over, and 
 accustomed to pilot ladies. 
 
 After the pupil has learned to make her horse " creep " in the 
 manner above described — to insure success in which, however, the 
 closest watching is necessary on the part of the instructor, and 
 directions requisite in each individual case, utterly impossible in 
 written general instructions — she should be carefully taught to open 
 gates for herself, because it is nearly sure hereafter to occur that she 
 may have to ride at a pinch in a country place where her route lies 
 through a line of bridle gates, and the attendance of a man to open 
 them for her may not be available. Nothing is easier than for a 
 lady to open a well-hung and well-latched gate, the hinges of 
 which are on the oif side. Bridle gates occur most frequently in 
 great grazing countries, such as Leicestershire, AVarwickshire, or 
 Northamptonshire, by reason of the necessity of confining cattle 
 within certain limits. The gates are generally heavy, well poised on 
 their hinges, and opening either with wooden latching or iron spring 
 ones, easily reached at the top. 
 
 K the gate is hung on the off side, all the lady has to do is to ride 
 her horse with his head in an oblique direction between the gatepost 
 and the gate, so that when she has the latter open she can continue 
 moving on in the same slanting direction. She should first press the 
 end of her crop down upon the latch, if it is a wooden one, keeping 
 herself perfectly upright in the saddle, and steadily seated in it. 
 Directly the latch lifts she should press firmly against it with the 
 rough crook, push the gate open, and press her horse onwards in the 
 same obhque direction, by which the animal's croup clears the gate 
 sooner, and all risk of its closing on him is avoided. If there is a 
 
THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 129 
 
 long iron spring latch to the gate, it must first be pulled open with 
 the crop, so that the latch rests against the hasp, and a steady pur- 
 chase must then be taken against the upper bar with the crop, and 
 the gate thus quietly pushed forward : this if it opens from the 
 rider. If the reverse, the horse's head should be kept perfectly 
 square close to the gate post, until the latch is lifted and rested on 
 the hasp. The gate should then be pulled open, and the horse's 
 head inclined just tlie reverse way to that adopted when the gate 
 opens front the rider. But in no case should she lean forward, or 
 put herself out of her balance, in order to get hold of the latch or 
 the gate itself, and she should be particularly careful that the reins 
 do not catch against the long iron hasps so common to the gates I 
 speak of. 
 
 Only last year, I met a lady who rides a good deal unattended 
 and, seeing her about to open a gate I knew to be rather an awkward 
 one, I trotted on to assist her ; but (possibly desiring to show me 
 that she could do it unassisted) she leant forward to give the gate a 
 lift, and in doing so she dropped the reins upon her horse's neck, 
 when the animal immediately hooked the headstall of a single curb 
 bridle upon a long iron hasp, and, finding himself fast to it, drew 
 back suddenly and broke the headstall, the bit fell out of his mouth, 
 and the lady (utterly helpless) had no alternative but to shp off as 
 quickly as possible. Fortunately, the animal was a very quiet one, 
 or the consequences might have been serious ; as it was, we managed 
 to change bridles, and, having sphced the broken one, went on our 
 separate ways. But, I repeat, one cannot be too careful or methodical 
 in opening gates. "When one opens from the jiear side, the reins must 
 be passed into the right hand, the crop into the left, and the greatest 
 care taken, if the gate opens to the rider, to push it well back behind 
 the horse's quarters before she movesr-on, riding with her horse's head 
 towards the hinges. When a near-side hung gate opens /rom the rider, 
 there is less difficulty, it being only necessary after lifting the latch to 
 push against the gate with the crop, sitting quite upright, and giving 
 swing enough to the gate to enable the rider to get clear of it. But 
 in either case, to or from, with a gate hung on the near side the latch 
 should first be lifted, by using the crop in the right hand, resting the 
 
 K 
 
130 THE BARB AND THE BIJIDLE. 
 
 latch if possible against the hasp, and then changing hands with the 
 crop and reins as before mentioned. If this is not done, and the 
 rider attempts to lift the latch with her left hand, she must change 
 the direction of her horse's head when the gate is open, at the great 
 risk of bringing it on his quarters. 
 
 These directions, like others I have ventured upon, may appear too 
 minute ; but it should be remembered that, whereas, carefully- 
 followed out, a lady on a steady horse accustomed to gates can 
 open them with safety, any carelessness may result in a bad accident, 
 because the steadiest horse, if "hung up" in a gate, will become 
 furious if he cannot instantly get clear of it. When, therefore, the 
 pupil is well practiced at this sort of work, and has learned to feel 
 her way in cramped places as well as to do her fences at a steady canter, 
 a fair half-speed gallop may be ventured on, the pupil setting her 
 horse going, and pressing him if necessary with the spur, to take 
 his fences in his stride, the spur being used, however, some distance 
 from the fence. The master should ride beside his pupil in this 
 lesson, carefully watching the pace of the horse and the action of the 
 rider. A nice easy line of about a couple of miles should be taken, 
 and the pace maintained throughout. A month of this kind of 
 practice will form a capital introductory step to hunting : and when, 
 in the mild misty mornings of russet-brown October, foxhounds begin 
 to beat up the quarters of the vulpine juveniles, abjuring her "beauty 
 sleep," the lady may with advantage, before the " early village cock 
 proclaims the dawn," don her hunting habiliments, and, under the 
 careful tutelage of her "pilot," trot off to covert and see the 
 " beauties " knock the cubs about. 
 
 This is by far the best way to begin hunting in reality. There 
 are very few people about at that early hour, and those only who 
 are thorough enthusiasts about the sport ; consequently there is 
 more time for the new votary of Diana to get accustomed to the 
 alteration in her horse's form of demeaning himself. For be it known 
 to the uninitiated that even an old horse, that requires kicking and 
 hammering along a road when ridden alone, is quite a different 
 animal and mover the instant he sees the hounds, and will show 
 an amomit of vivacity perhaps very little expected by his rider ; 
 
THE BAEB AND THE BRIDLE. 131 
 
 while a well-bred young one requires a great deal of riding on such 
 occasions. 
 
 The short bursts sometimes obtained in " cub hunting" are capital 
 practice for a lady ; while occasionally a veteran fox, some wily old 
 purloiner of poultry, affords a good twenty or five-and-twenty 
 minutes, even when the fences are blind. I recommend our pilot, 
 liowever, to keep his charge out of these latter matters, for blind 
 jumping is always bad for a lady. 
 
 As regards taking a beginner out with harriers, I am against it. 
 It is very well for invalids or corpulent gentlemen who are " doing 
 a constitutional ; " but it teaches a young lady nothing of what is 
 really meant by hunting — which, however, she is in a first-rate 
 position to learn with the cubs. 
 
 Staghimtmg with a deer turned out from a cart and caught with a 
 whipthong, is equally inefficacious, because the hunting as a rule 
 only commences when the run is over. Moreover, there is always a 
 crowd of people who come out for riding only, and care notliing about 
 hunting, and these are the most likely to get into a lady's way, and 
 bring her to grief. 
 
 The same may be said of drag hunting, which I hold to be no place 
 for a lady, any more than steeplechasing. 
 
 Let us then, legitimately to inaugurate our pupil into the usages 
 and forms of hunting proper, stick to cub hunting until November 
 opens the fences and gives her a chance to prove the value of her 
 previous instruction. 
 
 Before closing this article, I cannot refrain from citing an instance 
 of the great value of a lady learning to cross the country well, 
 irrespective of the sport of foxhunting and its health-giving and 
 exhilarating effects. Within ten miles of where I write this resides a 
 lady, young, wealthy, and beautiful, who, although not a religious 
 recluse^ is as thorough and sincere a devotee of religion as any 
 cloistered nun. Her whole time is spent in acts of charity, and 
 ministering to the spiritual and bodily welfare of the poor for miles 
 round her residence. No weather is too inclement, no night too 
 dark, to stop her on her errands of mercy and charity. If sum- 
 moned even at the dead of night to attend the bedside of a sick or 
 
 K 2 
 
132 THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 
 
 dying person, as frequently happens, she will dress herself quickly 
 in rough habiliments suitable to it — maybe in tempestuous weather 
 — saddle and bridle a horse herself if her people are not quick 
 enough for her, and, provided with cordials, a prayer book, and a 
 long hunting crop, she will gallop off the nearest way to her desti- 
 nation, taking the fences, if they lie in the road, as they come ; 
 and one bright moonlight night I saw her do two or three places 
 that would stop half the men that ride to houiids hereabouts. This 
 lady, who may fairly and without exaggeration be called the 
 "ministering angel" of the district, does not, it is true, hunt now ; 
 but it was in riding to hounds that she acquired her wonderful 
 facility of getting over the country. 
 
