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PRACTICAL GUIDE 
 
 BREAKING AND TRAINING 
 
 YOUNG HORSE. 
 
 CORPORAL MAJOR ROBERT TURNER, 
 
 ASSISTANT RIDING MASTER, ROYAL HORSE GUARDS. 
 
 ^etiicatet), bg wpwjS* permission, to 
 
 FIELD MARSHAL 
 
 THE MOST NOBLE THE MAKQUIS OF ANGLESEY, 
 
 K.G., G.C.B., G.C.H., &C, &C. 
 
 LONDON : 
 PARKER, FURNIVALL, AND PARKER, 
 
 MILITARY LIBRARY, WHITEHALL. 
 
 MDCCCLI. 
 
DEDICATION 
 
 TO 
 
 FIELD MAESHAL THE MOST NOBLE 
 
 THE MARQUIS OF ANGLESEY, 
 
 E.G., G.C.B., G.C.H. &c, &c. 
 
 My Lord, 
 
 Besides returning your Lordship my most 
 grateful thanks for the high honor you have conferred 
 upon me in permitting this work to be published under 
 your sanction and patronage, I have only to add, that 
 whatever shall be found set down therein, is the result of 
 more than twenty-two years' experience and practice in 
 the Riding School, aided by a strong partiality for that 
 department of Regimental duty, to which my time and 
 attention have been most especially devoted. 
 
 Again thanking your Lordship for the encouragement 
 you have bestowed on my humble efforts for the advance- 
 ment of a noble and useful science, and the proper training 
 and considerate treatment of a no less noble and useful 
 animal, I have the honor to subscribe myself, 
 
 Your Lordship's 
 Most humble and obedient Servant, 
 
 ROBERT TURNER. 
 
 Is* July, 1851. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. 
 
 The Horse's Appointments. 
 
 PAoE 
 
 The Snaffle . . . . - 9 
 
 The Bit or Curb Bridle . . . . 10 
 
 The Martingal . . . . .11 
 
 The Saddle . . . . . . 13 
 
 The Breast Plate . . . . . ib 
 
 The Crupper . . - . . ib. 
 
 Principles of Training. 
 
 Saddling . . . . .17 
 
 Management of the Crupper . . . 18 
 
 The Cross . . . . .19 
 
 Mounting . . . . . 20 
 
 The Seat • . . . .22 
 
 Dismounting: . - . - 24 
 
 LESSONS. 
 
 First Lesson . . . . .26 
 
 Second Lesson . . . . 27 
 
 Third Lesson . . . . .30 
 
 Fourth Lesson . . . . 32 
 
 Fifth Lesson . . . . .34 
 
VI 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 P^GE 
 
 Sixth Lesson . . . . . 35 
 
 Right Shoulder-in . . . 37 
 
 To Turn when working Shoulder-in . . 38 
 
 To Halt . . . . . ib. 
 
 The Half Passage . . . ib. 
 
 The Passage . . . - 39 
 
 To Turn in the Passage . . . . 40 
 
 To Halt in the Passage . . . ib. 
 
 To Turn from Right Pass to Right Shoulder-in . ib. 
 
 Seventh Lesson . . . . . 41 
 
 Eighth Lesson . . . . .42 
 
 Ninth Lesson . . . . . 44 
 
 Tenth Lesson . . . . .45 
 
 Bending with the Bit . . 48 
 
 Eleventh Lesson . . . . .49 
 
 Twelfth Lesson . . . . . 51 
 
 Rearing . . . . .55 
 
 Stumbling . . . . . 56 
 
 Over-reach . . . . ib. 
 
 Shying . . . . . 57 
 
 DEFECTS AND INFIRMITIES. 
 
 Malformations of the Head . 
 
 A Low Shoulder 
 
 The Narrow Chest 
 
 Weakness in the Back and Loins 
 
 Deformities of the Quarters, Hocks, and Pastern 
 
 Defects of the Foot an d Shoeing . 
 
 60 
 ib. 
 61 
 ib. 
 62 
 
INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. 
 
 THE author of this little work is fully aware that he 
 can claim but little merit on the score of originality, 
 as many clever writers on this subject have preceded him ; 
 but their precepts are for the most part of so elaborate and 
 technical a nature, as to render them comparatively useless, 
 if not unintelligible, to the majority of readers. The ob- 
 ject of this short treatise is, to place within the reach of 
 every one, a few plain practical instructions, by which the 
 horse may be trained to work with comfort to himself, and 
 safety to his rider, thereby preventing numerous accidents 
 to both. The horse is beyond all contradiction, one of the 
 most beautiful, as well as valuable animals man has subju- 
 gated to his will, whether we view him in point of utility, 
 or as contributing to our pleasure ; and this perhaps may in 
 some degree, account for the ambition that seems natural to 
 most men, to be thought judges of this animal. Among 
 Englishmen in particular, this feeling seems to pervade 
 every rank, from the nobleman with his numerous stud to 
 the meanest helper in his stable. Even the mechanic, who 
 is rarely loosed from his toil, when he does take a holiday, 
 usually selects the race time for the occasion ; and although 
 he may never have crossed a horse, still takes an interest 
 in his performance, and delivers his opinion as to the quality 
 of the different animals, as boldly as if he were a profound 
 judge. 
 
 Now as so many believe themselves qualified to give an 
 opinion on this subject, and as there are but few who are 
 really competent to do so, it is by no means surprising that 
 many conflicting instructions, have, from time to time, been 
 
8 THE HORSEMAN'S MANUAL. 
 
 published on horses, and on the best means of riding and 
 training them. And some reason may exist for this, when 
 we consider that horses vary so much in form and constitu- 
 tion, that even good judges very often differ, and not unfre- 
 quently, may be more or less in error. 
 
 My object is to instruct my readers as briefly, and as 
 plainly as the subject will admit of, in the best method of 
 training and riding young horses. 
 
 The horse, by nature, is a gentle and complying creature, 
 and resists rather from fear than obstinacy : bearing this in 
 mind, we must always endeavour to assure him, and give 
 him confidence; and therefore, the colt cannot be treated 
 with too much kindness, accompanied by caution and firm- 
 ness. The groom can do something to assist the rider in this 
 respect, for much of the horse's training depends upon his 
 treatment in the stable ; the person also to whom his train- 
 ing is entrusted, should be accustomed to horses, and not one 
 that would be frightened at every start they may make, for 
 many who are not aware of the natural timidity of colts, 
 alarm them by their own fears, in the way they approach 
 them; and as they soon perceive these fears, they will take 
 the earliest advantage of them, by endeavouring to prevent 
 any one from coming near them : for, the horse is very 
 sagacious, even when young, and watches every movement 
 about him, and will soon distinguish fear from firmness in 
 his attendant, or rider ; therefore he cannot be deceived by 
 assumed boldness, or by angry words ; but, on the contrary, 
 if you treat him with kindness, and when you touch him, 
 lay the hand on him with firmness, and speak gently to him, 
 he will soon become attached and friendly, which is the 
 first thing you should attempt to secure, since those he is 
 most familiar with and accustomed to, he will be the least 
 alarmed at, and will have the most confidence in. The 
 fewer persons about him the better. 
 
 The experience of many years * in forming and training 
 
 * Twenty-two years. 
 
THE SNAFFLE. 9 
 
 horses of every variety of temper and capability, for mili- 
 tary purposes, (for which docility and obedience are espe- 
 cially requisite,) has convinced me, that with kind and ju- 
 dicious management, the horse becomes one of man's best 
 friends, as well as one of his most docile and willing ser- 
 vants ; whilst, on the contrary, by ignorance and cruel 
 treatment, he is driven into vice and habits quite foreign to 
 his nature. 
 
 Some excellent writers have disavowed their belief in 
 such a thing as a naturally vicious horse, and I am inclined 
 very much to the same opinion ; for, vice in horses is gen- 
 erally to be traced to the ignorance or cruelty, or both 
 combined, of those who have had the management of them ; 
 and if not confirmed by long habit, will disappear under 
 a kinder and better master. 
 
 While instructing the reader how to train and manage a 
 young horse, it is the author's design to teach him at the 
 same time how to make a horseman of himself, if he will 
 attend to and practise the rules laid down for his guidance. 
 
 As the horse's appointments, if ill -fitted, tend to make 
 him restless and uneasy, I will proceed to explain how they 
 ought to be adjusted, begging the reader, when going 
 through the training lessons, to refer to these instruc- 
 tions, as often as he may find the articles here specified 
 adverted to. 
 
 The Snaffle, 
 
 Being the first thing used in training a young horse, 
 great care must be taken to adjust it properly, as the effect 
 of this and every other bit, depends upon its being correctly 
 placed in the horse's mouth. The space between the fore 
 or nipping teeth and the jaw teeth or grinders, called the 
 bars, is the sensitive part of the horse's mouth, and where 
 the bit is most effective ; but, between the fore teeth and 
 a 3 
 
10 THE BIT OR CURB BRIDLE. 
 
 grinders, horses have a canine tooth, called the tnsk, which 
 is rarely found in mares. In the horse's month then, the 
 mouth-piece should be placed so as to hang easy and loose, 
 that is, not so high as to wrinkle his lips — nor so low 
 as to make him fretful, but fitted in such a way that, 
 although loose and easy, the horse cannot get it below the 
 tusk. It should be placed one inch above the tusk, and 
 though, as I have said before, mares rarely have tusks, the 
 same attention must be paid to adjust it properly ; for, if 
 the snaffle is too low, you will never get a good, or steady 
 carriage of the head. 
 
 The throat -band must be buckled so as to admit three 
 fingers between it and the horse's jaw-bone. 
 
 The snaffle should be continued until the horse's mouth 
 is made, and we do not consider the mouth to be made, 
 until the horse will answer the slightest indication of the 
 rider's hand. 
 
 The Bit or Curb Bridle, 
 
 To be effective, should be placed in the horse's mouth, 
 so that the mouth-piece may rest on the bars or gums one 
 inch above the lower tusk, for mares, it should be placed 
 two inches above the corner tooth. The bridoon or snaffle, 
 must fit easy above the bit, so as not to wrinkle the lips; 
 the chain must lie smooth and flat under the chin, and 
 should, when properly adjusted, admit one finger to play 
 easily between it and the jaw-bone ; but never tighter, with 
 a view of punishing the horse's mouth. 
 
 Some bridles have also a nose-band; and this is not as 
 some seem to think, for ornament only, as it is intended to 
 prevent the horse from opening his mouth so as to defend 
 himself against the bit. It should be buckled beneath the 
 bridoon head-stall, and admit one finger between it and the 
 
THE MARTINGAL. H 
 
 horse's nose ; if looser, it gives him every facility for doing 
 the very thing it is intended to prevent. 
 
 The nose -band also answers another purpose, for when it 
 is necessary to use a martingal, it is fastened to the 
 nose-band. 
 
 The Martingal. 
 
 The martingal is intended to control a horse that has the 
 habit of tossing up his head, which renders him not only 
 unpleasant, but unsafe to ride. The way in which it should 
 be fitted is, first to bring the horse's head to the position in 
 which you wish him to carry it, and there to secure the 
 martingal, taking care not to confine him too much, but just 
 sufficiently to prevent him being mischievous. 
 
 I must here remark, that the martingal is an unnecessary 
 appendage to one who is really a horseman; but there are 
 many who call themselves so, who have little claim to the 
 title, I mean such as fancy the horse is to carry them, and 
 also keep them on his back ; who hold themselves on as 
 much by their hands as by their legs ; and seem to imagine 
 that a horse's mouth has no feeling. Such persons, however, 
 should understand, that it is as sensitive and delicate as their 
 own, and ought to be handled as lightly as possible. With 
 proper treatment, the horse will carry his head as nature 
 intended; but if he has a good and light mouth, and 
 will not allow them the privilege of holding themselves 
 on by the bridle, they lay the blame upon the horse, 
 little thinking that he is all the , time rebuking them 
 for their awkwardness. Only let the rider's hand be light 
 and kind, and the horse will carry his head as he ought, 
 without the use of such restraints. 
 
 In many cases the martingal is unsafe, particularly if 
 badly fitted, as I have seen some, at least a foot too long, 
 
12 THE MARTINGAL. 
 
 which might as well have been hanging on the pegs in the 
 saddle room, for all the assistance it conld afford the 
 rider. Others I have seen so short, that the horse's head 
 has been fastened to his chest, so that if he goes close to 
 the ground, and is apt to stumble, the rider must pull his 
 head down, and by these means, force him to fall, instead of 
 assisting him to recover. 
 
 If the horse is inclined to poke his nose out, as most 
 horses will, if they have a thick and narrow jole, and the 
 head badly put on, the rider should carry his inward hand 
 a little lower than the usual position, keeping the outward 
 hand in its proper position, for while the outward hand 
 raises the horse's head, the inward hand will cause him to 
 yield and bring his nose in. By paying daily attention to 
 this rule, the horse will soon be brought to carry his head 
 in the required position, at least, as far as the imperfection 
 of his form will allow him ; for we cannot undo what na- 
 ture has done, though we may remedy it to some extent, 
 without tying his head down with the martingal. 
 
 Again, for a kicking horse, the martingal is very im- 
 proper, as it will prevent the rider from keeping his horse's 
 head up; and if his head is held down by the martingal, he 
 has every chance to kick, in spite of his rider. I have 
 known horses kick till they have thrown themselves off 
 their legs ; but since they cannot get both ends up at one 
 time, if the rider can keep his horse's head up, he can never 
 kick so as to be dangerous. For these reasons, I affirm, that 
 the martingal is useless to a good rider, and dangerous to 
 a bad one. 
 
