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HORSEMANSHIP FOR WOMEN
by
THEODORE H. MEAD
With Illustrations by Gray Parker
New York
Harper & Brothers, Franklin Square
1887
Copyright, 1887, by Harper & Brothers.
All rights reserved.
CONTENTS.
PART I. PAGE
AMATEUR HORSE-TRAINING 1
LESSON
I. COMING TO THE WHIP 15
II. TO HOLD THE BIT LIGHTLY (_Flexion de la mâchoire_),
USING THE CURB 21
III. TO HOLD THE BIT LIGHTLY, USING THE SNAFFLE 24
IV. TO LOWER THE HEAD 25
V. TO BEND THE NECK TO RIGHT AND LEFT, WITH THE
REINS HELD BELOW THE BIT (_Flexions de l’encolure_) 32
VI. TO BEND THE NECK TO RIGHT AND LEFT, WITH THE
REINS THROWN OVER THE NECK 35
VII. TO MOVE THE CROUP TO RIGHT AND LEFT WITH THE WHIP 38
VIII. MOUNTED 41
IX. MOUNTED (_continued_) 48
X. THE WALK 51
XI. TO MOVE THE CROUP WITH HEEL AND WHIP (_Pirouette
renversée_) 52
XII. TO GUIDE “BRIDLEWISE” 55
XIII. THE TROT 58
XIV. THE GALLOP, HAND-GALLOP, AND CANTER 64
XV. THE PIROUETTE, DEUX PISTES, PASSAGE 71
XVI. BACKING 75
XVII. RIDING IN CIRCLES.--CHANGE OF LEADING FOOT 79
PART II.
ETIQUETTE IN THE SADDLE 87
Dress 88
The Mount 91
Mounting 92
The Start 99
On which Side to Ride 100
The Seat 102
On the Road 107
The Pace 112
Turning 112
The Groom 116
PART III.
LEAPING 118
PART IV.
BUYING A SADDLE-HORSE 132
Parts and “Points” of the Horse, Alphabetically Arranged 135
List of Diseases and Defects 148
INDEX 157
ILLUSTRATIONS.
PAGE
Coming to the Whip 6
A good Saddle 13
A properly fitted Curb-chain 16
Flexion of the Jaw--using the Curb 22
Lowering the Head 26
Punishment in case of Resistance 27
“Pulling the Hands steadily Apart” 33
To Bend the Neck to Right or Left, with the Reins below the Bits 34
Getting the Horse “Light in Hand” 35
Pulling on the Right Rein 36
Moving the Croup one step to the Right 39
Getting a Horse accustomed to Skirts 42
Showing Reins in Left Hand 43
Advancing at touch of Heel 44
Stopping at touch of Whip on Back 45
The Walk (Colt in Training) 46
Bending the Neck to Right and Left 49
Moving the Croup with the Heel and Whip 53
Guiding Bridlewise (Turning to the Right) 56
The Canter 65
Ordinary Pirouette 71
Going on “Deux Pistes” 72
The Passage 73
Backing 76
Reins in Hand 77
Act of changing Reins 77
Leading with the Right Fore-foot 80
Leading with the Left Fore-foot 82
Ready to Mount 94
“One, Two, Three” 95
Placing the Foot in the Stirrup 96
Position in Saddle 97
A Square and Proper Seat 103
Method of holding the Reins in both Hands 111
Approaching a Fence 119
A Water Jump 121
Rising to the Leap 127
Coming Down 129
Parts and “Points” 136
The sort of Horse to Buy 146
The sort of Horse not to Buy 149
HORSEMANSHIP FOR WOMEN.
PART I.
AMATEUR HORSE-TRAINING.
“My _dear_,” said my wife, “you don’t mean to say you have _bought
that_ horse?”
“Why, yes, indeed,” replied I; “and very cheap, too. And why not?”
“You will never get your money back,” said she, “no matter how cheap
you have bought him. Don’t keep him. Send him back before it is too
late.”