 The above is no sensational story. The lady, her brilliant riding,, 
 her true religion, and her charities, are well known, and can be 
 vouched for by hundreds of people in this part of the world. Who 
 shall say after this that hunting is unfeminine ? 
 
 I have a word more to add, according to promise, as regards the 
 fitting of the circular bit. 
 
 This bit, which can always be procured at Messrs. Davis's, 
 saddler, 14, Strand, is fitted in the horse's mouth above the mouth- 
 piece of a snaffle or Pelham bridle. It has a separate head- 
 stall, and is put on before the ordinary bridle. It requires no 
 reins, is secured by a standing martingale to a breastplate, and 
 is a certain remedy for horses flirting or rearing when too fresh 
 (which, however, I repeat, for a lady's riding should never be 
 allowed). 
 
 The strap between the breastplate and the ring bit should be just 
 long enough to enable the horse to move freely forward, without 
 liberty enough to admit of his rearing. 
 
 In the next chapter I will endeavour to describe what regular hunt- 
 ing for a lady means ; point out the readiest way of getting to our 
 most fashionable packs of hounds ; and how ladies residing even in the 
 metropolis may enjoy a day or two of good sport on this fine grass 
 country at the least necessary expense, may witness and enjoy 
 hunting in its perfection, and, if requisite, may breakfast in May- 
 fair or Belgravia, have a glorious gaDop over the Midland pastures,. 
 
THE BAEB AND THE BRIDLE. 133 
 
 and return to a late dinner. Of course I am aware that neither of 
 the above-named localities is likely to hold many hunting ladies in 
 November. But the fashionable quarters of London are not deserted 
 in February, and spring hunting is perhaps after all the most 
 enjoyable. 
 
134 THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 
 
 CHAPTER XYI. 
 
 The Hunting Field {continued). 
 
 Among the many advantages aiforded by tlie " iron road " to lovers. 
 of hunting there is none more appreciable than the facility it affords 
 to those who reside in a non-foxhmiting country of getting to hounds 
 with ease and rapidity. 
 
 AYithout any greater inconvenience than the necessity of early 
 rising, a lady who lives in Tyburnia or Belgravia may easily enjoy 
 a day's hunting in Warwickshire or Leicestershire, and be in her 
 own home again in reasonable time in the evening. 
 
 During the early spring hunting of the present year, several 
 ladies came to Market Harborough and Melton on these sporting 
 expeditions, and returned the same day thoroughly satisfied. 
 
 One party, consisting of three ladies and as many gentlemen,, 
 seemed to me to have been admirably organised, and to be quite a 
 success throughout. 
 
 They left Saint Pancras at eight o'clock in the morning, in a 
 saloon carriage, arrived at Melton at half -past ten, and were at the 
 meet at eleven, with military punctuality. They enjoyed a capital 
 day with the Quorn hounds, left Melton at haK-past six, after 
 riding a considerable distance back, and arrived in town at nine 
 o'clock. 
 
 A novel and agreeable feature in the arrangement was that the 
 party dined in their luxurious carriage while being whirled back to- 
 the metropohs, a first-class dinner and the best of wines having 
 been furnished from the hotel, and served in admirable form. After 
 the journey and the sport one of the ladies (I was told) held a 
 
THE BAKB AND THE BRIDLE. 135 
 
 numerously attended and fashionable reception at her own house 
 the same evening ; and with a brougham in waiting at St. Pancras, 
 and a pair of fast horses, joined to the wonderful " smartness" (if I 
 may be permitted the expression) displayed by the fair and aris- 
 tocratic votary of Diana in the field, I should think the thing quite 
 possible as regarded time. 
 
 The above-named party was mounted at Melton by some friends ; 
 but, by giving fair notice, thoroughly good and well-made hunters 
 can always be secured by any of the Midland hunting centres by 
 those who do not care to rail their own horses from London, 
 Market Harborough is still more accessible than Melton, being but 
 two hours from London, and situated in the centre of a splendid 
 grass country, hunted by Mr, Tailbj ; while a smart trot of eight 
 miles would bring the sporting voyageur to Kilworth Sticks and the 
 Pytchley, provided the right day was selected. Rugby, too, is 
 equally accessible, and boasts a fair hotel, where the charges are 
 not more extortionate than they are at Harborough, which is saying 
 a good deal. The hunting in the vicinity of Rugby, however, amply 
 compensates for a little overdoing in the matter of charges. 
 
 It is scarcely possible to go to Rugby the wrong day to get at 
 hounds within a reasonable distance, and some of the meets of that 
 admirable pack, the North Warwickshire, are frequently at such 
 picturesque and convenient try sting places as Bilton Grange — now 
 celebrated by the Tichborne trial, and sworn to as the place where 
 the " Claimant " was not. However this may be, a straight- 
 necked and wily gentleman is generally to be found at home, 
 either in the plantations of the grand old demesne or close by at 
 Bunker's Hill or Cawston Spinney, who is tolerably certain to 
 lead the claimants for his brush a merry dance across the glorious 
 grass country to Barby, Shuckborough, or Ashby St. Leger. 
 The fences, too, in this part of the IMidlands are just the thing for a 
 lady's hunting, and, while quite big enough in most cases to require 
 a little doing, they are by no means so formidable as those in High 
 Leicestershire and the Quorn country. The old-fashioned buUfincher 
 is rare, and double ox fences equally so, while there is a pretty 
 variety of nice stake-and-binders, pleached hedges, and fair-water 
 
136 THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 
 
 jumping, with an occasional flight of rails, big enough to prove that 
 the fair equestrian's hunter can do a bit of timber clean and clever. 
 In fact, I know no coimtry I would as soon select for a young lady 
 to commence regular hunting in as that in the vicinity of Rugby. 
 Combe Abbey, Misterton, and Coton House are all sweetly English, 
 as well as thoroughly sporting places of meeting, and the truly 
 enjoyable trot or canter over the springy turf, which everywhere 
 abounds by the roadside in these localities, and makes the way to 
 covert so pleasant, has more than once been pronounced by hunting 
 critics to be more desirable than hunting itself in parts of England 
 where the road is all "Macadam," and the land plough, copiously 
 furnished with big flint stones, such as one sees in Hampshire. 
 Apropos of which charming country there is a sporting tale prevalent 
 in this real home of the hunter. 
 
 A rich, middle-aged, single gentleman, a thorough enthusiast 
 about foxhunting, had a nephew, a very straight-going youngster, 
 who the "prophetic soul" of his uncle had decided should one day 
 be the man of the country in the hunting field, and second to 
 none over our biggest country ; and, to enable "Hopeful" to lead 
 the van, the veteran mounted him on horses purchased regardless 
 of expense. Furthermore, determined that no casualty in the way 
 of breaking his own neck should suddenly deprive his favourite 
 nephew of the golden sinews of the chase, the old Nimrod made a 
 very proper will, leaving all his large property to his fortunate 
 young relative. 
 
 Things, indeed, looked rosy enough for our young sportsman. 
 Youth, health, wealth, a capital seat, and fine hands upon his horse, 
 any quantity of pluck, a thorough knowledge of hunting, and plenty 
 of the best horses to carry him — who could desire more? Alas 
 that it should be so ! even the brightest sunshine may become over- 
 cast — the fairest prospect be marred — by causes never dreamt of by 
 the keenest and most far seeing among us. 
 
 At the termination of a capital season in the IVIidland, our 
 youngster, not content to let well alone, and, like that greedy boy 
 Oliver still "asking for more," unknown to his worthy uncle, 
 betook himself to the New Forest in Hampshire. 
 
THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 137 
 
 "Hopefiil" was a sharp fellow enough, and he did not believe 
 that all was gold that glittered ; but he was under a very decided 
 impression that wherever there was a good open stretch of green 
 level turf it was safe to set a horse going." Alas! the luckless 
 young sportsman was not aware that in the New Forest this is by- 
 no means a certainty, and one day, when riding to some staghounds, 
 determined to "wipe the eye" of the field, he jumped a big place 
 which nobody else seemed to care for, and, taking his horse by the 
 iead, set him sailing along the nearest way to the hounds. A lovely 
 piece of emerald-green turf was before him ; he clapped his hat 
 firmly on, put down his hands, and, regardless of wild cries in his 
 rear, made the pace strong. Suddenly and awfully as the Master 
 of Ravens wood vanished from the sight of the distracted Caleb 
 Balderstone and was swallowed up in the Kelpie's Flow, so disap- 
 peared "Hopeful" and his proud steed; both were engulfed in a 
 treacherous bog, and, before either horse or man could be extricated, 
 " the pride of the Shires " was smothered in mud beneath his horse. 
 
 Next season, at a "coffee-housing" by a spinney side, where 
 hounds were at work, an old friend of the bereft uncle ventured to 
 condole with him on his loss. 
 
 " Sad business," he said, shaking his old hunting chum warmly 
 by the hand ; " sad business that about poor Charlie down in 
 Hampshire ! " 
 
 " Sad, indeed," replied the veteran uncle, returning the friendly 
 squeeze. "Who would have thought my sister's son would have 
 ever done such a thing? Staghunting was bad enough," he con- 
 tinued, as the irrepressible tear coursed down his furrowed cheek ; 
 " staghunting was bad enough, but to go at it in Hampsliire — I 
 shall never get over it. As to his being smothered, of course that 
 served him perfectly right." 
 
 Turning, however, from the above melancholy instance of degene- 
 racy in sport to the pleasanter theme of the right locale in which a 
 lady should commence foxhunting, I must not forget Leamington, 
 the neighbourhood of which beautiful and fashionable watering 
 place affords some capital sport to those who delight in " woodland 
 hunting." The woods at Princethorpe, Frankton, and the vicinity, 
 
138 THE BAEB AND THE BRIDLE. 
 
 hold some stout foxes that afford many a nice gallop, while the 
 country is rideable enough for a lady if she keeps out of the woods. 
 
 Leamington, too, has first-rate accommodation for hunting people. 
 There are, indeed, no better hotels to be met with anywhere than 
 the "Regent" or the "Clarendon," or more moderate charges for 
 first-class houses; while the "Crown" and the "Bath" afford 
 capital quarters for gentlemen, and ample provision for doing their 
 horses well. 
 
 The charming Spa, moreover, is at an easy distance from Rugby, 
 and by railing a horse to the latter place, ready access can be had to 
 hunting in the open country, six days in the week. 
 
 My advice, then, to young ladies, who desire to witness foxhunting 
 in perfection, is to select one of the above-named localities, and to- 
 put herself at once under the guardianship in the field of a thoroughly 
 good pilot who knows the country. 
 
 Words of advice to the latter are superfluous. All the men who 
 undertake the responsible office of guiding a lady after hounds 
 hereabouts are quite at home at their business, and it may be 
 satisfactory to my fair readers to know, that, although there are a 
 great number of ladies riding regularly with hounds in the North 
 Warwickshire, Pytchley, and Atherstone country, no accident 
 attended with injury to a lady rider has occurred within my 
 recollection, which extends over a long series of years. 
 
 The initiation at cub hunting will have given our pupil confidence, 
 and accustomed her to the excitement shown more or less by every 
 horse at the sight of hounds ; and careful attention to the rules of 
 jumping before laid down will insure safety if she adheres carefully 
 to her pilot's line. It is as well, however, that she should understand 
 wherein consists the reason for what her hunting guide does, and 
 what should be done and left undone, from the time of arrival at the 
 meet until the retour de cJiasse. 
 
 In the first place, then, while her mentor will of course see to her 
 girths and horse appointments before a start is made to draw a 
 covert, the lady should carefully look to her own dress, head gear^ 
 &c., and be certain that everything is in its place, and shows no- 
 signs of giving way. But if anything chances to be out of order — • 
 
THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 139 
 
 if she has ridden to the meet any considerable distance — it is best to 
 dismount and repair damages at once. As a rule, there are always 
 houses available for this, and nimble-fingered dames zealous in the 
 service of any lady who desires their assistance. 
 
 When the fair votary of the chase travels to the meet on wheels, 
 I recommend her by all means the use of a warm overcoat, of 
 which the Ulster is very convenient, and was very much worn for 
 the above purpose last season. In proceeding from the meeting- 
 place to the covert a great thing is to keep out of the crowd — no 
 matter how well-behaved a horse the rider may be on — because in a 
 ruck there is always more or less danger of her being kicked herself 
 The most likely position for a good start will of course be selected 
 by the pilot ; but it should be remembered that to be quiet while 
 hounds are at work in covert is a fixed law of the hunting code ; to 
 avoid heading a fox when he breaks away, another vital point ; and 
 no exclamation of surprise or wonder should be allowed to escape 
 the lij)s, even if a fox (as I have seen happen more than once) 
 should run between the horses' legs. Foxes, though it may be 
 assumed that they all possess a large amount of craft and cunning, 
 differ as much in nerve and courage as other animals ; and while 
 one will sometimes dash through a little brigade of mounte<l 
 people, the shout of a small boy on foot may turn him back ; and 
 while Reynard, again, will frequently rush off close to a lady's 
 horse and take no notice of either him or his rider if both remain 
 quiet, the waving of a handkerchief, or even the slightest move- 
 ment of the lady on her steed, may cause Sir Pug to alter his mind, 
 and thus a good thing may be spoilt. For the foregoing reasons, 
 therefore, to be perfectly quiet and remain steady, if near a possible 
 point at which a fox can break away, is indispensable. When 
 hounds are settling on his track great -care should be taken to avoid 
 getting in their road, or in any way interfering with them. After 
 they have settled, the object should be to go ivell to the front and 
 keep there — first, because the greatest enjoyment in hunting, viz., 
 seeing the hounds work, is by that means attained ; and, secondly, 
 whenever there is a check, a lady riding well forward gets all the 
 benefit of it for her horse, whereas those who lose groimd at the 
 
140 THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 
 
 start, and have to follow on the line, keep pounding away without 
 giving their horses a chance of catching their wind — a very material 
 thing in a quick run. 
 
 A check of a few minutes, affording a good horse time, has 
 enabled many a one to stay to the end of the longest run, when an 
 equally good animal has been " pumped " in the same thing for want 
 of such a respite from his exertions. 
 
 Again, a great point to be observed is to maintain such a position 
 as will enable the rider to turn with the hounds at the right 
 moment ; resolutely resisting any temptation in order to cut off 
 ground, to turn too soon, and risk spoiling sport by crossing their 
 line. 
 
 It should be remembered that it is quite as easy to jump the 
 fences when one is in the front rank, as it is when sculling along with 
 the rear guard, and much safer, because the ground always affords 
 better foothold and landing, when it has not been poached up by a 
 niunber of people jumping. This is especially the case after a frost, 
 when the going is at all greasy. 
 
 Even in cases when hounds slip an entire field, and get the fun all 
 to themselves, still those who get away well at first will have all the 
 best of the " stern chase." 
 
 If, fortunately, our fair tyro is well up when a fox is run into and 
 killed, she should carefully avoid getting too close to the hounds 
 when they are at their broken-up prey. There are always keen eyes 
 about that can discern on these occasions whether a lady has been 
 riding straight and well, and there will not be wanting some gallant 
 cavalier to offer her the tribute due to her " dash " and good work- 
 manship, in the shape of that coveted trophy of the chase, the brush. 
 There may, however, be more than one lady up on these occasions (I 
 have seen several after very good things), and, as a rule, the brush is 
 most likely to be offered to the lady of the highest rank. These 
 trophies, therefore, are scarcely to be counted upon as a reward for 
 €ven the best and straightest riding — the less so as of late years it 
 has been observed that in most cases a very stout and straight- 
 necked fox succeeds in eluding his pursuers, and " lives to fight 
 another day." 
 
THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 14 1 
 
 In beginning regular hunting, one good run in a day for a lady 
 should suffice for some little time. In November the days are very 
 short, and often enough a fox started after three o'clock will be 
 running strong when darkness comes on. For a lady, and a beginner 
 especially, it is best to leave off and trot quietly home while there is 
 yet dayhght. 
 