 I will here make bold to remark, that were the few rules 
 which will be found in these pages carefully observed and 
 practised in the training of horses, such articles as nose- 
 bands, martingals, and all restraints independent of the 
 hand, would be almost unknown. However, should my 
 reader be unfortunate enough to be obliged to have recourse 
 to them, I have explained how they ought to be applied. 
 
THE CRUPPER. 13 
 
 The Saddle. 
 
 Care must be taken that the saddle fits the horse, and 
 does not in any way pinch or hurt his back. In putting it 
 on, it must be placed rather too forward, drawing it gently 
 back until it is in its proper position, which will be when 
 the front of it is four inches, or the breadth of the hand, 
 behind the play of the horse's shoulder. The object of 
 placing it too forward and drawing it back, is, that it may 
 smooth the horse's coat, and make it lie the proper way, 
 otherwise he might be rendered irritable and fretful. The 
 girths (more particularly with young horses) must be 
 drawn up gently, hole by hole, and not tighter than to 
 admit a finger easily between them and the horse's belly. 
 Should they be drawn up suddenly, or too tightly, it will 
 cause the horse to swell himself and plunge, which might, 
 in some instances, burst the girths, and the saddle, by falling, 
 would greatly alarm a young horse. 
 
 The Breast Plate 
 
 Is only used for military purposes ; and should be fitted 
 in such a manner that when the horse is standing well up 
 in front, the upper edge of the rosette or boss, should be 
 three inches above the sharp breast-bone of his chest, and 
 admit the breadth of the hand vertically, on the flat of 
 his shoulder bone, and also between the martingal and his 
 chest. 
 
 The Crupper 
 
 Is seldom used but with military saddles. When it is neces- 
 sary, it must be so adjusted as to admit the breadth of the 
 hand between it and the horse's croup ; I mean, that a man 
 
14 THE HORSEMAN'S MANUAL. 
 
 ought to be able to place his hand upon the horse's back, 
 and turn it up vertically, his little finger resting on the 
 horse's back, and the crupper resting on his forefinger, with- 
 out pressing hard upon it. 
 
 Having instructed the reader as to the manner in which 
 the horse's appointments ought to be fitted, I will now as 
 briefly as possible, endeavour to teach him the best and 
 most expeditious mode of training the horse. To render 
 this simple, I will imagine that a young horse is sent 
 me to train, and will explain the successive lessons neces- 
 sary to render him not only perfectly safe, but pleasant to 
 his rider. 
 
 The horse being brought to the riding school, I com- 
 mence by putting a plain snaffle into his mouth, fitting it 
 according to my former instructions, with the reins so se- 
 cured that they cannot fall over his head, which may be 
 prevented by crossing or knotting them ; I then take the 
 guide rein (which is usually attached to a cavesson,) and 
 buckle it to the ring of the snaffle, and begin by longeing 
 him in a circle from fifteen to twenty yards in diameter : 
 it is of very little importance to which hand the longeing 
 is begun, provided the horse is rendered equally familiar 
 with the practice on both hands ; but as horses are usually 
 fed, watered, and led, on the near side, they are generally 
 inclined to follow and lead better by the left rein than the 
 right; but if it should be found that a horse is less tractable 
 on the off than on the near side, two lessons may be given 
 on the right, to one on the left rein, proportioning the les- 
 son to the horse's strength and capability, frequently en- 
 couraging and confirming him by patting and caressing 
 him. A young horse must not be deemed obstinate or 
 restive, if he should hesitate or stand still, when it is in- 
 tended that he should move forward ; such hesitation often 
 proceeds from alarm, which may be removed by encourage- 
 
THE HORSEMAN'S MANUAL. 15 
 
 merit ; the man with the longeing rein walking round the 
 circle a few times with him, and by degrees, getting away 
 from him, while another follows with a whip, showing it to 
 him, but not striking him with it, wall be sufficient to urge 
 him on, and in about two or three lessons he will learn what 
 is required from him. If he should attempt to hang back, 
 the man following with the whip may strike the ground 
 with it, which will generally have the desired effect. After 
 he has gone a few times round at a walk, and seems to lead 
 pretty well, he may be urged to trot ; should he go quietly, 
 allow the rein to slip till he forms a large circle, and let 
 him go very steadily a few times round, then call him up 
 and encourage him, and try the same to the reverse hand ; 
 if he takes kindly to this lesson, the man with the whip 
 will be sufficient to keep him to the outside of the circle, 
 and up to his pace ; should he fly or plunge, the longeing 
 rein should be shaken very gently, without jerking it, which 
 will most probably bring him to trot or walk again. 
 
 The man holding the rein ought to have a very light and 
 even hand on the horse's mouth, otherwise he cannot form 
 a true circle, which the instructor ought to be very particu- 
 lar in observing ; for if the circle be not true, the horse 
 will not have a true and even action. 
 
 For the first two or three days, the horse should not be 
 urged too much ; if he goes quietly, without jumping or 
 any sign of disobedience, it is enough. In this manner, he 
 may be longed to the right, left, and right again, changing 
 often from the walk to the trot. This and every other 
 lesson, must be repeated till he performs correctly, urging 
 him to increase his pace every lesson, but a lesson should 
 never be continued so long as to tire or discourage him. 
 The reason why I use the snaffle in preference to the 
 cavesson is, because I am persuaded it is the more expe- 
 ditious way ; for we are securing two objects at once, first, 
 the earliest act of obedience w T e demand from the horse, 
 (viz.) to go forward, and, at the same time, accustoming 
 his mouth to acknowledge the indication of the bit. 
 
16 THE HORSEMAN'S MANUAL. 
 
 In this and every other lesson, the greatest kindness and 
 gentleness must be used, and having practised them for a 
 few days, and the horse beginning to understand what is 
 wanted of him, he may be urged a little more in the trot, 
 taking care not to overdo it, for if you should, he will 
 gallop ; but a little more is to be demanded from him as 
 he improves. You may easily tell when he is doing his 
 best by the evenness of his step, but if forced too much, it 
 will be unequal, and an even length of step is the object 
 that you are trying to obtain. It cannot be too often re- 
 peated, that in all lessons and instructions to young horses, 
 the greatest care must be taken to guard against rough 
 and violent handling, for, by a sudden jerk of the longeing 
 rein, a young horse may be thrown off his feet, and thereby 
 not only intimidated, but seriously strained in parts the 
 violent and inexperienced trainer little suspects, as in the 
 hocks, loins, or shoulders : the mere weight of the rein 
 from the hand to the snaffle will have sufficient pressure on 
 the colt's bars to lead him round the circle. The longeing 
 lessons must be continued until the horse can use his limbs 
 with a true length of pace and free action. After each 
 lesson he should be brought up to the centre of the circle, 
 and placed straight upon all four legs, and rewarded with a 
 few oats, or a piece of carrot or apple. 
 
 The man who holds the cavesson rein should take it 
 short by folding the spare end of it up in one hand, at the 
 same time patting and rubbing the horse about the neck 
 and head with the other ; he should then try with the right 
 hand to bend him a little to both sides by a playful action 
 of the snaffle rein ; the bend should be in the very poll of 
 the neck. This must be done very carefully and by de- 
 grees, and by being repeated after each lesson to the left, 
 as well as to the right, will greatly facilitate the future 
 progress of the horse. 
 
 And here I may mention, that the instructor should try 
 to rein the horse back a step or two, and make a practice 
 of doing it after every lesson : to effect this, the man that 
 
SADDLING. 17 
 
 holds the rein should place himself in front of, and facing 
 the horse, and taking the snaffle reins near the ring of the 
 bit, one in each hand, endeavour, by a gentle and alternate 
 pressure of the bit, upon the bars of the horse's mouth, to 
 make him step back a few paces, being particular to move 
 him forward after reining back : if at first he only yields 
 to the pressure of the bit, it should be deemed sufficient. 
 Never, if he deserves it, omit to encourage him before dis- 
 missing him. 
 
 Saddling. 
 
 So far the colt has been free from encumbrance that he 
 might have the free play and full use of his limbs ; but when 
 he has arrived at the point that he longes freely, and 
 steps well out with an even length of pace, the next thing 
 is to put a saddle on his back ; here also the greatest care 
 is requisite. Saddling should take place in the first in- 
 stance, in an open space or longeing ground, so that if the 
 horse should jump or plunge, he may not hurt himself. 
 Two men are quite sufficient for this duty, as more about 
 him will only cause needless alarm. The man with the 
 longeing rein, buckled on to the snaffle, and holding the 
 spare end of it folded up in his left hand, should face the 
 horse, and hold him by taking the snaffle reins one in each 
 hand close to the bit, speaking to him and taking off his 
 attention by gently moving the bit in his mouth ; in the 
 mean time, the other man places the saddle upon his back, 
 having the girths laid upon it, buckled to the off side, the 
 girths may then be carefully let down, all which should be 
 done without hurry, and as quietly as possible. The man 
 may then take the girths, one at a time, very gently, and 
 draw them on to the straps, merely to prevent the saddle 
 slipping off. Having been successful so far, pat him and 
 rub him about the neck and ribs, and if he shows no 
 
18 THE CRUPPER. 
 
 symptoms of resistance, the girths may be tightened by 
 degrees, but bear in mind, they are never to be so tight as 
 not to admit the fingers easily between them and the 
 horse's belly. 
 
 The horse being carefully saddled, should then be moved 
 onward by leading him for a few minutes round the circle ; 
 and if he takes this quietly, longe him a little to both 
 hands ; when he feels the saddle, which he will do at the 
 trot, he perhaps may jump and plunge a little, but take 
 no more notice of this than by merely shaking the longe - 
 ing rein; do not jerk it, or punish him, for as he has 
 plenty of room he will not hurt himself, and when he finds 
 that he cannot kick it off, he will soon settle down. 
 
 The horse being thus kindly and carefully treated, will 
 soon bear to be saddled with less precaution, yet it is al- 
 ways well to be careful with a young horse. If he is 
 unsteady, he should be allowed to stand saddled an hour or 
 more each day ; and no attempt to mount him should be 
 thought of until he is well reconciled to the saddle. 
 
 The Crupper. 
 
 Great care must also be taken in putting on the crupper, 
 for any bad management in the early attempt of this is 
 very likely to be attended with both difficulty and danger, 
 which will not be readily overcome afterwards. As I 
 mentioned before, when doing anything with a young 
 horse, it is always necessary to be firm, and not to touch 
 him as though you were afraid of him. The crupper 
 should be rather too long the first time of putting it on, 
 taking care that none of the long hair of the tail is left 
 between it and the crupper : having so far succeeded, let 
 the tail gently down, and then fit the crupper, taking care 
 not to have it too short, otherwise it will nip his tail, and 
 make it sore, which might cause him to kick with the 
 crupper ever afterwards. 
 
THE CROSS. 19 
 
 While these operations are going on, the horse's attention 
 is to be taken off by the man at his head, caressing, pat- 
 ting, and speaking kindly to him. Here again, when he is 
 moved in the longe, and feels the crupper, he may jump, 
 and plunge, but take as little notice of it as possible, and 
 by these means, he will become familiar with, and obedient 
 to, the instructor. 
 
 The Cross. 
 
 If he is quiet in taking the crupper, for he must be 
 familiar with one thing before you try him with another 
 he may next have the cross put upon him, and as young 
 horses are very inquisitive, as well as suspicious, let him 
 satisfy his curiosity by looking at it, and he will most 
 likely, if you hold it still, put his nose to it and smell it, if 
 so, pat him and encourage him, then place it on his back 
 quietly, and let the girth be no tighter than that of the 
 saddle. The snaffle rein must now be attached to the 
 cross, and the reins belonging to the cross put through the 
 ring of the snaffle, and buckled rather loose, shortening 
 them day by day, as the horse improves in his training, 
 taking care to have him bent inwards, that is, to shorten 
 that rein most to the hand he is working on, being parti- 
 cular at the same time that both reins are to have a light 
 pressure on the bars of his mouth ; this is intended to raise 
 him in front, and lighten his forehand, and prepare him to 
 go well up to the rider's hand when he is mounted. . The 
 practice of some who call themselves colt-breakers, cannot 
 be too strongly condemned, who buckle the poor horse's 
 head so tight to the cross, as to cause the sweat to run off 
 him through pain, when to ease himself, he will rest all the 
 weight of his head on the snaffle ; and in this painful posi- 
 tion they will keep him for an hour or more at a time ; 
 thus, instead of advancing his instruction, they are retarding 
 
20 MOUNTING. 
 
 it, for they do not seem to understand, that this lesson is 
 intended to supple the horse, and not to cripple him. 
 
 The lesson with the cross should be repeated until the 
 horse lifts himself freely in front, and steps well up to 
 the bit, the reins, as I have said, having a light feeling on 
 his mouth, the horse bent to the hand on which he is 
 going; and to obtain this, it will be quite sufficient to 
 shorten the inward rein from two to about three inches, 
 being particular to keep him up to that free action which 
 I mentioned before. 
 
 Mounting. 
 
 When the horse has been sufficiently prepared by the 
 foregoing lessons, the next attempt must be to mount him. 
 I would recommend, when circumstances will permit, to sad- 
 dle him an hour or more before he is to be mounted, that he 
 may feel the saddle on his back, and be the more reconciled 
 to it. Two men will be required to assist him who has 
 to mount, one to hold the longeing rein, (the spare end 
 being folded up in his left hand,) and the cheek -piece of 
 the snaffle firmly held with the right, facing the horse, and 
 keeping his head up. The other on the off side must with 
 the right hand firmly hold the cheek-piece of the snaffle, 
 and at the same time the stirrup leather with the left 
 near the saddle tree, pressing his arm well down upon 
 the saddle, in order that when the man raises himself in 
 the stirrup, he may keep the saddle with an equal pressure 
 on the colt's back, to prevent him from being disturbed 
 while the man is mounting ; and on his being quietly seated 
 in the saddle, he must let his hand slide down to the stir- 
 rup, for the mounted man to place his foot in it. 
 