It was a sultry July morning, and my wife stood on the farm-house
porch, in provokingly fresh attire, while I held my new acquisition
by the bridle in the scorching sun; and just recovering as I was from
illness, this conversation struck me as really anything but _tonic_ in
its character. However, bracing myself up, I replied, “But I don’t want
to get my money back; I intend to train him for my own use under the
saddle.”
“Oh, you can never do anything with that great horse. Why, he is the
awkwardest brute I ever saw. Just look at him now!”
In fact, his appearance was anything but beautiful at that moment. His
Roman nose, carried a long way forward and a little on one side, gave
him somewhat the air of a camel; his coat showed no recent acquaintance
with the brush; and as he stood there sleepily in the sun, with one
hind-leg hitched up, he did not present at all a picture to charm a
lady’s eye. Nevertheless, he was, in fact, a reasonably well-made
horse, a full black, fifteen and three-quarter hands high, sound, kind,
and seven years old.
“He’s just horrid,” said my wife.
“Oh, that’s nothing,” said I; “that’s only a bad habit he has. We will
soon cure him of such slovenly tricks. Just see what good points he
has. His legs are a little long, to be sure, but they are broad, and
have excellent hoofs; his breast is narrow, but then it is deep; and
that large nostril was not given him for nothing. You will see he will
run like a race-horse.”
“If you once get him started you can never stop him,” said my wife.
“You know how he pulls, and how nervous he is. He will go till he
drops. You are not strong enough to ride such a horse.”
“Oh, nonsense,” said I; “you can see that there is no mischief in
him. Look what a kind eye he has! The fact is, horses are often very
sensitive; and while this one may never have been cruelly treated, yet
he has been misunderstood, and his feelings hurt a great many times a
day. Human beings are the only things he seems afraid of. As for his
awkward carriage, it is no worse than that of the farm hand who has
made such a failure of trying to use him, and who is, nevertheless,
when he stands up straight, a well-made, good-looking fellow. A little
careful handling will make that animal as different from his present
self as a dandified English sergeant is from the raw recruit he once
was. What do you think of his name? It is Sambo.”
But my wife was not to be led off on any side question, and after
intimating that such a plebeian appellation struck her as quite
suitable, she continued; “Now you know that Mr. ----” (the farmer
of whom I purchased) “knows a great deal more about horses than you
do; you must admit that, for he has been buying and selling and
driving them all his life, and _he_ doesn’t like him, or he wouldn’t
sell so cheap; and as for training him, for my part I don’t believe
horse-training can be learned out of books, as a woman would learn a
receipt for making cake. Do get him to take the horse back!”
Now I have a great respect for my wife’s opinion in general, and in
this particular case all her points seemed well taken.
The horse was tall, and I was short; he was excitable, and I hadn’t the
strength of a boy; he was very awkward, and I had never trained a horse
in my life. However, I had been reading up a little on the subject,
and feeling the confidence in myself which a very little knowledge is
apt to impart, I was determined to try my hand.
I had remarked that there was a certain French system which was, in
the several works I had consulted, always spoken of with respect as
a complete and original method, so I obtained a copy of the book, in
which is set forth the _Méthode d’Équitation basée sur de nouveaux
Principes, par F. Baucher_, and having disentangled (no easy task)
what was really practical from the enveloping mass of conceited sham
scientific nonsense, I had numbered the margin so as to make a series
of simple progressive lessons of half an hour each. The volume in
question, which was not, by-the-bye, the present improved edition, I
now produced in a somewhat dog-eared condition from under my arm. My
wife, seeing that remonstrance was of no avail, took a seat on the
veranda, so as to be ready to advise and assist, while my excellent
friends, the farmer and his wife, came out “to see the circus,” as they
said, and established themselves in suitable midsummer attitudes, with
countenances of amused expectation.