 As regards "get up" or equipment, I must add to my former 
 suggestions that a lady for the hunting field should be provided 
 always with a waterproof overcoat, which should be rolled up in as 
 small a compass as possible, and is better carried by her pilot or her 
 second horseman (if she has one out) than attached by straps to the 
 off-side flap of her own saddle ; as, in addition to spoiling the 
 symmetry of the saddle on that side, I have seen instances of 
 things so attached hanging up in ragged fences, no matter how care- 
 fully they may have been put on. 
 
 A sandwich case and flask are highly necessary also. Hunting is 
 a wonderful promoter of appetite, and it is not beneficial to a young 
 lady's health to go from early breakfast to late dinner time without 
 refreshment ; while it is quite possible — nay, very probable in a grass 
 country — that she may be a long way from head-quarters when she 
 leaves the hounds, and in a part where refreshment for a lady cannot 
 be had for love or money. 
 
 The Melton people have met this requirement very efficiently. 
 Thus, into a very flat, flexible flask, with a screw-cup top, they put 
 a most succulent liquid, composed of calves' foot jelly and sherry. 
 This flask is accompanied by a very neat little leather case, which 
 contains half a dozen nice biscuits, or, in some instances, a small 
 pasty, composed of meat. These cases, with the flask, are made 
 to fit into the pocket of the saddle on the off-side under the hand- 
 kerchief, and the flap of the pocket is secured by a strap and buckle. 
 
 To roU a waterproof neatly, the following plan is the best : Lay 
 the garment down flat, opened out, on a table, the inside upwards ; 
 turn the collar in first, then turn the sleeves over to the inside, 
 laying them flat ; next turn in both sides of the coat from the collar 
 downwards, about eight or ten inches ; then turn in the bottom of 
 the garment about the same distance, when it will form a pocket. 
 
142 THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 
 
 One person should hold this steady while another rolls the collar end 
 very tightly up towards the pocket ; it will then fit into it so closely 
 as to make a very small and compact roll of the whole coat. 
 
 I must not omit to say that, in addition to the first-rate hunting 
 to be had in the Midlands, there is some good sport with hounds 
 obtainable nearer the metropolis, namely, in the Vale of Aylesbury, 
 witli that noble patron of sport, Baron Rothschild. But still I 
 must award the palm to Leicestershire, Warwickshire, and North- 
 amptonshire as far away superior to anythmg in the hunting way 
 to be seen in any other part of England. In whatever part, how- 
 ever, the fair lover of hunting seeks her sport, she should bear in 
 mind that when she is once away with hounds she cannot be too 
 particular as to riding her horse with the utmost care and precision, 
 and to avoid taking liberties with him by jumping big places for the 
 sake of display. It cannot be too strenuously impressed upon her 
 mentor that, as long as the true line to the hounds can be main- 
 tained, the less jumping that is done, the longer the horse will last ; 
 that one big jump takes as much out of him as galloping over three 
 big fields ; and that he should be ridden every inch of the way, because 
 when hounds get off with a good scent it is impossible to say that 
 they may not keep on running for a couple of hours, in which case, 
 if too much is done with him at first, he wiU inevitably, to use a 
 racing phrase, " shut up." 
 
 The light weight of most hunting ladies is a point in favour of the 
 horse ; but it is more than counterbalanced by the absence of sup- 
 port which a man who rides well can give with the right leg. It is 
 the absence of this support in the case of a lady's horse, however 
 well ridden, that causes him to tire sooner than he would if ridden 
 by a gentleman ; and hence the necessity in selecting a horse to carry 
 a woman with hounds for having not only staying power, but two 
 or three stone in hand. Nevertheless, although unable to give to 
 the animal as much help as can be afforded by a gentleman, ladies 
 can do much by the exercise of that tact and judgment which is their 
 peculiar gift. 
 
 Every lady who hunts is sure to be more or less an enthusiast 
 iibout horses, and is always, according to my experience, ready to 
 
THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. , 143 
 
 adopt any siiggestioa which tends to their well doing, I therefore 
 venture to point one or two matters which I trust will be found 
 useful. 
 
 In the first place, when the hounds have settled to their fox and 
 people have shaken themselves into their places, the fair rider in 
 her early essays in the field should bestow her principal attention 
 upon the animal, upon ^vhich depends much of her sport. With a 
 ^ood man by her side, she will run no risk from thrusting neigh- 
 bours, and although she cannot too soon begin to have " one eye 
 for the hounds and another for the horse," it is the latter w^hich 
 demands all her energies. The whole business is exciting. The 
 genuine dash, the vigour, the reality, that is so striking to a novice 
 when hounds come crashing out of covert, through an old wattle, 
 or bounding over a strong fence; the up-ending and plunging of 
 impatient young horses, the brilliant throng of fashionable eques- 
 trians, the rattle of the turf under the horses' feet as they stride 
 away — all these, or any of them, are quite sufficient to warm up 
 even old blood, and are certain to send that of the young going at 
 such a pace that all rule and method in riding is very apt to be 
 forgotten, or thrust aside in the eager desire " to be first." 
 
 It is just at tliis critical moment that I w^ould advise my fair 
 readers to lay to heart the necessity of controlling their excitement, 
 because it is at such a time that a horse, especially at the beginning 
 of the season (if allowed), -will "take out of himself" just what he 
 wdll want hereafter, assuming a stout fox that means business to be 
 to the front. A soothing w^ord or two, and " making much" of the 
 excited steed, will generally cause him to settle in his stride and cease 
 romping ; whereas, if the rider is excited as well as the horse, we have 
 oil upon fire at once. Again, it cannot be too forcibly impressed 
 upon ladies riding with hounds that the latter require plenty of room 
 to rrork. 
 
 " Place aux dames " is a rule rigidly observed by gentlemen in the 
 hunting field Room for the hounds should form an equally invio- 
 lable law with ladies in the same place. And it is the more necessary 
 to impress this upon beginners, because many a first-rate man who 
 pilots ladies, although bold as a lion over a country, and cautious to 
 
144 THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 
 
 a degree as to the line he takes for his fair compagnon de chasse, is 
 oftentimes far too modest to check her exuberant riding, and the 
 consequence is, many an anathema — not loud, but deep — is bestowed 
 upon both by exasperated masters and huntsmen. 
 
 Unlike the professional riding master, a first-rate pilot — such, I 
 mean, as is paid for his services — though well behaved and respectful, 
 is likely enough to lack much education, except such as he has 
 received in the saddle or on practical farming matters ; and his awe 
 of a lady, properly so called, is so considerable as to preclude his 
 exercise of the fortiter in re altogether, no matter how much his 
 charge is unwittingly infringing the rules of sport. 
 
 I saw an amusing instance of this not long ago. A lady, the 
 widow of a wealthy civil servant in India, having returned to her 
 native land laden with the riches of the East, being still young and 
 excessively fond of riding, purchased a stud of first-class hunters^ 
 took a nice little hunting box in Leicestershire for the season, and 
 engaged the services of a very good man to pilot her. As a rule every 
 lady rides in India — some of them ride very well ; but a rattling 
 gallop at gun fire, in the morning, over the racecourse at Ghindee or 
 Bangalore, is quite a diiferent matter to a gallop with the Pytchlej 
 hounds. The " Bebe sahib" (great lady) had no idea, mounted as 
 she was, of anybody or anything (bar the fox) being in front of her. 
 And be it known to those who have never been in India that " great 
 ladies" there are ''bad to talk to," being in the habit pretty much 
 of paying very little attention to anything in the way of counsel 
 coming from their subordinates. Our Indian widow was no 
 exception. So she did all sorts of outrageous things in the field in 
 riding in among the hounds — and, indeed, before them — to the 
 disgust of the master and everybody else, including her pilot, who in 
 her case was certainly no mentor — but the latter was too well paid 
 to risk offending the peccant lady ; he ventured a gentle hint or two, 
 and, being snubbed, gave it up for a bad job. 
 
 He was so severely rated, however, by the masters of hounds in 
 the district — one of whom declared he would take them home 
 directly he saw the lady and her pilot with them — that the latter 
 was fairly at his wits' end to know how to keep the too dashing 
 
\ 
 
 THE BARB AND TEE BRIDLE. 145 
 
 widow within bounds. Sorely puzzled, he sat in his spacious 
 chimney nook one night smoking his pipe in moody silence, his wife 
 knitting opposite him. 
 