 The earliest thing to teach the young horse in mounting 
 is, to stand still, which at first he will be very unlikely to 
 
MOUNTING. 21 
 
 do, as the moment the rider raises himself in the stirrup 
 he brings the saddle down with considerable pressure upon 
 the colt's back, which is nearly certain to make him shift 
 about, and should this opposition be determined, it will be 
 necessary to withdraw the foot, as the longer it remains in 
 the stirrup, the more uneasy he will become. The rider 
 cannot be too careful nor too patient in mounting the 
 young horse. 
 
 Before attempting to mount completely, he will do well 
 to place his left foot in the stirrup and raise himself a little, 
 by springing from the right foot, which will accustom the 
 colt to bear the additional pressure of the saddle ; and by 
 encouragement and kindness, he will soon allow himself to 
 be mounted quietly. 
 
 The reason so much precaution is necessary in mount- 
 ing is, that if the rider should be thrown in his attempt, 
 it not only frightens the horse, but may induce him to 
 resort to the same opposition again. To stand still until he 
 is mounted, is one of the most useful lessons that he can 
 receive, and must therefore be thoroughly taught him. 
 
 The man that is to mount should place himself opposite 
 the horse's shoulder with his face towards it, taking up the 
 reins with the right hand and placing the left hand below 
 it, with the little finger of the left hand between the reins, 
 drawing them through the left with the right hand, till he 
 feels the horse's mouth very lightly, when the right hand 
 should drop the spare end of the reins : he is next to take 
 a lock of the horse's mane with the right hand, and twist 
 it round the thumb of the left, the hand being closed firmly 
 on the mane and reins, he then takes the top of the stirrup 
 between the thumb and forefinger of the right hand, and 
 places his left foot in it, then the right hand quits the stir- 
 rup and is removed to the cantle or hind part of the 
 saddle ; with a spring from the right foot, the rider raises 
 himself in the stirrup, until he is upright, when a pause of 
 a second should be made, taking care not to touch the side 
 of the horse with his toe, which will be prevented by placing 
 
22 THE SEAT. 
 
 his left knee against the saddle-flap. If the horse should 
 be alarmed or unsteady, he must immediately come to the 
 ground with the right foot, and endeavour to appease him 
 by patting him on the ribs and quarters, and then try him 
 again. If he is now steady, the right hand is to be shifted 
 from the cantle to the pommel, or forepart of the saddle, 
 the right leg passed clear over the horse's quarters, and the 
 right knee closed on the saddle, the body lowered gently 
 into the seat, and the stirrup taken with the right foot, and 
 a snaffle rein between the third and little fingers of each 
 hand, the spare end of the reins lying upon the second 
 joint of the forefingers, with the thumbs firmly on them, 
 and the hand closed. 
 
 The soldier mounts in seven motions, four in preparing 
 to mount, and three in mounting ; but these instructions 
 being intended for general use, I do not mention them 
 more particularly. 
 
 The Seat. 
 
 To be properly seated, the rider should feel himself well 
 down, properly balanced, and perfectly upright in the 
 middle of his saddle, but without stiffness : his body and 
 head easy and square to the front, neither leaning forward 
 nor backward, the shoulders well thrown back, the chest 
 raised, and the small part of the back bent in ; by these 
 means, he will force himself well down into the middle of 
 his saddle, and as it were, ride entirely by equilibrium. 
 The arm from the shoulder to the elbow must hang easy, 
 with the thick part of it just below the elbow, lightly 
 touching the hip bone ; the lower part of the arm should 
 then be raised until the little finger of each hand is as high 
 and in a line with the elbow joint, the wrist slightly curved 
 with the knuckles to the front, the thumbs pointing directly 
 
THE SEAT. 23 
 
 towards each other, the little fingers exactly under the 
 thumbs, with a rein in each hand, as I have before men- 
 tioned in the previous lesson. The inside of the thighs 
 from the knee upwards, well turned round and close to the 
 saddle, the knee in the centre of the flap and bent, the legs 
 must hang easy by the horse's sides, without constraint, 
 with the foot exactly under the knee, and the stirrup of 
 such a length that the bar which supports the foot should 
 touch the rider's ankle when he is seated, with his legs 
 properly placed ; thus the calves of his legs are to act with, 
 and aid the hands; they are also ready to assist and 
 strengthen the seat, if necessary. The ball of the foot 
 should be placed on the stirrup with just sufficient pres- 
 sure to retain it under the foot, for he is a bad rider who 
 depends on the stirrup, the heels well pressed down, which 
 to be in the correct position, should be two inches lower 
 than the toes ; and the toes turned to the front. 
 
 The rider being mounted and properly seated, I must 
 caution him that he is to sit steadily, with his reins divided 
 ready to move on, and prepared to keep his seat if the horse 
 should plunge ; but should he show any reluctance to move, 
 the rider is not to resort to harsh treatment, by using the 
 whip or spur, but sit quietly on his back, and let the men 
 that have been assisting him to mount, lead him forward, 
 patting him for every act of obedience. If he shows any 
 temper which he is very unlikely to do, if he has been kindly 
 and properly treated in his former lessons, the two men 
 will be sufficient to hold him by keeping up his head, or 
 halting him, and letting him stand still a few minutes, that 
 he may feel what he has on his back, then moving him on 
 a few steps more, patting him frequently : with this treat- 
 ment, he will soon settle to his work ; but on no account 
 whip or spur him, for more horses are rendered restive by 
 the violence and impatience of their instructors, than by any 
 other cause. They seem not to reflect, that they ought not 
 to punish the horse for not doing what he has not been 
 taught to do. 
 
24 DISMOUNTING. 
 
 If he is found to go quietly, after the men have led him 
 a few times round the circle, let the man on the off side 
 go gently away, and follow him at a little distance with a 
 whip, merely showing it to him, thus leaving him to the 
 man with the longeing rein and his rider ; after he has led 
 him round the circle a few times, let him also steal away 
 from him by lengthening the rein a yard or more, as he 
 may think prudent, keeping his eye upon him, for fear he 
 should plunge, yet leaving him as much as possible to his 
 rider's own management, who should encourage him to 
 walk well out, by pressing him with the calves of his legs, 
 at the same time engaging his attention by moving the bit 
 lightly in his mouth, and giving him all the encouragement 
 in his power. Should he jump, or plunge, the man with 
 the longeing rein must remain close to him, to keep his 
 head up. If he goes quietly for half an hour or so, he 
 should be led into the centre of the circle, caressed, and 
 dismissed. Half an hour will be quite sufficient for the 
 first lesson, which may be increased daily, as his strength 
 increases, and thus he will be prepared for his future 
 lessons. 
 
 Dismounting. 
 
 To dismount, the rider is to place both snaffle reins in his 
 left hand, with the little finger between them, (as in the 
 instruction for mounting) the right hand taking hold of the 
 reins above the left hand, secures them between the forefinger 
 and thumb of the right hand : the left hand slides down the 
 reins about a foot in front of the saddle, the right hand drops 
 the spare end of them, the left hand having a light feel- 
 ing on the horse's mouth ; the right hand then takes a lock of 
 the mane and twists it round the thumb of the left hand, 
 which is to be closed firmly on the mane and reins; the 
 right hand is next to be placed on the pommel of the saddle, 
 and the right foot withdrawn from the stirrup. The rider 
 
DISMOUNTING. 25 
 
 is then to support his body on his right hand and left foot, 
 bending the right knee and carrying the leg clear over the 
 horse's quarters to the near side ; the right hand is removed 
 from the pommel to the cantle of the saddle (when a mo- 
 mentary pause should be made) ; the body is then lowered 
 till the right foot comes to the ground, when the left foot 
 quits the stirrup, and the man faces to his left, taking the 
 snaffle rein with the right hand; the man who has been 
 leading the horse stands on the off side having the longeing 
 rein folded up in his right hand, with which he also takes 
 firmly hold of the snaffle cheek -piece, and with the left hand 
 holds the stirrup leather. 
 
 The soldier dismounts in seven motions, three in pre- 
 paring to dismount and four in dismounting. 
 
 There is another, and in my opinion, a safer way to 
 mount and dismount, in backing young horses, and it is the 
 one I always adopt with the snaffle. 
 
 In preparing to mount, I place the near side, that is, the 
 left rein, below the little finger of the left hand, and bring it 
 through the hand, passing it between the forefinger and the 
 thumb : I then place the right rein also between the fore- 
 finger and the thumb, letting it pass through the hand and 
 below the little finger, and then securely close my hand upon 
 them, when I find I have the reins firm in my grasp, and 
 retained by the pressure of the thumb upon the forefinger. 
 Thus prepared, I mount according to the before-mentioned 
 rules. I am thus ready at a moment's notice to divide the 
 reins, and take one in the right hand. In dismounting, the 
 right rein is returned to the left hand ; and the other move- 
 ments made as before laid down. The advantage of this 
 method is, that in case the horse plunges while being 
 mounted, I have him securely in one hand, and having the 
 breadth of it between the reins, am able to divide them with- 
 out confusion, and by turning the forefinger upwards to the 
 right to guide him in that direction, and by depressing the 
 little finger and turning it outwards to the left, to keep him 
 to that hand. 
 
26 THE HORSEMAN'S MANUAL. 
 
 Lesson I* 
 
 We will now suppose that the colt begins to understand, 
 from his previous lessons, what is wanted from him, in re- 
 gard to being mounted and dismounted ; that he leads pretty 
 well round the circle ; that the rider can manage him with- 
 out much assistance from the longeing rein; and that the 
 man holding it, can trust him with sufficient length of rein 
 to form a large circle, the one with the whip still following 
 him round, but leaving him as much as possible to the rider, 
 who should be very attentive in the application of his hands 
 and legs. If the colt is strong, he should urge him to trot a 
 few times round the circle, to the hand the man with the 
 rein is leading him, then pull him up quietly to the walk : 
 and after he has walked for a short time, halt him and 
 change the rein, and work him in like manner to the other 
 hand ; day by day increasing his lesson, according to his 
 strength and capability, encouraging him for every act of 
 compliance. Thus, in a short time, he will allow his rider 
 to mount, and move him on without assistance. All that 
 must be expected from him at first is, that he should walk 
 well, and that to his front, to which the rider must pay great 
 attention, by an equal feeling of the reins, and the pressure 
 of his legs. 
 
 Having gone through his lesson quietly, he should be 
 halted square to the front. The rider should then dismount, 
 rein him back a few steps, and dismiss him. 
 
 Should the instructor at any time feel annoyed and irri- 
 tated at the little progress his pupil makes, let him reflect 
 that he has a young and irrational animal to deal with, and 
 remember how much patience he himself required, and how 
 many blunders he made, in acquiring the simplest rudiments 
 of learning. If he applies this reflection, as a man of good 
 feeling ought, he will make allowances for the colt's dullness, 
 and the trouble he gives him, and will endeavour to gain 
 
THE HORSEMAN'S MANUAL. 27 
 
 his end by kindness and perseverance, rather than by vio- 
 lence and cruelty. 
 
 The colt has hitherto been ridden with the assistance of a 
 man leading him by the longeing rein : we will presume that 
 he now goes quietly ; that his rider has for sometime had him 
 for the most part, under his sole management, and that he 
 begins to walk pretty well; therefore, in his future lessons, the 
 longeing rein may be dispensed with. 
 
 Lesson II. 
 
 It may be expected that the colt will now know something 
 of what is demanded of him ; that he will walk to his front 
 when required ; that he will stand still to be mounted, in 
 which the rider should be very particular, never attempting 
 to do so till he is perfectly steady. 
 
 Being mounted, the rider must not be rough or impatient ; 
 rough treatment will only make him timid, and cause him to 
 resist for his own preservation ; while, on the contrary, quiet- 
 ness, accompanied by firmness, will convince him that he has 
 nothing to fear, and he will soon come to terms, and answer 
 every reasonable demand. If the colt should show signs of 
 uneasiness, the rider should dismount quietly, carefully ex- 
 amine the saddle to see that it does not hurt him, that the 
 snaffle is properly fitted, and to discover whether his awk- 
 wardness is natural, or proceeds from some other cause ; this 
 done, let him mount again, and having seated himself, take 
 a rein in each hand, press the calves of both legs to him, 
 and move him forward. His pace at first will be more of a 
 roll than a walk ; but patience and perseverance, will soon 
 improve this. The rider's hands must be light and playful, 
 moving the bit very lightly in the colt's mouth, between 
 which and the rider's hand there must be a constant com- 
 munication, which he will obtain, by feeling each rein 
 alternately, and then an equal feeling of both, which will 
 
28 THE HORSEMAN'S MANUAL. 
 
 cause him to play with and champ the bit, and encourage 
 him to raise his head, and by degrees, lighten himself in 
 front. The colt must be kept attentive, and up to the bridle, 
 by a gentle pressure of the calves of both legs, so as to teach 
 him to lift his foot up, and place it to his front, but no rough 
 aids are to be applied, such as the whip or spur : for the 
 rider must still bear in mind, that he has a young and un- 
 tutored thing to instruct, and consequently, he ought to be 
 very cautious and kind in his treatment; for it is as absurd to 
 expect that the young horse can understand or answer the 
 indication of the hand or leg, before he has been taught to 
 do so, as it woidd be for a schoolmaster to expect a child 
 to read and spell, before he had learned his alphabet ; and it 
 is no less barbarous, to punish the former for his ignorance, 
 than the latter. Therefore, as the child's first lessons ought 
 to be simple and easy, so ought the colt's, who is but a child 
 of another species ; and all that ought to be demanded from 
 him at first is, to walk straight to his front, and not place one 
 foot to the right, and the other to the left, which he is sure 
 to do, if not restrained by the rider's hand, and at the same 
 time, urged on by the pressure of his legs. I consider the 
 walk of great importance, as it is the foundation of all the 
 other paces ; for if a horse does not walk well, he will very 
 rarely be perfect in any pace. 
 