“The first few lessons must be given on foot,” said I, and spreading my
Baucher open upon the “horse-block,” I proceeded to carry out its first
injunction by placing myself, with riding-whip under my arm, in front
of the horse, which was already saddled and bridled, and “looking him
kindly in the face.” He bore my gaze with equanimity, but when the
riding-whip was produced he started violently; and when I raised my
hand to pat his neck reassuringly he threw up his head and ran back.
This evidently was not temper, but alarm. Clearly, moral suasion was
not the kind that had been used with him hitherto. In plain English, he
had been beaten on the head; and it was some time before he got over
the impression made by such ill-treatment and ceased dodging at every
sudden motion on my part.
However, a lump of sugar gave the poor fellow more confidence, and,
avoiding all brusque movements, I went on to give him the first lesson
of the Baucher series, viz., _To Come to the Whip_.
It is encouraging for beginners that this lesson, while producing
conspicuous results, is in most cases very easy. In less than half an
hour my audience was not a little surprised to see Sambo come to me
at the slightest motion of the whip, and follow me about with neck
arched, ears pricked up, and eyes lustrous with the unwonted pleasure
of comprehending and voluntarily carrying out his master’s wishes.
[Illustration: COMING TO THE WHIP.]
“Well, that’s very pretty,” said the farmer; “but what’s the good of
it?”
This criticism, it may be remarked, he continued to repeat at every
step in the horse’s education. He did not “see the good” of a double
bridle with two bits. He did not see the good of teaching the horse to
relax the muscles of his jaw and to hold the bit lightly in the mouth.
He did not see the good of suppling the various muscles of the neck, on
which, nevertheless, depend to a surprising degree the balance of the
whole body and the easy motion of the limbs. In fact, he maintained his
attitude of amused and good-natured incredulity until one day, after
about three weeks, I rode Sambo into the lawn, his neck arched and tail
displayed, and, with the reins hanging on my little finger, made him
cut circles and figure eights of all sizes at a spanking trot.
Then my good farmer gave up, and said he really would hardly have
believed it could be the same horse. What is more, he took off his own
driving horses “the overdrawn check-reins” by which he had been hauling
their noses up into as near a horizontal line as possible, and allowed
them to carry their heads in a more natural manner.
The afternoon of his first lesson Sambo was put in double harness for a
drive of ten or twelve miles, during which he annoyed me excessively by
his restless dancing and fretting, so that next morning I expected to
have to begin all over again; but, to my satisfaction, he had forgotten
nothing, and came towards me at the first motion of the whip, so that
I passed on to the _Flexions de la Mâchoire_, which we translate as
the _suppling of the muscles of the jaw_. Here I came upon my first
difficulty, and it lasted me several days. It was, however, the only
serious one in my whole course, and from subsequent experience I am
satisfied that my own awkwardness and disposition to compel obedience
by main force were the principal causes of it.
However, success soon rewarded my perseverance, and I had the
satisfaction of feeling the iron grip of the bit relax, and seeing the
nose brought in and the face assume a perpendicular position.
Without at present going further into detail, I will simply say that at
the expiration of a month, during which Sambo had been driven double
almost daily, his education for the saddle had so far advanced that
his head was admirably carried, his trot was greatly improved--his
walk always had been light and swift--he could trot sideways to the
right or left, could pirouette to the right or to the left on the
hind-feet or on the fore-feet, responding to the pressure of the rein
upon his neck or of the leg against his side, while he had become so
steady that I could fire at a mark with a pistol from his back.
All this was very satisfactory progress, especially in view of my
total inexperience, poor health, and the heat of the weather; but
there is no doubt that any active young girl of sixteen or eighteen
can do the like, for it was accomplished not by any mysterious or
difficult process, nor by any exertion of physical strength, but by
patiently following out, step by step, the processes which I am about
to describe, and which are substantially those of Baucher, adapted to
the use of a person of total inexperience, and that person a lady.