 "What's the matter, John?" began his spouse. "Matter!" he 
 replied; "it's enough to drive a man mad; Mrs. Chutnee's going 
 again to-morrow, and, as sure as fate, she'll ride over the hounds 
 or do something, and get one into trouble." 
 
 "What makes her go on so, John?" again inquired the cara 
 sposa. — " Go on ! it is go on : I think that the name for it. Go on 
 over everything ! no fence is too big for her. I like her for that, 
 but she never knows when to stop. Last week she knocked an old 
 gentleman over, and he lost a spick span new set of teeth as cost, I 
 dare say, a matter of twenty guineas ; and the day before yesterday 
 she lamed a hound as was worth a lot of money, to say nothing of 
 hurting the poor brute. I don't know what to be at with her, and 
 that's a fact, because, barring her going so fast, she is the best- 
 hearted lady ever I see." 
 
 And John relapsed into silence, blowing mighty clouds of smoke, 
 while his wife plied her knitting-needles. But a woman's wit, in 
 difficult cases, is proverbial ; and in the watches of the night a 
 bright notion, based upon knowledge of her own sex, flashed upon 
 the anxious mind of the snoring John's wife. The result was as 
 follows. Next morning, true to time, John was in attendance to 
 accompany the fair widow to the field. They had some distance 
 to ride to covert, and after a smart spurt of a mile or two on 
 the sward, the lady pulled her horse up to walk up a hill. 
 
 "John," said the lady (who was in high spirits), "what do people 
 here think of my riding?" — "Well, some thinks one thing, and 
 some thinks another," was the reply. 
 
 "That's no answer," observed the- fair interlocutor; "what do 
 they say? that is the thing. I know one thing they can't say; 
 none of them can say they can stop me over any part of the country, 
 no matter how big it is." 
 
 Opportunity, says some wise man, is for him who waits. Now 
 was John's opportunity to avail himself of his clever little wife's 
 bright idea. 
 
146 THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 
 
 "Stop you, my lady! no, that's just what they do all say; and 
 what's more, they say you can't stop yourself — that you ain't got no 
 hands, and your horse takes you just where he pleases, if it's even 
 right over the hounds." 
 
 The " Bebe sahib " was bitterly chagrined, for she prided herself 
 justly upon her capital hands upon a horse. She was silent for a 
 few minutes, and then she said, " I want you to tell me what to do^ 
 just to let these people know, as you do, that I have hands." — 
 " Then I will tell you," my lady, said John, brightening up. "Just 
 you do this : when the hounds get away, you let me go first, and 
 keep your horse about a hundred yards behind me. I'll pick out a 
 line big enough, I'll warrant, and that will show them all about your 
 seat and your jumping. Then about the hands ; if you please, 
 w^henever I pull up, you do the same. They say as you can't stop 
 your horse, you know." 
 
 " Can't I?" said the little lady, " can't stop my horse when I like! 
 I'U let them see that. Can't stop ! I should like to know what a 
 woman can't do if she makes up her mind to do it." 
 
 John's wife was a capital judge ; there was no more riding over 
 hounds or disarranging of elderly gentlemen's teeth. But the " Bebe 
 sahib " has taken me to the extremity of my space, and I must pull 
 up, reserving further observations and suggestions on the himting 
 field for my next chapter. 
 
THE BAKE AND THE BRIDLE. 147 
 
 CHAPTER XYII. 
 
 The Hunting Field (continued). 
 
 On reading my previous observations on Fox-hunting, it may occur 
 to many ladies that in order to enjoy the sport, great nerve 
 and physical power, as well as a thorough knowledge of the 
 principles of equitation and long practice, are indispensable, and that 
 in default of either of the above qualifications they ought not to 
 venture into the field. This, however, would be an extreme view 
 of the case. It is quite true that to go straight to hounds and take 
 the country and the fences as they come it is necessary that a lady 
 should be in vigorous health, as well as a thoroughly accomplished 
 horsewoman. But, gTant the latter condition, those of even more 
 delicate constitutions, and consequently lacking the nerve and 
 strength to take a front-rank place and keep it, niay still participate 
 to a great extent in all the enjoyable and healthy excitement of the 
 chase, if they follow it out in a grass country), and put themselves 
 xmder the guidance of a man who knows that country well. 
 
 It cannot be too generally known to those who are not strong 
 enough to sail away with the hounds over big fence or yawning brook 
 that one great advantage as regards hunting afforded by a grass 
 country is that a lady who is attended by a man well up at the 
 topography of the district can generally find her way through easilyi 
 opened bridle gates from point to point, from whence, throughout 
 the best part of even a long day. she can witness and enjoy the 
 sport, although she is not with the hounds ; and this without 
 pounding on the macadam and shaking her horse's legs ; for all our 
 Leicestershire roads are set, as it were, between borders of green ^ 
 velvet in the hunting season. All that is necessary to a most enjoy- 
 able day (if it is fine) is a horse that can get over the ground in 
 
 L 2 
 
148 THE BAEB AND THE BRIDLE. 
 
 tiptop form — a good bred one that can gallop and stay. On such a 
 one, lots of grand hunting may be seen if it cannot be done by even 
 a timid lady who dare not essay jumping. 
 
 Turning, however, from the dehcate and timid to those whose 
 health and physique enable them to hold their own in the front 
 rank, I venture to point out a possible casualty that may happen in 
 himting, which, although not of frequent occurrence, may easily be- 
 attended with dangerous results if the fair rider with hounds is 
 unacquainted with the means of counteracting it. I allude to the 
 possibility of a horse in crossing a ford, where the stream is rapid 
 and the bottom uneven, losing his footing. I have seen tliis occur 
 more than once, both to good men and to ladies, and the result was 
 not only an immersion over head and ears, but considerable danger 
 as well. This is easily to be prevented, as follows : The fact of a 
 horse losing his footing in deep water is at once apparent by his 
 making a half plunge, and commencing to swim, which instinct 
 teaches him to do directly he feels that he is out of his depth. At 
 such a moment, if the rider confines the horse, he will inevitably 
 roll over in his struggle. The great thing, therefore, on such an 
 occasion is at once to give him his head, quitting the curb rein 
 entirely, and scarcely feeling the snaffle, " while any attempt to- 
 guide the horse should be done by the slightest touch possible " 
 (see "Aid Book"). The reins should be passed into the right 
 hand, with which, holding the crop also, the rider should take a firm 
 hold of the upper crutch of the saddle. She should, at the same 
 time, with her left hand raise her skirt well up, disengage her left 
 leg (with the foot, however, still in the stirrup), and place it over 
 the tliird crutch. By these means she will avoid any risk of the, 
 horse striking her on the left heel with his near hind hoof, which 
 otherwise in his struggle he would be almost certain to do. If a 
 horse is left to himself he will swim almost any distance with the 
 greatest ease, even with a rider on his back ; and there is no more 
 difficulty in sitting on him in the form above named than in canter- 
 ing on terra Jirma. It is absolutely necessary, however, to get the 
 foot — and especially the stirrup — out of the way, otherwise there is 
 always danger of his entangling himself with them or with the 
 
THE BAEB AND THE BRIDLE. 149 
 
 skirt. \ATien the horse recovers his footing on the bottom he will 
 make another struggle, but the hold of the right hand upon the 
 pommel will always preserve the seat of the rider. To be quite safe 
 in such a predicament is simply a question of knowing what to do, 
 and having the presence of mind to do it quickly. To show that the 
 necessity for swimming a horse may occur to a lady as well as to a 
 gentleman the following case, I trust, will suffice. 
 