 The rider must take care that the colt is not kept at 
 work so long at any one time as to tire him. He must also 
 pay great attention to his hand, for much of the success in 
 training depends on this ; the reins must never hang loose ; 
 neither must they be pulled, as if the rider had some great 
 weight to sustain ; but let him imagine that he has a piece 
 of thread in his hand, or a hair of the horse's mane, and 
 that he does not wish to break the one, nor pull out the 
 other. To enable the reader to understand, the sort of 
 feeling he ought to have on the horse's mouth, let him 
 fasten a piece of thread to something, that will yield to the 
 hand, for instance, the top rail of a light chair ; and if by 
 an even and steady feeling of the thread, he can raise the 
 
THE HORSEMAN'S MANUAL. 29 
 
 front legs of the chair from the floor, by closing and relax- 
 ing the ringers, he will keep the chair in motion and sup- 
 port in that position, and it will give him some idea of the 
 feeling he ought to have on the horse's mouth : if, on the 
 contrary, he jerks the thread, instead of holding it with an 
 even and steady feeling, he will hurt his finger ; and this 
 is precisely the effect it has on the horse's mouth, and is 
 what makes horses that have been so treated, afraid to go 
 up to the hand and face the bridle. 
 
 The pressure of the legs against the horse's sides to keep 
 him upi to the hand at the feeling I have just described, 
 must be regulated by his temper ; for the rider may rest 
 assured, that if his hands and legs, or, as they are commonly 
 called, aids, are rough and unkind, he will fail in attaining 
 his object, for the colt will oppose force by force, and being 
 the stronger of the two, will give him a great deal of 
 trouble, besides exposing him to the risk incidental to a 
 contest of this nature. Horses run away from this cause 
 more than from any other, and all know what numerous, 
 and often fatal, accidents are occasioned thereby. 
 
 But should my reader, in spite of all precautions, ever 
 have the misfortune to ride a runaway horse, and he finds 
 him gaining the advantage, and going away with him, he 
 ought to draw the snaffle once or twice sharply through his 
 mouth, and then drop the hand to him ; I mean, give him 
 his head suddenly for a moment, this will puzzle him ex- 
 ceedingly, and not knowing what to make of it, he will very 
 likely stop ; then feel his mouth again, and thus, by an al- 
 ternate feeling, and easing the hand, you will recall him to 
 obedience. A rough hand will never make him a useful 
 or a pleasant horse to ride ; but light hands, make light 
 mouths : and if all horses were kindly and properly treated, 
 there would be few that would run away. 
 
30 THE HORSEMAN'S MANUAL. 
 
 Lesson III. 
 
 Supposing the horse can walk well to his front with his head 
 up, and is beginning to yield to the rider's hand, by playing 
 with and champing the bit ; the next demand should be to 
 bend him to the right and left. This at first should be done 
 by halting him, and placing him properly on all four feet, 
 making him stand well up to the bit. In bending the horse, 
 great gentleness should be used, he should never be pulled 
 round by force, nor kept bent too long at one time, but the 
 rider should, with a light and playful hand, engage his at- 
 tention towards him, and when he yields to the right rein, 
 pat him and unbend him: then try the same to the left. 
 When he has yielded a few times to each hand, place him 
 square, letting him see you are pleased with him ; then 
 walk him well out again, and by thus halting and bending, 
 placing him square, and moving him on, during his early 
 lessons, the instructor will be greatly assisted in preparing 
 him for the lesson of " Shoulder-in." 
 
 When he answers these demands freely, he must be taught to 
 turn to the right and left ; and, in order not to confuse the 
 reader, I will confine myself to explaining the aids for work- 
 ing to the right only — wishing him to bear in mind that the 
 reverse aids are required in working to the left. I will ex- 
 plain the aids that are required in turning to the right. 
 The rider must try to keep the horse up to that free action 
 in the turn, that he had when walking straight to his front ; 
 to obtain which, a light feeling of both hands is required to 
 raise his forehand, and both legs must be applied to keep 
 his haunches under him, but the inward or right rein, and 
 the outward or left leg, the stronger. If we wish the horse 
 to turn to the right, the right rein must be felt the stronger, 
 to direct him where to go, with a lighter feeling of the left, 
 to balance and assist the right, so that the snaffle may have 
 almost an equal pressure on both sides of the horse's mouth : 
 
THE HORSEMAN'S MANUAL. 31 
 
 by feeling one rein only, the rider would draw the snaffle 
 through the horse's mouth, and would thus pull the left 
 cheek-piece or ring of the snaffle against the horse's left 
 cheek-bone, having little or no bearing on his bars or gums, 
 so that if he turned at all, it would, in all probability, be 
 in a direction contrary to the one intended. 
 
 The rider, as before admonished, must be very attentive 
 to the lightness and kindness of his hands. In working the 
 hands, the little finger is to be turned in and upwards to- 
 wards the face ; and as soon as the horse has answered the 
 aid, the hand is to resume its proper position ; and as the 
 assistance of both hands is necessary, so will that of both 
 legs ; for when the right rein is felt the stronger, the left 
 leg must be applied in proportion, to make the horse follow 
 the leading rein ; the right leg being kept close to assist the 
 left, and oblige the horse to step up to the bit. 
 
 As I shall have to use the terms " inward " and " out- 
 ward," I will explain how they are applied : the hand we 
 work to, whether right or left, is called the inward hand, 
 so that if we turn to the right, we apply the right or in- 
 ward rein, and the left or outward leg, the stronger, re- 
 versing the aids if to the left. Thus the hand we work to, is 
 called the inward, or leading hand, and when riding with a 
 snaffle in a school, should be about three inches below the 
 outward, which is to be kept in a line with the elbow 
 joint. 
 
 Now, in turning to the right, the right or inward rein is 
 felt with a double power, in comparison with the left or 
 outward rein, in order to retain a steady feeling. The horse 
 is kept up to the hands by a pressure of both legs, but the 
 left or outward leg, the stronger ; and when turned, there 
 must be an equal feeling of both hands with the pressure of 
 the legs to direct him to advance straight to his front. 
 
 The rider must judge from his experience of the horse, 
 with what power he must apply his aids, some horses ac- 
 knowledge the slightest indication, others require the aids 
 more strongly applied. 
 
32 THE HORSEMAN'S MANUAL. 
 
 This lesson, as well as every other, should be repeated 
 until the horse understands, and will answer, the rider's 
 hand and leg, without the assistance of the whip or spur. 
 
 In turning, the hands must not be carried to the right 
 nor to the left ; they are not to quit the position previously 
 laid down. In all turns, the action is to be made from the 
 wrist, the little fingers turning in and up, towards the face, 
 resuming their place when the horse has answered the aid. 
 
 Lesson IT. 
 
 When the horse has become somewhat perfect in answer- 
 ing the aids of the hand and leg, the rider should press 
 him to the trot. 
 
 In applying the aids for the trot, he must raise the horse's 
 forehand, by a light feeling of both reins, turning the little 
 fingers in and up, towards his face, not with a jerking, un- 
 steady action, but with that light feeling which I have before 
 described ; both legs must be smoothly applied to press him 
 up to the hand, and bring his haunches under him, so that 
 when he lifts his foot from the ground, he may have greater 
 power, and more freedom, to put it out to the front. The 
 forehand being relieved by bringing the weight more on to 
 the haunches, enables him to spring and step better up to 
 the light hand, which the rider must be very careful to ac- 
 quire, and this is only obtained by care and great attention 
 on his own part. The meaning of a light hand, is, that 
 it exercises an alternate feeling and easing of the horse's 
 mouth, by proper attention to which its sensibility is pre- 
 served, and the rider's hand formed. 
 
 The first lessons in the trot, should be short, and fre- 
 quently varied with those already gone through. The rider 
 must be very particular in changing the horse's lessons, or 
 he will soon anticipate what is to follow, which must never 
 be allowed. He is never to turn, advance, stop, or rein 
 back, without receiving the proper aids from his rider ; nor 
 
THE HORSEMAN'S MANUAL. 33 
 
 must he be kept too long at one thing, or he will become 
 disgusted with his work. The judicious rider will gain almost 
 imperceptibly a little more every day, by changing the les- 
 son from the walk to the trot, and from the trot to the 
 walk again, seeking compliance by gentle aids alone, 
 which are to keep him well up to the hand by the pressure 
 of both legs, and retaining him sufficiently, but lightly, 
 with the hands. The whip and spur, as I said before, 
 must be used as a last resource, when other and kinder 
 means have failed. Attention must be paid to work all 
 lessons till the horse goes as well to one hand as to the 
 other. The trot being a most important and useful lesson, 
 care must be taken to obtain a free and extended action. 
 
 The pace should be moderate at first, and always exactly 
 cadenced. ' Cadence,' means an even and distinctly marked 
 time, which the horse must be made to observe in all his 
 paces, if we wish him to be pleasant to ride. Much de- 
 pends on how he is, or has been, ridden; for if the rider has 
 an uneven bearing on his mouth, that is, feels one rein 
 more strongly than the other, it is not likely the horse 
 can maintain anything like a steady and uniform action. 
 It may now and then happen, that a well -trained horse will 
 do this, in spite of all that a bad rider, with uneven hands 
 and unsteady legs, may do to disturb him ; but such cases 
 are rare, as most horses are sure to abandon themselves, as 
 it is called, unless properly retained by the hand, and, at 
 the same time, urged on by the pressure of the legs. 
 
 To give a just idea of a cadenced action, we will suppose 
 we have a well-trained horse, and on his back a good rider ; 
 we shall then be able to mark a distinct and even interval, as 
 the horse's feet come to the ground ; and no one can appre- 
 ciate the luxury of a good trot who cannot obtain this even- 
 ness and uniformity of step. 
 
 As the horse improves, he should be made to extend his 
 
 pace, or as rough riders term it, to trot out. The aids for 
 
 this are, lightly to raise the horse's head and neck, thus 
 
 relieving his forehand, and at the same time, urging him 
 
 b 5 
 
34 THE HORSEMAN'S MANUAL. 
 
 by the pressure of the legs, to bring his weight more on 
 his haunches, so that he can lift his foot up by bending 
 the knee, and extend it well to the front. 
 
 Some riders make a great mistake in giving the horse a 
 longer rein to increase his pace, imagining they will suc- 
 ceed by so doing ; thus, as it were, letting the horse's head 
 down upon his fore legs, and impeding his speed instead of 
 increasing it : but if you wish a horse to step well out, 
 you must first raise his forehand, and then he has every 
 chance to spring from his haunches, and is enabled to stop, 
 turn, or advance, with greater precision and ease to himself. 
 
 The halt is a material part of the lesson, and may be re- 
 peated with great advantage. If performed with judgment, 
 it assists the rider in bringing the horse's haunches under 
 him, and raising him in front. When about to halt, the 
 rider should first somewhat animate the horse, and then 
 his mouth must be felt, and the legs firmly, but steadily, 
 applied to stay him, upon which the hand must be eased. 
 Also, in changing from the trot to the walk, from the 
 canter to the trot or walk, the horse should be well 
 pressed up to the hand, keeping in mind, that all changes 
 of pace, should be made with his haunches well under 
 him, the rider's hand to be firm but very light, that the 
 horse may be going freely and well up to the bit at the 
 time the change is made. 
 
 Lesson V. 
 
 As I have previously directed, that the horse should be 
 reined back in his former lessons before dismissing him, 
 the rider may now try and rein him back while mounted. 
 In this lesson, at the commencement, he must not raise the 
 horse's head too high, more particularly, if the ground is 
 soft ; for, by raising him too much in front at first, espe- 
 cially if he is not well collected, and his haunches well 
 
THE HORSEMAN'S MANUAL. 35 
 
 under him, it throws too much weight on the haunches, 
 and this is very likely to make him refuse to rein back, 
 for if he should be weak in the loins, or hocks, it will be a 
 matter of great difficulty for him to do so. With these 
 points, the rider should make himself acquainted, and not 
 require too much at one time ; for if he obtains but one 
 step to the rear to-day, he may look for more to-morrow ; 
 always taking care to make much of the horse for every 
 act of compliance, as he must bear in mind, that it is 
 easier for him to advance ten paces, than to rein back one. 
 In going forward, the reins guide the horse, and the 
 legs urge him on; but in reining back, the legs guide him 
 and the bit forces him back. To effect this, the feeling of 
 both hands must be light and equal, which will raise the 
 horse's forehand, the legs being applied to his sides, will 
 press his haunches under him, and oblige him to step up 
 to the bridle, but being retained by the hands, he will not 
 be able to place his foot forward, so that he must either 
 hold it in the air, or place it backwards ; and after every 
 step to the rear, the hand should be eased. In this lesson, 
 much attention must be paid to the lightness and evenness 
 of the hands and legs ; for the object of it is to lighten the 
 horse's forehand, bringing the weight more upon the 
 haunches, to enable him to work the bending lessons with 
 greater ease to himself, and also to prepare him for the 
 canter. 
 