If any such, having accompanied me thus far, feels the impulse to
try to improve her own mount, I will confide to her the fact that
the incidents narrated really occurred within the last few years
not a hundred miles from New York; and I hope that the following
propositions, which are literally true, will help to encourage her
to an undertaking in which she will find amusement, exercise, and a
discipline as useful to herself as to her horse:
1. If, as is very likely, you feel a little afraid of your horse, you
may be assured that your horse is a great deal more afraid of you.
2. If you can only make clear to him what you wish him to do, he will
try his best to do it, and will feel amply repaid for his efforts by a
few kind words and caresses.
3. His narrow brain can entertain only one idea at once, and therefore
only one problem, and that a simple one, must be given him at a time.
4. Once the problem is mastered, a very little practice makes the
performance of the task instinctive, so that it will be performed at
the proper signal, even against his own will, provided his mind is
occupied with something else.
This course of lessons is prepared with these facts in view.
“But is horse-breaking a fitting amusement for young ladies?” a mother
asks, and with an air indicating that to her, at least, a reply seems
quite unnecessary. My dear madam, it is not horse-breaking we are
talking of, but horse-training, which is a very different thing. There
are, doubtless, many women who could break a colt if they chose, but it
is an undertaking which we certainly do not recommend. In the “breaking
to harness” of an untamed horse there is naturally included more or
less of training, but the essential lesson to be taught is that it is
useless to resist the will of man, for sooner or later the horse will
test the question, and put forth every effort to throw off control.
When, however, panting and exhausted, he finally submits, he has
learned the necessary lesson; and whether it be after a long fight with
a brutal rough-rider, or a physically painless struggle with an adroit
Rarey, he has learned it for life. Henceforth he accepts the supremacy
of the human race, and, unless under the goad of maddening pain or
terror, will never, save in rare instances, really rebel; obeying not
men only, but women, children, and even the very tools and implements
of man, so that a dog may lead him by the bridle. Like a spoiled child,
however, a horse will sometimes presume upon indulgence, and, to use a
mother’s phrase, will try to see how far he can go.
At such times he is best opposed not by violence, but by firmness,
reinforced, perhaps, now and then by a sharp cut with the whip, which,
given unexpectedly at the precise moment of disobedience, will have the
settling effect ascribed to the time-honored nursery “spank,” and will
bring him to his senses. Generally, however, what seems insubordination
is in reality nervousness, which requires soothing, not punishment, and
which you will be careful not to increase by fidgeting or by brusque
movements of the reins. Even when severity is needed, a reproof in a
cold, stern tone is often more effective than the lash.
Thousands of young girls, who for various reasons cannot ride in
winter, have every summer within reach horses quite as good as the
average of those at city riding-schools, but which they are never
allowed to mount.
They look wistfully at the honest animals, longing for the exercise
which would be so beneficial to their health and to their physical
development, while so delightfully exhilarating to their spirits;
but one horse is pronounced “skittish,” another “hard-mouthed,” and
so on to the end. Nevertheless, some enterprising damsel manages to
overcome all opposition, and, skirted, hatted, gloved, sets off in fine
spirits. The horse, accustomed to the resistance of a heavy vehicle,
moves forward with slow and heavy strides. Urged to greater speed, he
rolls his shoulders so that it is almost impossible to rise to his
trot. When put to the canter he pounds along the road, his hind-feet
kept far in the rear and his head swaying up and down, while, missing
the customary support of the bearing-rein, he all the time leans his
heavy head on his rider’s delicate arm, till it seems as if she would
be pulled out of the saddle. However, the fresh open air is there, and
the scenery; exercise, too, in plenty, and the pleasure of independent
movement, so that our heroine is half inclined to persevere. But,
alas! an equestrian party on well-bitted, light-stepping horses sweeps
by, casting a pitying glance at her rustic mount and helpless plight.
Mortified and discouraged, she goes home and dismounts, determined not
to try again. Nevertheless, her horse is very likely quite as good as
theirs, and all he wants is a little “handling,” as the horsemen say.