 Many years ago I was riding with a lady from the village of 
 Renteria en route to San Sebastian, in the north of Spain. The 
 way was round a couple of headlands, between which was a deep 
 bay, running up to the hamlet of Lezo. This bay was all fine sand 
 up to some low but rather precipitous cliffs at the head of the inlet, 
 but at the extremity of either headland careful riding was requisite 
 by reason of rough rocky places. On the occasion I allude to the 
 tide was flowing when we rounded the first point. Having been 
 long accustomed to the place, however, we both considered that we 
 had ample time safely to turn the other extremity of the bay ; but a 
 lively spring tide, aided by a brisk north-easterly wind, caused the 
 sea, running in through the narrow gut of " Passages," to increase 
 in velocity to such an extent that we were completely out in our 
 reckoning. Seeing the tide gaining rapidly on us, we set our horses 
 going at top speed over the level sand, racing (as it were) with the 
 *' hungry waters " for the distant point. When we neared it, how- 
 ever, I saw at once that it was hopeless to attempt rounding 
 it, for our horses were already above the girths in water, keeping 
 their feet with difficulty on the level sand, and I knew that* to try 
 to keep them on their legs on the shelving and rocky bottom at the 
 extremity of the point would result in their rolling over us. There 
 was nothing, therefore, for it but to try back, endeavour to regain 
 the head of the inlet, and make the attempt, however difficult, to 
 clamber up the steep but still sloping face of the cliff. Long before 
 we reached our point, however, both horses were swimming ; but they 
 made scarcely a perceptible struggle in doing so, as the rising water 
 lifted them from the level sand bodily off their feet. The lady (who 
 was at first a little fliu'ried) lost no time in getting her habit and her 
 leg out of the way of mischief, and quickly regaining her nerve laid 
 
150 THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 
 
 fast hold of the saddle, and laughing, declared it was " capital fun."" 
 I confess, on her account, and that of the horses, I did not think so ; 
 but encouraged her in her fearlessness. We gave the horses their 
 heads, and they struck out bravely towards the cliff. As soon as 
 they recovered their footing, the lady, having been previously 
 cautioned to extricate her foot from the stirrup, shpped off her horse, 
 the water taking her up to her waist. I lost no time in following her 
 example, and turning the horses loose, we drove them at the sharp 
 and slippery incline up the hill. Both horses scrambled up, with no 
 further damage than the breaking of a bridle ; but to get the lady 
 (encmnbered as she was with her wet garments) up the steep hillside 
 Was a task I have not forgotten to this day. The face of the cliff was 
 studded with patches of gorse here and there, which assisted us 
 certainly at the expense, of my companion, of severely scratched 
 hands and torn gloves. But the ground was so slippery that our 
 •vi^et boots caused us continually to slip back, both of us in this 
 rfespect being at a great disadvantage with the horses, whose iron 
 shoes and corkings enabled them to obtain better foothold. Partly, 
 hbwever, by dragging, partly by cheering the lady to persevere, 
 I succeeded in gaining the level ground with her, while the sea broke 
 lA heavy, noisy surges below, and sent the spray flying over us. The 
 lidy, who had borne up bravely so far, fainted from reaction when 
 we gained the level sward, where the horses were grazing quietly, 
 none the worse for their bath. But there were three stalwart Basque 
 p(easants at work hard by, turning up the soil with their four-pronged 
 iton forks. Their cottage was close at hand, and having partially 
 revived the fair sufferer, we carried her to the house, where she 
 received every attention from the padrona, and no further evil 
 resulted, except scratches and torn garments. But while I was 
 sensibly impressed with the courage displayed by my companion, 
 who was a shght, delicate woman, I am quite certain that ignorance 
 of the right thing to do at the right time would have been fatal to 
 both of us. As the tide gained so rapidly upon us, had the lady 
 allowed her horse to flounder or plunge m it, she would inevitably 
 have become entangled with him and drowned, despite any effort of 
 mine to save her. 
 
THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 151 
 
 I have witnessed many other instances of the facility with which 
 horses will extricate their riders from difficulties in deep water. 
 Among these I know none more worthy of record than the following. 
 
 Some years ago a large Government transport, conveying troops 
 and horses, was wrecked at Buffalo, Cape of Good Hope. Among 
 the troops was a detachment of light cavalry. The ship parted on 
 the rocks, and despite the efforts of the people on shore, the greater 
 part of the troops (officers and men) were drowned. An officer of 
 the cavalry party, however, determined to make an effort to reach 
 the shore, upon which a heavy sea and tremendous surf were 
 breaking. He laimched his horse overboard, and, plunging quickly 
 after him into the tumbhng sea, seized the horse by the mane, and 
 succeeded in retaining his grasp, while the plucky and sagacious 
 animal gallantly dragged his master in safety through the surf. 
 
 I repeat, then. Be always on your guard in crossing deep water 
 with a horse, or in fording a stream where the current is rapid. Jn 
 India and other tropical countries the necessity for being able to 
 swim a horse occurs more frequently than at home ; and, in the 
 monsoon time especially, it behoves everybody who is going a 
 journey on horseback to be extremely careful how they attempt to 
 cross a swollen stream, as the freshets come down with such rapidity 
 that I have frequently seen a horse carried off his legs by the force 
 of the current when the water has not been more than knee-deep, 
 and, when once the foothold is gone in such places, it is extremely 
 difficult frequently to find a place at which to get out again, on 
 account of the precipitous formation of most of the banks. In any 
 case, however, the above-named directions will be found effectual, 
 and the horse, if left to himself, will find a landing place, even if he 
 swims a considerable distance to gain it. 
 
 A point of considerable importance as regards hunting also is for 
 ladies to avoid riding home in open carriages, no matter how fine the 
 weather may be, or how well they may be wrapped up. Riding to 
 the meet on wheels is all very well, particularly if the distance is 
 great and by a cross-country road, and the time short. But, after 
 galloping about during the greater part of the day, no conveyance 
 home other than her horse is fit for a lady, except the inside of a 
 
152 THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 
 
 close carriage on rail or road, and a good foot warmer at the bottom 
 of the carriage ; and if there has been much rain, riding home on 
 horseback is by far the safest plan. I have frequently ridden home 
 sixteen and eighteen miles after dark with a lady whom I had the 
 honour of escorting on her hunting excursions, sometimes in very 
 bad weather, and I can safely say that, rain, snow, or sleet, she 
 never took cold. After leaving the hounds my first care was always 
 to make for some hospitable farmhouse near the road, or in default 
 thereof, some decent roadside inn, where we could have the horse's 
 legs well washed, and the lady's waterproof carefully put on if there 
 was rain about. I always carried for her a second pair of dry knee 
 boots, carefully folded up in a waterproof havresack. These boots 
 were made with cork soles within and without, and, as such boots 
 are easUy carried by any man who pilots a lady (of course I don't 
 mean the pilot who rides in scarlet), I specially recommend them to 
 consideration. The most difficult thing after riding a long day's 
 hunting, in which, now and again, a good deal of it will be in wet 
 weather, is to keep the feet warm. Throughout all the rest of the 
 system the circulation may be kept going by the exercise even 
 of slow steady trotting ; but the wet, clammy boot, thoroughly 
 saturated, it may be, by more than one dash through a swollen 
 rivulet, strikes cold and imcomfortable in the stirrup iron even to a 
 man, who has a better opportunity of counteracting it by the use of 
 alcoholic or vinous stimulants. It is therefore highly conducive to a 
 lady's comfort after her gallop with hounds, if she has far to go 
 home, to change her boots ; and this, with a little care and foresight 
 on the part of her attendant, can always be accomplished. With a 
 dry pair of boots, a good waterproof overcoat, and a cambric hand- 
 kerchief tied round her neck, a lady may defy the worst weather in 
 returning from hunting. 
 
 A word now about second horsemen, in a country like this, where 
 the Jiahitu^s of it know tolerably well, if hunting is to be done in a 
 certain district, that a fox, given certain conditions of wind, is most 
 likely to make for certain points, and that if a covert is drawn 
 blank, the next draw will be in a certain locality, it is not difficult 
 for a good second horseman to be ready at hand when the lady 
 
THE BAUB AND THE BRIDLE. 153 
 
 requires a fresh charger. But (assuming always that she can afford 
 to have a second horse out) nothing connected with her hunting 
 requires more discrimination than the selection of a second horseman. 
 Any quantity of smart, good-looking, light-weight lads, who can turn 
 themselves out in undeniable form, and ride very fairly, are always 
 to be had, with good manners and equally good characters ; but one 
 thing requisite is that they should know every inch of the coimtry 
 they are in. Thus a lad, however willing, from Scotland or Ireland, 
 would be of very little use as a second horseman in the midland 
 district of Englani; and therefore weight, up to ten stone at all 
 events, is of less consequence than an intimate knowledge of the 
 topography of the surrounding country. 
 
 To have a second horse at the right spot at the right time, and 
 with little or nothing taken out of him, requires in most cases con- 
 siderable foresight and judgment on the part of the lad who is on 
 him, and therefore a fair amount of intelligence, in addition to 
 careful riding, is indispensable, as weU as natural good eye for 
 country. The different form in which second horses are brought to 
 the point where they are required is conclusive as to the foregoing, 
 for one constantly sees two animals, up to equal weight and in equal 
 condition, arrive at the same spot, one not fit to go much further, 
 and the other with scarcely the stable bloom off his coat. 
 