 Lesson VI, 
 
 The horse by this time ought to understand and answer 
 the aids for walking, bending, reining back, and turning to 
 both hands ; therefore he must now commence the bending 
 lesson, or shoulder-in. Now, as few of my readers may 
 have a riding-house to work in, they will have to find a 
 substitute for one ; any enclosed square space will answer 
 
36 THE HORSEMAN'S MANUAL. 
 
 the purpose ; and if that cannot be readily obtained, a grass 
 field must do, the hedges representing the walls of the 
 manege. 
 
 The horse should be placed by the side of one of the 
 walls or hedges, at one yard interval from it. The rider, 
 without moving the horse's hind feet, must turn his fore- 
 hand nearly half to the right ; thus, his fore feet will be on 
 one line, and his hind feet on another. The rider must sit 
 square to the front as his horse stands, with his left or out- 
 ward hand as high as the elbow ; the right or inward one 
 three inches lower ; the horse's forehand should be well 
 raised, and he must stand well up to the bit, (for the higher 
 he is raised in front in this lesson, the easier he can perform 
 it,) his head yielding to the right rein, and his body slightly 
 curved. The rider, however, must not expect to get this 
 from him all at once ; for if, for the first lesson or two, he 
 yields to the inward or right rein, letting his feet work on 
 one line, it will be sufficient ; then unbend him, encourage 
 him, and let him walk out again to ease his neck, after a 
 short interval try him again, getting a little more from him 
 every time, until the rider can keep him in the position I 
 have described above. Beyond all things, I wish him to under- 
 stand, that he is not to pull the horse's head round by force, 
 for a man with nothing but a halter can do that ; but this is 
 not the thing required : the horse is to yield his mouth to 
 the slightest indication from the rider's hand; and to be in a 
 proper position to work the shoulder-in, he should be stand- 
 ing well up to the bit, as I have before mentioned, and 
 slightly curved, from the poll of his neck to the last joint 
 of his back ; and as this position is very fatiguing, he should 
 not be kept in it too long at one time. The object of the 
 shoulder -in and passage, is to supple the horse in the neck 
 and ribs, to give free action to his shoulders, and teach him 
 to obey the pressure of the leg. 
 
 The rider must understand and remember the difference, 
 between the inward and outward hand and leg, or he will 
 never work these lessons correctly. 
 
THE HORSEMAN'S MANUAL. 37 
 
 Right Shoulder-in. 
 
 As I have described how the horse ought to be placed, 
 in order to commence the right shoulder-in, I will now ex- 
 plain the aids to work it. 
 
 In the first place, the rider should be very careful that 
 his hands and legs act together, or he will confuse and 
 disturb the horse : they are to balance and assist each 
 other. 
 
 In this lesson the left or outward rein raises the horse's 
 forehand, and leads him away to the left, the right rein 
 bends him, and causes him to yield his mouth to the right 
 or inward hand, the pressure of the right leg obliges him to 
 cross his legs, by passing his off feet in front of his near ; 
 the left leg being closed, keeps him up to the hands, and 
 prevents him taking too long a side step to the left ; it also 
 obliges him to step up to the hand and face his bridle ; the 
 shoulders should be kept well leading : thus the horse being 
 raised in front with his haunches under him, and balanced 
 between the rider's hands and legs, is bent to the right, but 
 stepping sideways to the left, his fore and hind feet moving 
 on two parallel lines, the hind feet one yard from the wall, 
 or outside of the manege ; for should the horse get his hind 
 feet too close to the wall, he would not have room to pass 
 one foot in front of the other without striking his hocks, 
 which might cause the injury termed capped hocks ; but the 
 rider's outward or left leg should prevent this, by being 
 closed strong enough to keep him up to the hand. This 
 lesson should be worked very slowly. 
 
 For the left shoulder-in, the aids must be reversed : that 
 is, the right rein raises the horse's forehand and leads him 
 away to the right, and the left rein bends him ; the left leg 
 makes him cross his legs, and the right keeps him up to 
 the hand. 
 
38 THE HORSEMAN'S MANUAL. 
 
 To Turn when working Shoulder-in. 
 
 All turns when working the shoulder-in, either right or 
 left, are made on the horse's fore feet. I must here remind 
 my reader, that he is to imagine he is working his horse in 
 a square, at each corner of which he has to make a turn. 
 In working to the right, when the horse's fore feet come 
 within two yards of the corner, the rider must stay them by 
 feeling the right or inward rein, a little stronger, and by a 
 stronger pressure of the right or inward leg, he wall oblige 
 the horse to pass his hind feet round to the left, his fore feet 
 acting as a pivot during the turn. When the turn is com- 
 pleted, he must lead him away with the left or outward rein. 
 
 To Halt. 
 
 To halt when working the right shoulder-in, feel both 
 reins, and close the left or outward leg ; if the left, feel both 
 reins, and close the right or outward leg. 
 
 The Half-Passa 
 
 ge. 
 
 When the horse has made some progress in the lessons 
 of right and left shoulder-in, he should be taught the half- 
 passage. To begin which, he is prepared, when working 
 the right shoulder-in. All the rider will have to do. is to 
 press him gently forward with both legs, and when he enters 
 the new line, the calf of the left leg must be applied to 
 bring his quarters gradually into the proper oblique direc- 
 tion, the shoulders to be kept well leading. The horse 
 moves, and looks towards his right ; the right rein preserves 
 the bend and leads him ; the left raises his head, and assists 
 and balances the power of the right ; the left leg obliges the 
 
THE HORSEMAN'S MANUAL. 39 
 
 horse to place his near foot in front of the off, and the right 
 leg presses him np to the hand, and prevents his quarters 
 from coming too much to the right, and keeps him in the 
 proper direction ; his fore and hind feet moving on two 
 diagonal lines from one side of the manege to the other. 
 
 In the half-passage, the horse only half-crosses his legs, 
 placing one foot in front of the other, and gaining as much 
 ground to his front as he does to his right, his fore and hind 
 feet arriving at the opposite wall or side of the manege 
 together, when he should be pressed forward for a few 
 paces, and placed for the left shoulder-in. 
 
 The Passage. 
 
 When the horse has been practised a few times at the 
 shoulder-in and half-passage, and the rider finds that he 
 answers the aids pretty well, he must teach him the full 
 passage. When working the right shoulder -in, the horse 
 is prepared for the right pass. To effect this, the rider 
 must feel both reins ; this will stay him for a moment, 
 making as it were a half-halt, giving him time to balance 
 himself, in order that he may change his feet ; for in work- 
 ing the right shoulder-in the horse passes his off feet in 
 front of his near, so that by easing the pressure of the right 
 leg and closing the left the stronger, the rider will cause 
 the horse to change his feet, and pass the near in front of 
 the off feet, the right rein both bending and leading. 
 
 The rider will observe in the passage, that the inward 
 or right rein both bends and leads ; the outward or left 
 rein balances and assists the inward ; the outward or left 
 leg obliges the horse to pass his near foot in front of the 
 off, and the inward or right leg keeps him up to the hands, 
 and prevents him from taking too long a side step to the 
 right. Thus, in the right shoulder-in, the horse is bent to 
 the right and steps to the left ; but in the passage, he both 
 bends and steps to the right, following the inward or right 
 
40 THE HORSEMAN'S MANUAL. 
 
 rein, passing square across the manege from one wall to the 
 other; and when arrived at the opposite wall, the rider 
 must square him, encourage him for what he has 'done, and 
 commence the left shoulder -in, or he may be turned to the 
 right, and continue the right pass. 
 
 To Turn in the Passage. 
 
 As in working the shoulder -in the turns are made on 
 the fore feet, so in working the passage, they are made on 
 the hind feet ; to do which, if the rider wishes to turn to 
 the right, he must stay the horse's hind feet by closing the 
 right leg, the right rein leading his forehand round, the 
 left rein supporting and assisting the right, the left leg 
 being closed, prevents his quarters from swerving to the 
 left during the turn. When the turn is made, he can re- 
 sume the aids for the right passage, by easing the pressure 
 of the right or inward leg, and lead off with the right or 
 inward rein. 
 
 To Halt in the Passage. 
 
 To halt the horse in the right pass, feel both reins, and 
 close the right or inward leg. 
 
 To Turn from Right Pass to Right 
 Shoulder-in. 
 
 To turn the horse from right pass to right shoulder -in, 
 feel the right rein, and close the right leg strongly ; at the 
 same time supporting him with the left leg and rein. The 
 horse should be made to turn on his own centre, his fore 
 and hind feet describing a circle. When turned, lead him 
 off with the left rein. 
 
THE HORSEMAN'S MANUAL. 41 
 
 The rider must understand that I have represented the 
 horse to be working all this time to the right, and have 
 only explained the aids to the right, therefore, in working 
 to the left, all the aids must be reversed. 
 
 Much nicety of hand is required in these lessons, for 
 unless the rider's hands and legs act together, the horse 
 does not know which to obey ; but is puzzled and confused, 
 and makes no progress in his training. 
 
 Lesson VII 
 
 If the horse is intended for military purposes, for the 
 Yeomanry Cavalry, or the mounted Police, he must be taught 
 to carry the sword. In order to train him to this, the rider 
 should at first wear the scabbard only. When he becomes 
 accustomed to that, he may place the sword in it, and oc- 
 casionally halting, let him take both reins in his right 
 hand, holding them at such a length as to have but a very 
 light feeling on the horse's mouth, then with his left, 
 gently shake the sword in the scabbard, soothing and 
 confirming him at the same time with the voice and hand. 
 Repeat this again and again, rattling the sword a little 
 louder every time ; thus, by alternately rattling it and en- 
 couraging him, he will soon allow it to be fully drawn, 
 gently at first, of course ; the rider taking great care not to 
 strike or needlessly alarm him with it. This will prepare 
 him for any thing that he may be required for with the 
 sword, such as the sword exercise, &c. When the rider is 
 about to do any thing he thinks may frighten the young 
 horse, he should never have him tight in hand, for that 
 leads him to suspect he is going to be hurt ; he must give 
 him as much rein as he can with safety ; and if he has 
 treated him with kindness in his former lessons, the horse 
 will have so much confidence, that he will not be wantonly 
 exposed to injury, as will disarm him in a great measure 
 of his natural timidity. 
 
42 THE HORSEMAN'S MANUAL. 
 
 When the horse has become accustomed to the sword, 
 he must be taught to stand to be fired from ; and for this 
 purpose we commence With a pistol, which, if it has the 
 percussion lock, we at first put only a cap upon ; and when 
 he will allow that to be exploded without alarm, shake a 
 little powder into the barrel without ramming it down ; 
 and when he has become used to this, load the pistol in the 
 ordinary way (with blank cartridge of course) till he will 
 stand with confidence to be fired from. 
 
 If the pistol you use has the old-fashioned lock, put a 
 little powder into the pan and some into the barrel (with- 
 out ramming it down), and fire it off instead of exploding 
 the cap. 
 
 Lesson VIII, 
 
 The horse having been well-instructed in the foregoing 
 lessons, and carefully ridden well up to the hand in the 
 trot, must next be advanced to the canter, and if he has 
 been attentively instructed in the trot, this will be an easy 
 lesson ; the rider taking the precaution not to require too 
 much at the commencement, but increase every day ac- 
 cording to the horse's strength. 
 
 The canter is a delicate and somewhat artificial pace, 
 being nothing more nor less than a shortened gallop ; and 
 when well performed, is very showy, easy, and elegant ; 
 but as the reverse is often the case, owing to the imperfect 
 training of the horse, or the unskilfulness of the rider, it 
 is very unsightly, and offensive to the eye of the practised 
 horseman. 
 
 At first, the canter is mostly very long and loose, more 
 particularly if the horse has not been well ridden up to the 
 hand in his former lessons ; but by practice and attention 
 from the rider, it will, by degrees, become shorter and 
 more collected. The canter being a more violent exer- 
 tion than the trot, the lessons should be regulated accord- 
 
THE HORSEMAN'S MANUAL. 43 
 
 ingly, the rider taking care not to collect the horse too 
 soon, bnt to let it be done by degrees. 
 
 Let it, for a short time, be the extended pace, or what is 
 called, a hand gallop, allowing the horse liberty to exert 
 himself, that he may learn to cover his gronnd ; after some 
 time, try to collect him a little more, and although raising 
 him in front a trifle every lesson, the rider must endeavour 
 to keep him up to a free and unconstrained action, rising 
 higher in front and springing more from his haunches so 
 that when properly trained and with a good rider on his 
 back, he might be made to canter, and to all appearance, at 
 the extended canter, by the side of another horse walking 
 well out. Many young horses, however, are collected too sud- 
 denly in the canter, and by these means, are crippled instead 
 of being suppled, so that they never canter well afterwards. 
 
 In applying the aids for the canter, the rider must be 
 particular that they are smooth, and well timed ; the horse 
 being urged to the trot, he should feel both reins lightly ; 
 this will raise him and lighten his forehand; a pres- 
 sure of both legs will bring his haunches under him, and 
 a double feeling of the right rein, with an extra pressure 
 of the left leg, will cause him to strike off with the right 
 fore leg, followed by the right hind one, which his called, 
 true and united. 
 
 To lead with the left fore leg, the aids must be reversed ; 
 that is, the double feeling must be on the left rein, and the 
 pressure from the right leg, and attention must be paid to 
 time the application of the aids when the horse is raising 
 his fore foot. 
 