For twenty-five dollars a riding-master will turn him over to her as
docile and supple as any of them, and, with a little time and trouble,
she can do it herself for nothing.
As for the proficiency in riding requisite, it is only necessary that
you should not depend upon the reins for your balance--a common habit,
but one destructive of all delicacy of the horse’s mouth.
As the first half-dozen lessons of this course are to be given on
foot, a riding-habit would only be in the way; so go to your first
_tête-à-tête_ with your new scholar in a stout walking-dress, easy in
the waist, short of skirt, and of stuff that will bear scouring, for
frothy lips will certainly be wiped on it. Let the hat be trim, the
gloves strong and old, and the boots heavy with low heels.
The saddle should, if possible, be of the safe and easy modern pattern,
with hunting-horn and low pommel on the right side--but of course any
one which does not gall the horse can be made to do. It should have
at least two strong girths, and must be so padded with wool as not to
touch the backbone. Make sure, before putting it on, that there are no
tacks loose or likely to become so in the lining.
[Illustration: A GOOD SADDLE.]
The bridle should be a double one, with one “snaffle” or jointed
bit, and one curb-bit, each having, of course, separate reins and
headstalls. By-and-by you can use a single bridle, if you prefer, with
whichever bit you think best suited to your hand and your horse’s
mouth.
The whip should be elastic and capable of giving a sharp cut (though
you may never need to administer one with it), and it is convenient to
have a loop of cord or ribbon by which it may be hung to the wrist. A
good birch switch is better for your present purpose than the usual
flimsy “lady’s whip;” and if you are in the country, it makes a good
whip to begin with, as you will probably soon wish to substitute a crop.
The place of instruction should be as retired as possible, so that
there may be nothing to distract the horse’s attention.
For the first few lessons it will be well, if you are not thoroughly at
home with horses, to have a man--some friend or attendant--near at hand
to give you confidence by his presence, and to come to your aid in case
of necessity.
LESSON I.
COMING TO THE WHIP.
Have the horse brought saddled and bridled. Walk quietly up in front of
him, with your riding-whip under your arm, and look him kindly in the
face. See that the bridle fits properly, as a careless groom may have
neglected to adjust it to the length of the head.
The _throat-latch_ should be loose enough to permit the chin to come
easily to the breast; the bits should lie in their proper place on the
_bars_, and the curb-chain should lie flat in the _chin groove_, just
tight enough to allow your fore-finger to pass under it. The _bars_ are
that part of the gum between the _grinders_, or back teeth, and the
_nippers_, or front teeth, which in the mare is destitute of teeth, and
in the horse has a tusk called the _bridle-tooth_.
It is upon these bars, of course, that the bits should lie, and the
curb-bit, according to military rule, at an inch above the tusk.
By general usage they are placed too high, the proper place of the
curb-bit being not up in the corner of the lips, but opposite or nearly
opposite the chin groove, which is just above the swell of the lower
lip. If the curb-chain is too loose the bit will “fall through,” or
turn around in the mouth. If it is too tight, or is ill adjusted, or
if, from the bits being too high, it slips up where the skin is thinner
and the bones sharper, it will give such pain that, to avoid it, the
nose will be thrust out instead of being brought in. The chain should
press below the snaffle, or the latter will unhook it. Adjust and
settle the various straps with your hand, speaking kindly to your horse
at the same time; but when you have begun to teach him, reserve all
praises and caresses to reward him when he has done well. It is a good
plan to give him a lump of sugar before you begin and after you finish
each lesson.
[Illustration: A PROPERLY FITTED CURB-CHAIN.]
Now, standing in front of the horse, take both curb-reins in the left
hand at six inches below the bit, and, with the whip held tip downward
in the right hand, strike him a light blow on the breast; in about a
second give him another, and continue striking at the same interval,
looking calmly at him the while, and following him if he steps backward
or sideways.