154 THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 
 
 CHAPTER XYIII. 
 
 The Condition of Hunters. 
 
 As the value of most of the foregomg suggestions as regards a lady- 
 riding to hounds is more or less dependent upon the form and con- 
 dition in which the horse destined to carry her in the chase is put, I 
 trust a few words upon this important subject may be acceptable. 
 
 In the first place, then, experience proves that the getting of a 
 horse into really good condition is a work of considerable time, and 
 that when once the animal has arrived at the desired point of 
 physical health which will enable him to make the most of his 
 powers, as a rule, it is considered to the last degree undesirable that 
 anything should be done to throw him out of his form. 
 
 Many years ago it was considered that a horse that had been 
 hunted regularly through a season should be turned out to grass 
 throughout the summer, and that if he was taken up when the crops 
 were oif the ground, there was time enough to get hun fit by No- 
 vember ; while it was considered altogether unnecessary to give him 
 more than one feed of corn a day while turned out. In numerous 
 cases I have known he had none from April to September. 
 
 The present form of treating hunting horses is diametrically the 
 reverse of the foregoing. A horse once " wound up " (as it is 
 technically called) for hunting is generally kept up all the year 
 round ; his spring and summer training consisting of long, slow, 
 steady work, principally walking exercise. 
 
 Now, my own opinion, based upon many years of experience and 
 close observation, does not agree with either of the foregoing practices. 
 
 The first evidently was wrong, because a horse, even running in 
 and out throughout the entire summer, though well kept on corn, 
 will put up an amount of adipose substance, which cannot be got 
 
THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 155 
 
 off in two months, with due regard to the preservation of proper 
 quality and muscular fibre. While, on the other hand, I believe 
 that, although by keeping your horse up all the year round you 
 will bring him out in rare form in November, yet still he will not 
 last yon so long as one that has had fair play given to his lungs by 
 a few weeks' run when the spring grass is about ; for, however good 
 the sanitary arrangements of our modern stables and the ventilation 
 of boxes may be, the air breathed in them cannot be so pure as that 
 of a fresh green meadow. Men and women require a change of air 
 once a year at least, and everybody who can afford it looks forward 
 with pleasurable anticipation to their autumn holiday. Why should 
 the noble animal who has carried us so well and so staunchly through 
 many a hard run be denied his relaxation and his change of air in 
 the spring ? 
 
 As a substitute for turning horses out for a brief run in the spring, 
 it is customary in some stables to cut grass and give it, varied by 
 vetches and clover, to the horse in his box. These salutary altera- 
 tives are good in themselves, but there is still wanting the glorious 
 fresh air of the open paddock, which, when all nature is awaken- 
 ing from the long slumber of winter, is so renovating to the equine 
 system. 
 
 It is best to fetch your horse up at night, because it is in the 
 night when turned out that he eats the most ; but the object of 
 giving the animal his liberty is not that he may blow himself out 
 with grass, but that, in addition to the purifying effect to the blood 
 of spring herbage, he shall also breathe the spring air unadulterated. 
 If this is carried out, I believe those who practise it will find that 
 their hunters will last them many years longer than those that are 
 kept at what may be called " high stable pressure " all the year 
 round. 
 
 Prejudice, however, is strong as regards the foregoing matter, as 
 in others connected with the stable treatment and general handling 
 of horses. People are far too apt to go into extremes and adopt a 
 line of treatment because it is in vogue with some neighbour or 
 friend who is supposed to be well up on the subject, and must there- 
 fore be right in everytliing he does. The best way, I submit, is to 
 
156 THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 
 
 <jall common sense into play, and be satisfied that the oracular friend 
 has some good reason " which will hold water " for what he does. 
 
 I respectfully recommend the spring run then, by all means ; and, 
 if I may venture so far to infringe the imperious laws of fashion, I 
 would venture to suggest that hunters might be allowed just a little 
 bit more tail, for the purpose for which nature intended it — namely, 
 to keep off the flies, which in summer will find them out, in or out 
 of the stable. Extremes in fashion as to the trimming of horses are 
 nearly as absurd as one sees from time to time in the dress of ladies 
 and gentlemen, and quite as devoid of sense or reason. Who has 
 not seen the old racing pictures in which Diamond or Hambletonian 
 figure with a bob tail, and who has not laughed at the grotesque 
 figure (according to modern notions of a racehorse) of these " high- 
 mettled ones," all but denuded of their caudal appendages ? 
 
 As a matter of taste and good feeling, therefore, I venture to plead 
 for a trifle more tail for hunters than is at present allowed. To a 
 good stableman it gives no trouble, and in spring and summer time 
 it is of great use to the horse. When the latter is brought up from 
 the spring run, the question of restoring his hunting form (if, indeed, 
 he can be said to have lost any of it) is simple enough ; in fact, there 
 are few subjects on which more twaddle is talked than about the 
 " conditioning of hunters," stablemen being particularly oracular and 
 mysterious about it. Eoomy, clean, and well-ventilated boxes, 
 ^ood drainage, four and five hours' walking exercise every day, the 
 best oats procurable given u'hole, not crushed, with a moderate allow- 
 ance to old horses of good beans, and a fair allowance of good old 
 hay or clover, perfect regularity in exercise and stable times, the 
 attendance of a thoroughly good-tempered cheery lad who knows his 
 business, and the total prohibition of drugging or physicking of any 
 sort, unless by order of a veterinary surgeon — these are the arcana 
 of the much talked-of " conditioning." Some tell you that a hunter 
 should have scarcely any hay. I have yet to learn why not, because 
 I am quite sure that really good hay assists a horse to put up muscle. 
 Of course he is not supposed to gorge himself with it, as some 
 ravenous animals would do if allowed. But the same thing may be 
 said of a carriage horse or a charger. Waste of forage is one thing, 
 
THE BAEB AND THE BRIDLE. 157 
 
 the use of it another ; and as there has been considerable discussion 
 of late as to the cost of feeding a horse, I beg to say that on a fair 
 average those even in training, requiring the best food, can be kept, 
 when oats are 32s. or 33s. a quarter, for 15s. a week. I speak of 
 course of the absolute cost of forage of the best kind. 
 
 Where horses are delicate feeders, and this is the case with some 
 who are rare performers in the field, the appetite should be coaxed, 
 by giving small quantities of food at short intervals, making the 
 horse, in fact, an exception to the ordinary stable rule of feeding 
 four times a day. A really good groom wUl carefully watch the 
 peculiarities of such a horse as regards feeding, and come in due 
 course to know what suits the animal, the result being plenty of 
 good muscle, equal to that of more hearty "doers." But stimulat- 
 ing drugs, I repeat, should never be permitted. Carrots as an 
 alterative are good, but they should be given only when ordered 
 by a veterinary surgeon, in such quantities as he orders. They 
 should be put in the manger whole, never cut up, as there is nothing 
 more dangerous than the latter practice in feeding, because numerous 
 instances are on record of horses choking themselves with pieces of 
 carrot. 
 
 When hunting time approaches, a little more steam as regards 
 pace at exercise may be put on. Trotting up hills of easy ascent 
 serves materially to " open the pipes," and, despite a very general 
 prejudice to the contrary, I maintain that, for some weeks before 
 hunting commences, a horse is all the better for a steady canter of 
 moderate length every morning. A very good reason why stud 
 grooms as a rule object to this is, simply because it involves a 
 great deal more work in the stable. 
 
 If horses are only walked or trotted at exercise, one man 
 generally can manage very well to e:^ercise two horses, riding one, 
 and leading the other with a dumb jockey or bearing reins on him ; 
 but, if the horse is to be cantered, there must be a man or boy to 
 every horse, and, consequently, exercise would occupy considerably 
 more time. 
 
 It is quite clear that the horse will have to gallop when hunting 
 begins, and, as all training should be inductive, it is absurd to 
 
158 THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 
 
 say that he should do nothing up to the 31st of October but 
 walking and trotting, while on the first day of November his owner 
 may come down from town and give him a rattling gallop with 
 hounds. Surely such extremes are not reconcilable with common 
 sense ! 
 