 I have explained the meaning of ■ true ' and ' united/ as 
 applied to the canter ; it may be necessary to say some- 
 thing of the opposite terms, ' false ' and ' disunited/ A horse 
 is said to canter false, if, when going to the right, he leads 
 with his near fore foot, which if followed by the off hind one, 
 is both false and disunited. If, in cantering to the left, he 
 should lead with his off fore foot, that would be false ; and 
 if followed by the near hind one, both false and disunited. 
 
44 THE HORSEMAN'S MANUAL. 
 
 A good rider will detect this immediately, without any 
 assistance from his eye, by an uneasy rocking motion, and 
 as often as it occurs, will pull the horse quietly up to the 
 trot, and again apply the aids smoothly, taking care not to 
 lose his temper, nor punish the horse till he has exhausted 
 all other means to obtain his end, and even then, the punish- 
 ment must be administered with judgment and discretion. 
 
 Too much attention cannot be given to the lightness and 
 delicacy of the hands, and these indispensables to a good 
 horseman, come only by time and practice. When once 
 acquired, they are the sure means of safety and good riding, 
 for it is from the control exercised by the hand, that a rider 
 is enabled to subdue the most violent horse ; while the 
 firmest seat will avail nothing, if not seconded by a light 
 and skilful hand. 
 
 Lesson IX, 
 
 Having proceeded with the colt so far through the 
 routine of his training, should he have gone on successfully, 
 his next instruction must be in leaping ; and here again we 
 must advance by degrees, and begin by placing the bar on 
 the ground, which, when he steps clearly over, we may 
 raise a few inches, increasing the height gradually ; and by 
 encouragement, before and after each leap, he will soon 
 learn to follow the man leading him over it. For a standing 
 leap, from two to three feet in height ought to be considered 
 sufficient. 
 
 The horse should be made to approach the leap at an 
 animated pace, but on no account, be suffered to hurry. 
 A horse that is impatient in going up to the bar, must be 
 halted a few steps short of it, and reined back, as often as he 
 shows unsteadiness, or be led over the bar on the ground 
 again ; but on no account must he be allowed to hurry ; for 
 if he is, he will become an uncertain, and consequently, a 
 dangerous leaper. 
 
THE HORSEMAN'S MANUAL. 45 
 
 Having become familiar with the standing leap, by 
 following the man over it, he should now be mounted and 
 ridden up to the bar at a trot, or canter, taking care to place 
 it so that it may fall at the least touch, and at a very moderate 
 height, as well to avoid hurting the man by the horse falling 
 over it, as intimidating himself; the consequence of which 
 would be, his refusing his leap on some more important 
 occasion. 
 
 The rider, when at the leap, should raise the horse's fore- 
 hand by a light feeling of both reins, and with a strong 
 pressure of the legs, urge him forward : immediately the 
 horse rises, he must ease the hand, to give him room to 
 spring forward, and when over, collect him, by a steady 
 feeling of both reins, supporting him well with the legs. 
 The rider should preserve an easy carriage of body; his 
 own judgment will soon inform him, what the inclination 
 forward should be when the horse rises, and what back- 
 ward, when he alights. 
 
 The leap must not be repeated too often ; two or three 
 times in one lesson will be enough, otherwise it will weary 
 and disgust the horse, and get him into the habit of 
 refusing. 
 
 Lesson X. 
 
 The snaffle, which has hitherto been used, must now 
 be replaced by the bit, or curb bridle. This must be care- 
 fully fitted, according to my previous instructions, and when 
 properly adjusted, the rider is to mount with the bit rein 
 instead of the snaffle, and he must bear in mind, that a light 
 hand is now particularly necessary, as the bit is so much 
 more severe than the snaffle. In order that the rider may 
 avoid mistakes, by confusing the reins, let him observe 
 that the bridoon reins are secured in the centre by a buckle, 
 while the bit reins are stitched. By attending to this dis- 
 tinction, he may always know which he is using. 
 
46 THE HORSEMAN'S MANUAL. 
 
 Previous to mounting, the rider should place the centre 
 of the bridoon reins about twelve inches up the horse's neck, 
 and the bit reins about six inches behind them ; the reins 
 will then be properly placed for mounting ; he should now 
 take the centre of the bridoon through the full of the left 
 hand ; and with the right hand the centre of the bit rein 
 between the thumb and forefinger, closing them together, 
 and place the little finger of the left hand between them, 
 with the left hand below the right ; let him then draw the 
 bit reins through the left hand with the right, till he feels 
 the horse's mouth very lightly ; the right hand must then 
 drop the reins, and take a lock of the horse's mane, and 
 firmly twist it round the thumb of the left hand, which is 
 to be closed on the mane and reins, for if his hand should 
 let the mane slip in the act of mounting, it would throw a 
 great weight upon the horse's mouth, and might be attended 
 with danger. He must then go through the remainder of 
 the instructions for mounting as before laid down. When 
 mounted, release the mane from the thumb of the left hand, 
 retaining the reins in it : the left hand now becomes, what 
 the soldier terms, the bridle hand, and should be placed 
 opposite the centre of the body. 
 
 The right hand then takes the bridoon rein, and draws 
 it through the left ; thus he will have three reins in the left 
 hand, two below the little finger, and one between it and 
 the third finger, leaving for the right hand the right bri- 
 doon rein, which is to be held between the third and little 
 finger, the feeling on all four reins being equal, except, in 
 the early lessons with the bit, when the rider must feel it 
 but very lightly, increasing a little more every lesson. 
 The bit reins must lie flat and smooth one upon the other on 
 the second joint of the forefinger of the left hand with the 
 thumb upon them ; the bridoon rein over the bit reins next 
 to the palm of the hand ; the bit reins, as I have said before, 
 must at first be rather loose, although held properly, the 
 rider using the bridoon as a snaffle as he has a rein in each 
 hand. After the horse as gone through a part of his lesson, 
 
THE HORSEMAN'S MANUAL. 47 
 
 the rider should halt him, and give him his head a little 
 that he may rest his neck, and before moving on again, just 
 play with the bit reins, by moving the bit lightly in the 
 horse's mouth, which will prepare him to face it, and if he 
 yields to it, that should be deemed sufficient; for the rider 
 must bear in mind, that the bit is of great power, and, at 
 the same time, consider how sensitive the horse's mouth is, 
 and therefore he ought to pay great attention to the light- 
 ness of his hand when riding on the bit, and by degrees, the 
 horse will become reconciled to it, when the preceding les- 
 sons of turning, bending, and reining back, may be repeated; 
 but it is not till he will obey the bit without tossing his 
 head or showing any other uneasiness, that he should be 
 ridden on the bit alone. Should he show any of these signs 
 the rider ought to examine the bit to see if it fits properly, 
 which, if it does, and he is still restless, he must return to 
 the snaffle till he will face the bit ; which, when he will do 
 freely, the rider may drop the bridoon rein, and ride on 
 the bit alone ; but he must bear in mind, that he has now 
 but one hand, and that he has a right rein in that hand, 
 therefore he must be very particular in preserving its 
 position, exactly opposite the centre of his body, and but 
 three inches from it ; the right arm hanging easy from the 
 shoulder by the side. 
 
 From this position of the bridle hand, the little finger 
 should have three lines of action, inward and upwards, 
 to guide the horse : the first towards the breast ; this will 
 raise his forehand, halt him, and rein him back: the 
 second towards the right shoulder ; this, with the proper 
 application of the left leg, will turn him to the right : and 
 the third, towards the left shoulder, which, with the aid of 
 the right leg, will turn him to the left : the hand being 
 returned to its proper position as soon as the horse answers 
 the aid. 
 
 The little finger should move on these lines only, in 
 giving the aids ; thus the horse is to be guided and raised 
 up at each turn, by the inward or leading rein, the out- 
 
48 THE HOKSEMAN'S MANUAL. 
 
 ward acting in unison with, and assisting it; the legs 
 also assisting the hands; but in all turns, the outward 
 leg the stronger, and when the turn is made, the rider 
 must pay great attention, or he will be riding on one rein; 
 for let me remind him again, that he has a right rein in 
 his left hand, so that unless he is very particular in keep- 
 ing his hand exactly opposite the centre of his body, he 
 will lose the feeling of the left rein ; for should he get his 
 bridle hand the least to the left, it will take all the power 
 from that rein, and thus all the pressure will be on the off 
 side of the horse's mouth ; so that if he wished to advance 
 straight to his front, he could not possibly do so ; since, to 
 enable him to do that, there must be an equal feeling on 
 both sides of the horse's mouth. It will be a great assist- 
 ance to the rider in advancing on a line, to fix his eye on 
 some stationary object, and he will find his horse go to it ; 
 for the eye will direct his hand ; and the hand, the horse. 
 
 The Bending Lesson with the Bit. 
 
 In working the bending lesson with the bit, great atten- 
 tion will be required for the right shoulder-in, and the 
 right passage ; because in both these the bend is made by 
 the right or inward rein. This must be done by shorten- 
 ing it an inch, which can be effected by placing the thumb 
 of the right hand in the middle between the two bit reins, 
 and turning it upwards, while bringing the horse to the 
 position of shoulder-in, which must be done by degrees, by 
 first shortening bis pace. 
 
 The rider will find he gains sufficient bend by shorten- 
 ing the right rein one inch when the horse is placed ; and 
 as he has but one hand to raise the horse in front, to bend 
 him to the right, and to lead him away with the left rein, 
 he must be very particular that his hands and legs act 
 in unison, and that his aids are smooth and well timed : 
 the horse to be well raised in front, with an even pressure 
 
THE HORSEMAN'S MANUAL, 49 
 
 of the outward leg, to keep him up to the hand, and pre- 
 vent him from taking too long a side step to his left. 
 
 The same instructions apply to the right pass, with this 
 exception, — the right rein bends and leads, and the right 
 leg keeps him up to the hand, as well as prevents him 
 taking too long a side step to the right. 
 
 Let the rider bear in mind, that it is the outward leg 
 that keeps the horse up to the hand in working the 
 shoulder-in, and the inward one in the passage. 
 
 To work the left shoulder-in and left pass, the aids 
 must be reversed. It is necessary to add, that the bend to 
 either hand should be very slight, that is, the rider must 
 not attempt to pull the horse's head round to his own 
 knee, for that will cripple him ; but if, when sitting square 
 to the front and upright in the saddle, he can just see the 
 horse's inward eye, the bend is sufficient. 
 
 Lesson XL 
 
 When the horse has been duly prepared by the practice 
 of the previous lessons, it will be necessary to require 
 something further from him in his canter. A military 
 horse is not supposed to be completely formed until he 
 can canter with ease in a small circle ; and can, from that 
 pace, turn to the right or left on a straight line. 
 
 The lesson of the circle should be commenced at a walk. 
 I would recommend the rider to practise this a little every 
 day, after the horse begins to understand and answer the 
 aids of the hand and leg. 
 
 The circle should at first be large, that is, from fifteen 
 to twenty yards in diameter; and as the horse is confirmed 
 in his balance, and the rider in his seat, the circle should 
 be gradually diminished. The horse should be made to 
 move on it for some days at a walk, yielding to the in- 
 ward rein, but well supported with the outward leg and 
 
 c 
 
50 THE HORSEMAN'S MANUAL. 
 
 rein, to keep him stepping up to the hands. If the rider 
 finds the horse is not going up, and yielding to the inward 
 rein, he must press him up to it by closing the inward leg 
 more strongly. 
 
 When he has acquired a firm even pace at a walk in the 
 circle, he should be urged to a gentle trot, and afterwards 
 to a short collected canter. When working on a circle, 
 the hind feet should follow the track of the fore feet, for if 
 he should throw his haunches too much inwards, he will 
 strain his hind quarters ; or if he should throw them out- 
 wards, he will lay too much stress on his shoulders. These 
 are errors to which a young horse is very liable, and 
 should be guarded against. 
 
 If a horse shows unusual dislike or awkwardness in the 
 circle, and no natural impediment be the cause, he should 
 be put back to the exercise of his previous lessons of the 
 shoulder-in and passage, which will, in a short time, bring 
 him to that of the circle, without difficulty. 
 
 The practice of the various aids required in the pre- 
 ceding lessons, will have prepared the young horseman, 
 as well as the young horse, for those of the circle. These 
 exercises are essential to every horseman, and will enable 
 him to gain advantage over an obstinate and awkward 
 horse, in proportion to his skill in their application. It is 
 not sufficient that the rules by which the horse is to be 
 governed, should be merely known ; they must be prac- 
 tised until they become habitual. To this end, much exer- 
 cise, long perseverance, and great attention, are requisite 
 on the part of the student ; but when these qualifications 
 are once attained, almost any difficulties may be overcome. 
 
 The exercise of the circle confirms the equilibrium and 
 unity of the rider and horse. In moving round a circle, 
 in order to preserve the poise of his body, the horse must 
 necessarily lean inwards, in proportion to the size of the 
 circle, and the speed at which he is made to go, the rider 
 must conform to, and partake of, that inclination, or the 
 
THE HORSEMAN'S MANUAL. 51 
 
 equilibrium of both will be disturbed, and he will find it 
 difficult to retain his seat. He should also be very careful 
 to make the circle true, and to let it form a part of the 
 daily lessons. 
 
 Lesson XIL 
 
 I am supposing the horse has hitherto been only ridden 
 in a school or training ground ; but if things have gone 
 right so far, it will now be proper to familiarize him with 
 objects which he will have to encounter out of doors ; for 
 which purpose he must be taken into the streets. And 
 no doubt, at first, he will hear and see many things that 
 will rather startle him ; but the rider must make great 
 allowances, soothing and confirming him with his voice 
 and hand, and also taking care to allow him as much rein 
 as is consistent with prudence; for if, on approaching 
 any thing he thinks will frighten the horse, he begins to 
 shorten the reins, as if he would hold him by force, he 
 causes more alarm than the object he fancies he is taking 
 precautions against ; and not only prevents the horse from 
 passing on quietly, were he even disposed to do so, but 
 frequently interprets the result of his own bad manage- 
 ment into obstinacy on the part of the horse, and punishes 
 him accordingly ; thus he does as much mischief by this 
 one act, as a good rider can repair in a month. 
 