Sooner or later, and usually very soon, he will come straight towards
you; then instantly relax his head, say “Bravo! bravo!” and stroke
him on the face and neck. You will very likely hear him give a deep
sigh of relief, like a frightened child. Give him half a minute or
more, according to circumstances, to look about and recover from his
nervousness--for you will find that his nerves work a good deal like
your own--and then begin again, allowing him after every trial a
half-minute or so of rest.
It will not be long before he discovers that the way to avoid the whip
is to come straight to you, and he will do so at the least motion of
it. Take advantage of this to make him curve his neck, put his head in
the proper perpendicular position, and bring his haunches under him,
by holding him back with the curb-reins as he presses towards you.
This lesson, to a careless observer, looks rather pretty than useful,
but is indispensable for your purpose, for it gives you the means
of preventing the horse from backing while you are teaching him the
flexions of the jaw and of the neck. It shows him, also, that the whip
is only to be dreaded when he disobeys, so that later on it will become
in your hands, strange as it may now seem to you, a powerful means
of calming his ardor and soothing his impatience, and thus sparing
your bridle-hand the sometimes excessive fatigue of restraining his
impetuosity.
In practice it is not necessary to carry this instruction to the point
where the horse will come to you from so great a distance as shown in
the accompanying cut, though there is no difficulty in so doing.
A certain English nobleman used to say that a man was as much above his
ordinary self on horseback as he was at other times above the brutes.
Possibly more than one young equestrian, remembering the exhilaration
of some morning ride, the quickened appreciation, the redoubled
enjoyment of the beauties of nature, and of the charm of congenial
companionship, will be ready to echo the sentiment. It is only true,
however, even approximately, _when the rider controls all the forces
of the horse_, and it is the object of the present article to put this
perfect control within the reach of every one willing to take the time
and trouble to acquire it, for not daring, but calmness, not strength,
but perseverance, are the qualities requisite.
Both time and trouble undoubtedly will be required, for while, by even
a careless use of this method, your horse may be made vastly more
comfortable under the saddle, yet only by tact and patience can you win
that mastery over his every volition by which his splendid strength,
courage, and endurance will seem to be added to your own. You will
find him, however, no tiresome pupil. On the contrary, every day will
increase your pleasure both in his progress and in his companionship,
for he will soon become attached to you, and will now and then turn
his head and look at you with such an expression in his eyes that
you will think the old belief in the transmigration of souls not so
very wonderful after all. You will, besides, find in your lessons no
contemptible discipline of character, for you will have to conquer your
natural timidity in feeling your weakness opposed to his strength, to
suppress your impatience when he is slow of apprehension, to remain
calm when he is restive, and to award him your caresses, not because
his neck is sleek and beautiful, but because he has done exactly as you
directed. You will find also that they will have a tendency to improve
your seat, by taking your attention from yourself, and with it some of
the involuntary stiffness always born of self-consciousness.
A different, but equally practical, result of knowing something of
horse-training is that wherever you may be you will have no difficulty
in getting a mount--no small advantage either, as many an enthusiastic
young girl can testify as she remembers the stony look which came
over some comfortable farmer’s countenance when she confidingly asked
to ride one of his round-bellied horses. Many an owner of a trained
saddle-horse would gladly have him ridden carefully by one capable
of keeping him “in good form,” while every horse-owner, no matter
how poor his nags, dreads an ignorant rider as he does the epizooty.
Probably scores of country stable-keepers and thousands of farmers,
after a season’s experience with ordinary city riders, have vowed never
to let a woman mount one of their horses again. One of the former,
at a popular summer resort, said to the writer, “Two ladies hurt my
hosses more last summer than all the rest of the work. They ain’t no
more saddles to be found in my stable!” A neighboring farmer, who had
at first thought to reap a golden harvest from his five excellent
horses at a dollar a ride, hereupon remarked, “They hain’t no sense.
They think a horse will go like a machine, and all they’ve got to do
is to turn steam on with the whip.” Very different would have been
the verdict had the riders but possessed even a slight experience in
training, for the horses would have come from their hands improved in
mouth and gait, and almost certainly uninjured by bad usage.