 Let me now say a word about washing horses, about which also 
 •considerable diversity of opinion exists, some maintaining that the 
 brush and wisp alone ought to keep the horse's skin in proper form, 
 and others advocating washing partially. 
 
 In my time I have tried all sorts of stable management, and I 
 beheve the truth is as follows : Nothing is more conducive to a 
 horse's health than washing, with either cold or tepid water. But 
 if you adopt the cold Avater system, you must be sure that it is done 
 in a place where there is no draught. It should be commenced in 
 summer time. There should be two thoroughly good stablemen in 
 the washing box, and a boy to carry water from the pump. The 
 horse's head and neck should be thoroughly washed, brushed, 
 scraped, sponged, and leathered, and a good woollen hood put on. 
 His body washed thoroughly in the same way, and a good rug put 
 on. Then his legs equally well done, and bandaged. Let him then 
 be put into his box for a quarter of an hour or twenty minutes, 
 stripped and dressed by a man who will let his shoulder go at him, 
 not one who will play with him. When thoroughly dressed his coat 
 will shine hke new satin, and his whole manner will tell you how 
 refreshed he is by his bath. The washing cannot be done too 
 quickly consistent with thorough good work. Two good men and 
 a smart boy ought to wash, clothe, and bandage a horse in five 
 minutes, or they are not worth their salt. 
 
 If the cold water system is begun in summer, and regularly 
 followed up, it can be carried on throughout the winter, no matter 
 how severe the weather may be, and an incalculable advantage of 
 the system is that a horse so treated is almost impervious to cold 
 or catarrh. 
 
 But to carry the treatment out, a lot of first-class stablemen are 
 indispensable, men who — no " eye servants" — do their work con 
 <imore^ and take a genuine pride in their horses. If the thing is 
 
THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 159 
 
 negligently done, or dawdled over, it is likely enougli to be produc- 
 tive of mischief. 
 
 Where the stable staff is limited in nmnber and not first-rate in 
 quality, if washing is resorted to, tepid water must be used, because 
 one smart man can wash a horse in tepid water in a proper washing 
 house unassisted. But a special veto should be put upon washing a 
 hunter's legs, as is too often done, outside in the yard, the horse tied 
 to a ring in the wall, with the cold night air blowing on him. No 
 matter if warm or cold water is used, whether or not mischief 
 follows is mere matter of chance if the foregoing bad treatment is 
 permitted. 
 
 Briefly, then, it may be said, if you have good men about you and 
 enough of them use cold water, beginning in the summer and con- 
 tinuing it regularly. If you are short of really good stablemen, use 
 tepid water ; but use it in a washing box built for the purpose, and 
 never let it be done out of doors. 
 
160 THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 Having endeavoured to mark out the course of equitation from the 
 preparatory suppling practices to the orthodox conventionalities of 
 the hunting field, I conclude this series of papers with a few hints 
 which I trust will be useful to ladies about to proceed to India or 
 the colonies. 
 
 In the first place, as regards riding habiliments, I recommend 
 ladies going to India to procure everything in the shape of habits, 
 trousers, and hats in this country. In India they cost a hundred 
 per cent, more than at home, and the natives can only make them 
 by pattern. Riding boots can be procured in the East quite as 
 well made and as durable as those made in England, and at a fifth 
 of the price. 
 
 Saddlery should be taken out from England. It is also just a 
 hundred per cent, dearer in India. One good side-saddle, such as I 
 have previously described, will with care last a lady many years. 
 Of bridles she should take at least half a dozen double ones (bit and 
 bridoon). Horse clothing of any sort as used in England is not 
 required in India. 
 
 As regards the horse itself on which the fair emigrant to the East 
 wiU take her health-preserving morning gallop at gim-fire, I must 
 say little. I have endeavoured elsewhere to give some idea of what 
 Arab horses are; and, as every lady going to India is certain to 
 know some male friend who is well up at buying a lady's horse, I 
 need only say that, if the animal purchased is a young unbroken 
 one, the best plan is to send him to the nearest cavalry or horse 
 artillery station, and have him broken precisely in the same form as 
 an officer's charger. The Arab dealers from whom the horse, if 
 unbroken, is most likely to be purchased, know nothing, and care 
 
THE BAEB AND THE BRIDLE. 101 
 
 less, about breaking, and the people about them have the very 
 worst hands upon a horse I have ever seen. 
 
 All riding in India, except in cases of absolute necessity, should 
 be done very early in the morning. The lady should be in the saddle 
 soon after gun-fire (five o'clock). By the time she arrives at the 
 galloping gTound (in a large station or cantonment generally the 
 racecourse) the sun will be up, so quickly does it rise, with scarcely 
 any twilight, in India ; but its rays are not then vertical, nor is the 
 heat either oppressive or injurious until much later in the day. 
 
 A couple or three hours' riding is sufficient for health, and the 
 gTeat thing is to go home quite cool; the bath and breakfast are 
 then most enjoyable. Evening promenades are as a matter of 
 fashion, and indeed, of reason, usually attended by ladies in carriages. 
 There are many, however, who prefer riding on horseback again in 
 the latter part of the day ; but experience proves that evening riding 
 on horseback is not good, as a rule, for ladies. Exposure to the sun 
 on horseback, or indeed in any way, should be specially avoided, as 
 should also violent exercise of any kind, that on horseback not excepted. 
 The rattling gallop, which is not only exhilarating but healthful 
 in Leicestershire, is inadmissible in most parts of India, where 
 extremes of any kind are injurious. Finally, I would respectfully 
 impress upon every lady who is likely to go to India, those especi- 
 ally who, having been l)orn there, have been sent home for their 
 education, that they should avail themselves of every opportunity 
 in this country of becoming efficient horsewomen. To be able to ride 
 well is very, desirable for a lady who is to pass her life in Europe, 
 in India it is absolutely indispensable ; and if the lady's equitation 
 is neglected in early days at home, she will find herself sadly at a 
 loss when she arrives in India ; for although there are plenty of 
 thoroughly competent men there who could instruct her, their time 
 is taken up with teaching recruits at the early time of the day at 
 which a lady could avail herself of their services. As regards riding 
 in Australia, the Cape, New Zealand, Canada, or the West Indies, 
 briefly it may be said that again it is best to take out saddlery from 
 this country, because, although it can be procured in any of the 
 above-named colonies far cheaper than in India, it is still consider- 
 

 162 THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 
 
 ably dearer, and generally not so good as at home. At the Cape, in 
 Australia, and in New Zealand — the two former colonies especially — 
 long journeys have frequently to be done by ladies on horseback ; 
 and if a thoroughly practical education in the saddle is necessary to 
 health, as regards a sojourn in India ; it is equally so as a matter 
 of convenience in other of the British dependencies abroad. 
 
 Let me, then, close my humble efforts at carefully tracing out the 
 readiest way for a lady to become a thorough horsewoman by again 
 recommending them all to begin early, and to pay implicit attention 
 to the tuition of a first-class instructor ; always to throw their 
 whole heart into their riding, fixing their minds rigidly on it whUe 
 learning, and never, however proficient or confident they may be, 
 venture, unless upon a life-and-death emergencj'-, upon half -broken 
 norses. During the Indian mutiny instances occurred in which ladies 
 owed their lives to their nerve and courage in mounting horses 
 ill-adapted to carry them, and by dint of sheer determination urging 
 them into top speed and safety to the fair fugitives. In such 
 <lesperate emergencies there is no alternative but to accept the lesser 
 risk ; but in ordinary cases my advice (the result of long experience) 
 is to all lady writers, never moimt an untrained horse, and never 
 allow your horse to become too fresh for want of work. 
 
 A casualty which may be attended with trifling consequences to 
 a man may have the most serious results in the case of a lady ; 
 while I am firmly of opinion that no such thing as an accident 
 ought ever to occur to her on horseback if due care and foresight 
 are exercised by those about her, and if the lady herself will be 
 careful whenever or ;mder whatever circumstances she approaches 
 or mounts a horse to be always on her guard, to ride all the time 
 she is on him, to remember that in all matters that relate to riding 
 the homely old adage, " Afterwit is not worth a penny an ounce " 
 is strictly applicable, and that the golden rule is, " Never give away 
 a chance to your horse." 
 
 ^ 
 
Webster Famfly Library of Veterinary Medidro 
 Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at 
 Tufts UniVGrsity 
 200 Vv'esiboro Road 
 North Grafton, MA 01 536