 A horse that has been uniformly treated with kindness 
 by his rider, will have such confidence in him, that he will 
 overcome his own fears in compliance with his master's 
 will, and thus will soon become familiar with any object 
 he may meet. 
 
 Having gone through the foregoing lessons, I will 
 notice some of the habits that imperfectly trained horses 
 exhibit; and I will begin with what is termed Eestiveness. 
 Now although I have said I have some doubts about there 
 
52 THE HORSEMAN'S MANUAL. 
 
 being such a thing as a naturally vicious horse, I am 
 perfectly aware that some are much better disposed than 
 others. This does not shake my belief that most of their 
 tricks and dangerous habits may be traced to ignorance or 
 undue severity in training. They may either have had 
 demands made upon them to which their strength was not 
 equal, or been required to perform lessons for which they 
 had not been properly prepared, and punished for their 
 failure ; and thus, in self-defence, have been driven into 
 habits they would never have contracted under kinder 
 and more judicious management. These generally con- 
 sist of a rapid variation of plunges, rearing, running side- 
 ways against walls, and carriages, or bolting altogether ; 
 in fact, doing all they can to get rid of their tormentor ; 
 and the oftener they succeed, the more dangerous they 
 become, and more difficult to redeem, and are by no means 
 pleasant customers to the best rider ; for to have any chance 
 with them the greatest judgment and discretion are neces- 
 sary. In the first place, a good rider will not challenge 
 such a horse as this ; but endeavour by all fair means to 
 win him to quietness. He should have confidence in his 
 seat, a good hand, and above all, a good temper, as I am 
 certain a bad tempered man will never defeat a bad tem- 
 pered horse ; for as soon as he loses his temper he loses his 
 judgment, and then he is lost altogether. 
 
 The pace at first should be very gentle as well to give 
 an opportunity of discovering his tricks, as also not to 
 provoke him to quarrel ; on the contrary, every means 
 should be employed to induce him to go quietly : let fight- 
 ing be your last resource, and the more he loses his tem- 
 per, the more you keep yours. I do not, however, mean to 
 say that chastisement is altogether to be withheld ; but 
 whenever it cannot be avoided, it should be administered 
 with judgment and decision ; still, I am of opinion, that 
 nothing so soon beats a restive horse as a long lesson and 
 untiring patience. 
 
 The rider must be on his guard with a horse of this 
 
THE HORSEMAN'S MANUAL. 53 
 
 description : I mean, that he should not sit carelessly nor 
 loosely in the saddle; for when the horse perceives that to 
 be the case, he knows it is a good opportunity to com- 
 mence his favourite pranks, whatever they may be ; for all 
 that are of this temper, mostly have a favourite way of 
 their own in commencing their tricks, and it is quite un- 
 certain to the rider, until he has ridden him once or twice, 
 in what way he will begin; therefore, he must always be 
 prepared. In nine cases out of ten, he will find the horse 
 begin the attack by stopping suddenly, and twisting 
 sharply round, either to the right or left, but mostly to 
 the latter, so that the rider should, as I have said, be al- 
 ways on his guard; for if the horse can take him by sur- 
 prise in this way, he will most likely be loosened in his 
 seat, and before he can recover it, the horse will repeat 
 the move, whatever it may be, and the rider may find him- 
 self on the ground before he is aware of it. 
 
 Where a horse has the habit of turning suddenly round, 
 which those of this temper will do when they feel a fresh 
 rider on their back, he should turn him quietly to his for- 
 mer position, and try him again, for he most likely feels 
 an inclination to test his rider's skill, who must therefore 
 endeavour to persuade him not to resist, but give him to 
 understand that he wishes him to go quietly, by trying him 
 again and again. If he will not come to the rider's terms 
 by fair means, he should attack him on his own ground ; 
 but it should be where he cannot hurt himself or his rider, 
 taking care to avoid the streets as much as possible, until 
 he answers readily the hand and leg. As I said just now, 
 the rider should be willing to go his way for a little time ; 
 what I mean by this, is, if he turns round once for his own 
 pleasure, without any provocation, make him turn round three 
 or four times for yours in the same direction that he turned 
 for himself; and as long as you are turning him round to 
 the right, keep the right spur well against his side ; if to 
 the left, the left spur ; always taking care to let him be a 
 turn or two in your debt. Attacking him on his own 
 c3 
 
54 THE HORSEMAN'S MANUAL. 
 
 ground is a thing that he did not perhaps expect, and when 
 you square him to his front, it is most likely he will walk 
 on quietly ; then take care not to provoke him to quarrel 
 farther by beating him, and after he has tried this trick a 
 few times, and finds that you are as willing to turn as he 
 is, he will give up the contest. There are many ways of 
 defeating the horse without severity; for we must bear in 
 mind, that cruelty brought him to this state of stubbornness ; 
 therefore, after the rider has turned him round, and he still 
 refuses to go forward in the direction required, he should 
 turn him again with his quarters towards that direction, 
 and attack him by reining him back. This will be an ap- 
 propriate punishment, for it is easier for him to advance ten 
 yards than rein back one. Some horses will try to take 
 their rider against walls or railings ; and an inexperienced 
 one would, in nine cases out of ten, try to pull the horse's" 
 head away from them, but by so doing, he would expose 
 his own leg to danger ; instead of this, he should pull the 
 horse's head to the wall or railings, and then if he hurts 
 any one, it will be himself, which being a result he did not 
 intend nor anticipate, he will be cautious how he repeats 
 the trick. Thus, as I said before, the rider being on his 
 guard, and anticipating the moves the horse may make, is 
 ready at such a time to thwart him, and these are the means 
 that defeat him : cruelty will never do so, for he has had 
 too much of that already. 
 
 My opinion is, that a horse confirmed in these tricks can 
 never be safely relied on, for although an experienced rider 
 may be able to defeat him, yet it will be a work of time, 
 combined with great patience and some danger ; and as 
 soon as he had a chance with an inferior rider, he would 
 resort to his old tricks again. An exception may be met 
 with here and there ; but this is the exception, the rule is 
 as I say. 
 
THE HORSEMAN'S MANUAL. 00 
 
 Rearing. 
 
 This vice is generally adopted by the colt in his early 
 lessons to defend himself against rongh handling. I am 
 quite aware that a horse will rear slightly now and then 
 in play, and from mere buoyancy of spirits, but does not 
 make a practice of doing so when urged to go up to the 
 hand. Now many do this ; and I will endeavour to account 
 for it, by supposing (as has often been the case) a colt en- 
 trusted for his education to a man in no way qualified for 
 the task, whether in skill and experience, or temper and 
 judgment, and who has no idea of any thing but sheer 
 strength, as a remedy for whatever opposition or awkward- 
 ness the colt may happen to exhibit ; accordingly, when- 
 ever an occasion of this kind occurs, (and they are likely 
 to be many,) he drags the snaffle through the colt's mouth 
 with all the force of his clumsy hand, and before the poor 
 animal can recover from the pain and surprise of such 
 treatment, he feels the whip across his shoulder or quar- 
 ters, and perhaps the spurs rammed into his sides ; and 
 after having been subjected to this usage once or twice, 
 the moment he makes a blunder he expects a repetition of it ; 
 therefore, to save his mouth, up he comes ; and finding his 
 rider dare not hold on by the bit, he adopts it as a defence 
 as soon as he feels it brought to bear on his bars. I have 
 taken great interest in detecting the origin of bad habits 
 in horses, and have had as wide a field of observation as 
 most people, and am confident, that this is most frequently 
 the cause of dangerous rearing. 
 
 The advice cannot be too often repeated, that every one 
 who has to do with horses, especially in training them, 
 should bear in mind, that a light, kind hand, combined with 
 good temper and judgment, will gain more from them, thau 
 all the whips and spurs that have ever been manufactured. 
 
56 THE HORSEMAN'S MANUAL. 
 
 Stumbling. 
 
 Stumbling may proceed from several causes : from some 
 defect iu the formation of the shoulder or foot, from weak- 
 ness, or from imperfect training. A horse liable to this 
 mistake is not a pleasant one to ride, and certainly not a 
 safe one to go to sleep upon, for he demands constant at- 
 tention, or the result may be a roll in the mud or dust. 
 Such a horse must never be allowed a loose rein, but must 
 be kept well together with his head up ; the rider also 
 must preserve a proper seat, and not throw too much 
 weight upon the shoulders, so that in case of a mistake, he 
 may have the chance of recovering and supporting him, 
 whereas, if a man sits any how, and any where, and rides 
 with a foot or so of loose rein dangling on the horse's neck, 
 it requires no seer, to predict what the consequence will 
 be in the event of a stumble. 
 
 My method of riding a stumbling horse is, to keep him 
 well up to the hand by a more than ordinary pressure of 
 the legs, to raise his forehand so as to oblige him to lift 
 his foot, and bend his knee before attempting to put it for- 
 ward, which will improve his action, and remedy his na- 
 tural or acquired awkwardness, as much as it is to be 
 remedied. 
 
 It is also a good plan to take no more notice of these 
 blunders, than to collect and support him ; for horses are 
 mostly very sensible when they have made a mistake, and 
 nervous as to the consequences, which being for the most 
 part punishment, in the anticipation of which, and in the 
 attempt to avoid it, they will jump from side to side, or 
 spring straight forward, so that from this habit they be- 
 come unsafe for a timid rider. 
 
 Over- Reach, 
 
 Also called Clacking, is caused by the toe of the hind 
 shoe striking against the fore one, owing to the hind foot 
 
THE HORSEMAN'S MANUAL. 57 
 
 overtaking the fore one before it is sufficiently advanced to 
 be clear of it. 
 
 The horses most liable to do this by nature, are such as 
 have high hind quarters, and low forehands, but many do 
 it from slovenliness of action, and carelessness on the part 
 of the rider. The remedy for it is much the same as for 
 stumbling. The horse must be urged by the legs to step 
 more actively to his front, and by so doing, he will acquire 
 a more even length of pace. It is worth a little trouble 
 and attention to correct this trick, for the noise is very 
 unpleasant, and by no means complimentary to the rider ; 
 nor is it wholly free from danger, for it may happen, and 
 often does, that the fore shoe is loosened, or even wrench- 
 ed off by a repetition of blows, for which the farrier is 
 blamed, and often very unjustly. A more serious accident 
 than this may occur, (viz.) for the toe of the hind shoe to 
 hang in the heel of the fore one, in which case, a very 
 serious fall is almost inevitable. 
 
 An over-ridden and tired horse may occasionally be 
 heard to clack ; but then it proceeds from over fatigue, 
 without blame to himself or the rider ; and this is almost 
 the only occasion when it is excusable. 
 
 Shying. 
 
 My method of treating a horse accustomed to shy, is, 
 not to restrain him too much by shortening the reins, and 
 keeping him tight in hand, but to take as little notice as 
 possible of the mistake; and if the object be stationary, to 
 pass it frequently to convince him that he has nothing to 
 dread ; when, by patting him and giving him as much rein 
 as will in a great measure take the pressure of the bit off 
 his mouth, and letting him stand and look at what he seems 
 afraid of for a short time, he will soon gain confidence. 
 
 He should not be flogged for shying, since it proceeds 
 
58 THE HORSEMAN'S MANUAL. 
 
 from fear and natural timidity ; nor have his mouth pun- 
 ished with the bit, as I am sorry to say, is the practice of 
 some who call themselves riders, so that instead of being 
 cured of his propensities, he grows every day worse, and 
 then, as a last resource, is sent to be ridden by a military 
 rough-rider ; and I, for one, have had many severe trials of 
 patience on the one hand, in acquiring the confidence of 
 horses that have been so treated, and much personal risk 
 on the other, from their violence. 
 
 As a general rule, I have said punishment must be avoid- 
 ed as much as possible. In cases, however, of waywardness 
 and obstinacy, it must be had recourse to, since the fault 
 is in this case the horse's own ; but even then, the rider 
 must first consider whether he has properly applied the 
 aids, and be very careful not to punish the horse for his 
 own mistake ; for if one person wished to address another 
 on any particular subject, and did not put a proper ques- 
 tion, he could not in return expect a direct answer ; in like 
 manner, if the proper aids are not applied, the horse can- 
 not answer them; for some riders, when they see any thing 
 they think the horse will start at, begin to shorten the 
 reins and press him on with their legs, and thus set him 
 capering by their own act, whereas he would very likely 
 have passed the object quietly, if the rider had not been 
 the more frightened of the two. 
 
 I am aware that this is not the usual method of treating 
 shying horses, and am quite prepared to hear it condemned ; 
 but the experience of many years has convinced me that it 
 is the kindest and most effectual method : and I repeat what 
 I have implied before, that one pat of the hand on the 
 horse's neck will gain more from him in the way of obe- 
 dience, than all the whips and spurs in the kingdom. The 
 former will inspire confidence in, and fondness for, his 
 master ; while the latter will only procure a sulky and 
 unwilling compliance, and very frequently not even that. 
 