LESSON II.
TO HOLD THE BIT LIGHTLY (_FLEXION DE LA MÂCHOIRE_), USING THE CURB.
Begin by assuring yourself that the horse has forgotten nothing of the
previous lesson. Do not allow him to sidle up to you upon your movement
of the whip towards him, nor to twist his nose towards you, but make
him advance in a straight line.
Now, standing at the left of the horse’s head, with your feet firmly
planted a little way apart, take the left snaffle-rein in the left
hand, and the left curb-rein in the right, at five or six inches from
their respective bits, and having brought the head into the proper
perpendicular position, pull the two hands apart with gentle but steady
force. Hold your whip, meanwhile, tip downward in the right hand, to
prevent him from running back, which can be done without relaxing your
pull by tapping him with it upon the breast.
The object of this lesson, as well as of those which follow, is to
overcome involuntary muscular contraction. In some cases, as probably
in the present one, the contractions are simply nervous, and will cease
with the mental cause; in others the muscles have grown into improper
positions, so that time will be required to set them right.
[Illustration: FLEXION OF THE JAW--USING THE CURB.]
Your object at present is to get the jaw relaxed, so that you can move
it at pleasure without resistance, and this may take time and patience,
for you must not be satisfied with anything less than complete success,
or you will repent it later. At first, however, seize the slightest
involuntary opening of the horse’s mouth as an excuse to relax your
hold, caress and praise him, then let him stand a half-minute with his
head free, and begin again.
When he is submissive, and pleased with you, he will almost always show
it by gently champing his bit; but do not be deceived by a nervous
simulation which you will probably detect, and which consists in
opening the mouth a very little and immediately gripping the bit again.
You will have been completely successful when, by simply drawing on the
curb-reins, the head is brought to the proper perpendicular position,
and the bit, instead of being gripped, is held lightly in the mouth,
or, to use the school term, when the horse is “light in hand.”
This is the only lesson in the series in which it is possible (though
not probable) that your unaided strength may be insufficient; if so,
get some one to help you over the first resistance of the horse.
With care and tact, however, you will in all probability require no
assistance.
LESSON III.
TO HOLD THE BIT LIGHTLY, USING THE SNAFFLE.
Begin by repeating in proper order all that has been done at the
previous lessons. Now, having got the horse “light in hand” with the
curb, relax the curb-rein and try to keep him light with the snaffle.
He will probably begin to bear on it. If so, restrain him by successive
tugs, punishing him a little with the curb, if necessary, and always
rewarding him with praises and caresses when he does well. Avoid
any violent use of the curb, or the horse, in his efforts to escape
the pain, may get his tongue over the bit, and thus acquire a very
troublesome habit. It must be remembered that the bit being the
principal channel of communication between his mind and yours, his
whole attention is concentrated upon it, and he is almost as much
disconcerted by a sudden harsh movement of it as you would be by an
unexpected shout in your ear.
By this time your groom is perhaps watching you with interest, and
may be trusted to repeat your handling, thus saving you some time and
trouble; but, as a general thing, two lessons a day of from half to
three-quarters of an hour each, are as much as a horse can receive with
profit.
LESSON IV.
TO LOWER THE HEAD.
Always look over your horse before beginning your instruction, to see
that he has not met with any mishap. Observe that his eye is bright and
that he feels in good spirits; run your eye over his limbs to detect
any cut, bruise, or swelling; see that the hoofs are not cracked.