 Ahorse, to be well trained, must obey his rider's slight- 
 est indication, whether of hand or leg, with confidence and 
 
THE HORSEMAN'S MANUAL. 5 9 
 
 alacrity ; but compulsory obedience, and that which is ren - 
 dered only through dread of punishment, is utterly worthless, 
 as it may be withheld at the very moment we require it most. 
 We will dwell a little longer on this point, and suppose 
 a horse shies at an object on his right ; the inexperienced 
 rider will often pull his head round in the same direction, 
 and this arises not more from not knowing better what to 
 do, than to enable him by the assistance of his hand to re- 
 tain his seat, which is severely tested when the horse 
 swerves suddenly and unexpectedly, but which ought to 
 be preserved by a just equilibrium of the body, and not by 
 holding on by the bridle, which privilege no horse with a 
 light and delicate mouth will grant, for he will in all pro- 
 bability rear to take the pressure of the bit off his mouth, 
 and very often in this way gets rid of his rider, who will 
 not allow that he is at all in fault, but imputes the blame 
 to the horse. I will endeavour to show how he was wrong. 
 By bringing the horse's head round to the object that 
 alarmed him, and not using the left leg, he will in nine 
 cases out of ten run sideways to the left, away from the 
 object he is afraid of, and his rider's intended aids : but on 
 the contrary, should he feel the left rein the stronger, 
 applying at the same time the left leg, and also strongly 
 carrying his left hand over a little towards the right, at the 
 same time pressing the left rein firmly against the horse's 
 neck to assist the right hand, he would oblige him to go 
 sideways up to the object he was afraid of, with his head 
 turned a little from it. Should the horse shy at an object 
 on his left, the aids must be reversed. By adopting these 
 rules, and by kindness and forbearance, the horse will be 
 inspired with such confidence in his rider, and take such 
 pleasure in obeying him, that he will freely face those 
 objects to which he has a natural antipathy, thus over- 
 coming his constitutional timidity for the gratification or 
 advantage of his master; for which, the least he ought to do 
 is, to treat him with kindness and consideration, never tax- 
 ing his powers beyond what they are calculated to bear. 
 
60 THE HORSEMAN'S MANUAL. 
 
 DEFECTS AND INFIRMITIES. 
 
 I will endeavour, as briefly as possible, to mention a few 
 of the more common defects and infirmities that are met 
 with in horses, with which the rider should make himself 
 acquainted, and allow for them in training. 
 
 The Head. 
 
 Some horses have not only badly formed heads, but have 
 them badly put on ; much, however, may be done by pains 
 and attention, to accustom them to carry their heads as 
 near the proper position as nature will allow. 
 
 A horse with a thick and narrow jole, between which 
 there is hardly space for the windpipe, can never carry his 
 head properly; should the rider persist in the attempt to 
 make him, he will, by pressing him up to the bit, impede 
 his respiration, and very likely cause him to fall. I am 
 led to mention these things with a hope that the rider may 
 be induced to examine his horse, and endeavour to become 
 acquainted with his defects, and ride him accordingly, as 
 horses are often severely punished for disobedience, when 
 from some natural impediment they are unable to comply. 
 
 No one expects a deformed man to carry himself as erect 
 and firm as one that is free from such an affliction. Why, then, 
 should we be more unreasonable with a deformed horse ? 
 It is, therefore, a part of the rider's business to make him- 
 self acquainted with the defects of his horse, and to ride 
 him accordingly. 
 
 A Low Shoulder. 
 
 A horse of this description is very unpleasant to ride, 
 for the rider sits as though he were always going down 
 hill, and his weight is constantly pressing on the play of 
 the shoulder, and impeding its action; therefore, such a 
 horse is unfit for the saddle ; but still, if it is required to 
 
THE HORSEMAN'S MANUAL. 61 
 
 train him for such a purpose, something may be done to 
 improve his natural defect by raising his forehand a little 
 more day by day, and in time, his carriage may be im- 
 proved, though he will never be a pleasant horse to ride, 
 and had much better be used for draught. 
 
 The Narrow Chest 
 
 A horse with a narrow chest cannot endure fatigue, for 
 he soon becomes distressed for wind, his lungs not having 
 sufficient room to expand. 
 
 The form of the chest, therefore, makes a material dif- 
 ference to the horse, for while the deep shouldered and 
 broad chested horse will do his work with comparative 
 ease to himself, the narrow chested one will be labouring 
 for want of wind and strength. 
 
 On the form of the chest and soundness of the lungs, the 
 health and power of the horse depend ; but if he be defec- 
 tive here and be forced to the extent of his speed, he must 
 soon give in or fall, where the well -formed horse will 
 scarcely be fatigued, with the additional advantage of 
 being very pleasant to ride. 
 
 The Back. 
 
 Some horses are very long in the back ; and these should 
 not be pulled up too suddenly, for by so doing, they are 
 liable to suffer in the loins and in other ways. Others 
 have hollow backs, and these are generally pleasant to ride 
 and sit on, and mostly very easy in their paces, so that 
 many would prefer them to a straight, or what is termed, a 
 roach back. Neither conformation is, in my opinion, a de- 
 formity, unless in the extreme ; but the rider must be very 
 careful in changing from the trot to a walk, or from the 
 canter to a walk, not to pull them up too sharply, as from 
 their formation they are weak in the back and loins, and 
 consequently liable to injury in those parts. 
 
62 THE HORSEMAN'S MANUAL. 
 
 The Quarters. 
 
 Horses differ very much in the shape of their quarters. 
 There are all the shades between the handsome and well 
 formed to those which are ugly and deformed. Should they 
 approach within two or three degrees of the latter descrip- 
 tion, the rider will feel a very unpleasant sensation from 
 their imperfect action. But there are horses whose quar- 
 ters could by no means be pronounced handsome, that are 
 quite capable of doing their work well, though, of course, 
 they are not so pleasing to the eye. 
 
 The Hocks. 
 
 The hocks are subject to many diseases, such as curbs, 
 thoroughpin, spavins, &c, which cause weakness and im- 
 perfect action of the joints. Such horses should not be 
 pulled up sharply, cantered much, nor reined back on soft 
 ground ; nor, indeed, put to any work that throws much 
 weight upon the hocks. 
 
 The Pastern. 
 
 A horse with a weak and straight pastern is very unsafe 
 to ride ; and so much the worse if he has in addition a low 
 and straight shoulder. Such a horse requires the greatest 
 attention from his rider. He should be made to preserve a 
 very even cadence in all his paces, and never be hurried; if 
 he is, he will be almost sure to fall. The rider should have 
 a very light and even hand on him and a very steady leg, 
 so as not to cause his step to be uneven and uncertain. 
 
THE HORSEMAN'S MANUAL. 63 
 
 The Foot. 
 
 The foot is subject to many defects ; among which we 
 may mention contraction, diseased and tender frogs, corns, 
 <fcc, which cause him to step badly and without confidence. 
 
 A horse suffering from these will, if he treads on any- 
 thing sharp, drop, as if he were going to fall, therefore, 
 much caution is necessary in riding him to give him all 
 the support and assistance possible. 
 
 The rider will do well, in addition, to keep him well 
 up to the hand ; to pick his road for him, so as to avoid 
 sharp stones, &c. : indeed, this should always be done, let 
 the horse's feet be ever so sound. 
 
 Shoeing 
 
 Owners of horses cannot pay too much attention to shoe- 
 ing, for horses have been irremediably lamed by the 
 ignorance and carelessness of farriers ; and when we con- 
 sider that the hardest part of a horse's foot, namely, the 
 outer crust, is by no means so hard as iron, it will not re- 
 quire much reflection to understand that if the foot is con- 
 fined by too narrow a shoe it cannot expand, but must 
 contract and grow to the shoe; and as I mentioned before, 
 a contracted foot is a very great defect, and renders ahorse 
 unsafe to ride. 
 
64 THE HORSEMAN'S MANUAL. 
 
 Concluding Remarks. 
 
 In bringing this subject before the public, the Author 
 has been influenced by a desire to instruct others in those 
 means of training horses he has found, from much expe- 
 rience and observation, to have succeeded best with himself; 
 and also to rescue a noble and sagacious animal from some 
 of the mismanagement and suffering he has hitherto en- 
 dured ; and he does this with the greater confidence, since 
 he has such an opinion of his fellow men as to believe they 
 are not cruel from the love of cruelty, but knowing that 
 horses must be made to obey by some means or other, re- 
 sort to it as the only medium they can think of by which 
 to attain their object. He trusts, however, the perusal of 
 the preceding pages will furnish them with such instruc- 
 tions as they may be deficient in ; and if so, he will have 
 obtained the principal end he has in view. How his work 
 has been performed, he must leave to an indulgent public to 
 determine ; but upon the soundness and efficacy of his pre- 
 cepts, he is willing to stake his reputation. 
 
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 II. National Military Character. III. Rudiments of Military Training. IV. Intel- 
 lectual and Moral Motives of Military Action. V. Discipline and Economy for 
 Field and Quarters. VI. Military Colonial Arrangements. 
 
 The British Gunner. By Captain J. Morton 
 
 Spearman. Revised and Enlarged. 1850. 7s. 6d. 
 
33g &ogal ^utfroritg. 
 
 -Historical Records of the British Army, 
 
 Being a Series of Narratives of the Services of the 
 
 several Regiments of the British Army, 
 
 From their Formation to the Present Time, 
 Prepared by 
 
 Richard Cannon, Esq., 
 
 Adjutant-General's Office. 
 
 
 Cavalry. 
 
 
 Life Guards, 2nd Edition . 
 
 12s. 
 
 Sixth (Inniskilling) ,2ndEdit. 8s. 
 
 Royal Horse Guards (Blties) 
 
 i 
 
 Seventh, The Queen's Own 
 
 
 by Capt. Packe, 2nd Edition 10s. 
 
 Hussars 
 
 8s. 
 
 First, or King's Dragoon 
 
 
 Eighth, The King's Royal 
 
 
 Guards 
 
 8s. 
 ) 8s. 
 
 Irish 
 
 8v, 
 
 Second, or Queen's do. (Bays 
 
 Ninth, Queen's Royal Lan- 
 
 
 Third, or Prince of Wales's 
 
 
 cers . • 
 
 6s. 
 
 Ditto 
 
 8s. 
 
 Tenth, Prince of Wales's 
 
 
 Fourth, (Roval Irish) ditto 
 
 8s. 
 
 Own Royal Hussars . . 
 
 6s. 
 
 Fifth, or Prs. Ch. of Wales 
 
 
 Eleventh (Prince Albert's 
 
 
 Ditto 
 
 8s. 
 
 Own) Hussars . . . 
 
 6s. 
 
 Sixth, Ditto (Carabineers) 
 
 8s. 
 
 Twelfth (The Prince of 
 
 
 Seventh, or The Princess 
 
 
 Wales's Royal) Lancers. 
 
 6s. 
 
 Royal's 
 
 8s. 
 
 Thirteenth Light Dragoons 
 
 6s. 
 
 First, or Royal Dragoons . 
 
 8s. 
 
 Fourteenth, The King's Do. 
 
 8s. 
 
 Second (Scots Greys) . . 
 
 8s. 
 
 Fifteenth, The King's Hus- 
 
 
 Third, or King's Own Light 
 Dragoons 
 
 8s. 
 
 sars 
 
 8? 
 
 Sixteenth, The Queen's 
 
 
 Fourth (Queen's Own) Do. 
 
 8s. 
 
 Lancers 
 
 8s. 
 
 Fifth, Dragoons (late Royal 
 
 
 Seventeenth Lancers . . 
 
 10s. 
 
 Irish) 
 
 * 
 
 Cape Mounted Riflemen . 
 
 4s. 
 
 
 Infa 
 
 atry. 
 
 
 1st, The Royal Regiment, 
 
 
 19th Foot 
 
 8s. 
 
 2nd Edit 
 
 1 2s. 
 
 20th Ditto 
 
 8s. 
 
 2nd, The Queen's Royal . 
 
 8s. 
 
 21st Royal N.B. Fusiliers 
 
 8s. 
 
 3rd, The Buffs .... 
 
 12s. 
 
 22nd Foot 
 
 8s. 
 
 4th, The King's Own . . 
 
 8s. 
 
 23rd, R. Welsh Fusiliers . 
 
 8s. 
 
 5th, Northumberland Fu- 
 
 
 31st Foot 
 
 8s. 
 
 siliers 
 
 8s 
 
 34th Ditto 
 
 8<? 
 
 6th, Royal 1st Warwickshire 8s. 
 
 42nd, Royal Highland 
 
 12s. 
 
 7th, Royal Fusiliers . . 
 
 8s. 
 
 53rd Foot 
 
 8s. 
 
 8th, The King's .... 
 
 8s. 
 
 56th (Pompadours) . . 
 
 6s. 
 
 9th Foot ... ., . . 
 
 8s. 
 
 61st Foot 
 
 6s. 
 
 10th Ditto 
 
 8s. 
 
 67th Ditto 
 
 8s. 
 
 11th Ditto . 
 
 8s. 
 
 70th Ditto 
 
 72nd, Duke of Albany's 
 
 6s, 
 
 12th Ditto 
 
 8s. 
 
 
 13th, Prince Albert's Own 
 
 8s. 
 
 Own Highlanders . . 
 
 8s. 
 
 14th Foot 
 
 6s. 
 
 74th, Highlanders . . . 
 
 8s. 
 
 15th Ditto 
 
 8s. 
 
 86th, R. County Down . 
 
 8s. 
 
 16th Ditto 
 
 8s. 
 
 88th, Connaught Rangers 
 
 6s. 
 
 17th Ditto 
 
 8s. 
 
 92nd, Highlanders . . . 
 
 8s. 
 
 18th, The Royal Irish . . 
 
 8s. 
 
 
 
 LONDON : 
 PARKER, FURNIVALL, AND PARKER, 
 
 Military Library, Whitehall. 
 
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