Assure yourself that he is properly groomed--one good test being
the absence of scurf at the roots of the mane; that his mouth has
been sponged out before putting in the bit, his hoofs wiped off
clean--never, however, blacked--and that he is properly saddled and
bridled. With a little practice you will do all this in half a minute,
while you are buttoning your gloves. About once a week ask after his
food and appetite, and make the groom show you his shoes; and when
the time comes for him to be re-shod (which should be at least once
a month) positively forbid any trimming of the frog or of the inside
of the hoof--any “cleaning up of the foot,” as farriers are pleased
to call it. The only part to be touched with the knife is the bottom
of the outer, horny shell, which is not half an inch thick; and even
this must be cut with moderation, never burned by fitting the shoe
to it hot--the common makeshift of lazy farriers--nor filed on the
outside, as both these operations not only weaken the hoof but impair
Nature’s arrangement for oiling and lubricating it. Should the horse
not bear equal weight on all four legs, move him a step to see if the
faulty posture may not have been accidental; and if it is repeated,
examine the “favored” leg, carefully laying your bare hand on the hoof
and joints to detect inflammation, feeling along the bones for lumps,
comparing any suspicious spot with the same part of the corresponding
leg, observing whether it is warmer or more sensitive than its fellow.
[Illustration: LOWERING THE HEAD.]
Having assured yourself that your horse is in perfect order, and
that he has forgotten nothing of your previous instruction, you will
now proceed to the lesson of the day. Place yourself on his left, or
“near,” side, take the snaffle-reins at a few inches from the bit, and
pull his head downward. Should he not yield, cross the reins, by taking
the right rein in the left hand and _vice versa_, which will pinch his
jaw sharply, and pull again till he drops his head, when you will hold
it down a few seconds, praising him the while; then raise it up, and
allow him a little time to rest.
[Illustration: PUNISHMENT IN CASE OF RESISTANCE.]
For our young readers we give below a few of the more usual technical
terms, of which it will be found convenient to have a knowledge in the
course of these lessons:
_Amble._--A gait like pacing, but slower, in which the two legs on the
same side are moved together.
_Appel._--The gentle tug on the rein given by the horse at each step.
_Arrière-main._--That part of the horse back of the saddle, called, not
quite correctly, in this article, the croup.
_Avant-main._--That part of the horse forward of the saddle--the
forehand.
_Bore._--To lean on the bit.
_Bridle-tooth._--Tusk found in the horse’s mouth, though not in the
mare’s, between nippers and grinders.
_Bucking._--Leaping vertically into the air with all four feet at once.
_Chin Groove._--That part of underjaw next the swell of lower lip in
which curb-chain rests.
_Curb._--Bit without joint, with levers at side and chain, which,
passing under jaw, serves as a fulcrum to communicate pressure of bit
to bars of mouth.
_Deux Pistes._--To go on _deux pistes_ is to advance with the body
placed obliquely, so that the hind feet move on a different line or
_piste_ from the fore.
_Elbow._--Joint of fore-leg next above knee, lying next horse’s side.
_Fetlock._--Joint next below knee.
_Forearm._--That part of leg between elbow and knee.
_Forge._--To strike the toe of the fore-foot with the toe of the
hind-foot--usually the result of bad shoeing.
_Frog._--Triangular piece of spongy horn in middle of sole of foot,
forming a cushion for the navicular bone.
_Grinders._--Back teeth.
_Hand._--Four inches (one-third of a foot).
_Hand-gallop._--A slow gallop.
_Haute Êcole--Haut Manége._--The complete course of training given in
the French military riding-schools. To translate this by “high-school,”
as is sometimes done, produces a ludicrous impression.
_Hock._--Joint of hind-leg between thigh and shank.
_Interfere._--To strike the fetlock with the foot--often caused by bad
shoeing.
_Manége._--Horse-training, also the training-school itself.
_Nippers._--Front teeth.
_Pace._--A rapid gait, in which the fore and hind foot on same side
move at same time and strike the ground together.
_Pastern._--Bones between fetlock and foot.
_Passage._--Moving sideways, as to close up or open the ranks, as in
cavalry exercises.
_Pirouette._--Wheeling on the hind-legs.
_Pirouette renversée._--Wheeling on the fore-legs.
_Piaffer._--A slow and cadenced trot, in which the horse balances a
certain time on each pair of feet.
_Piste._--The imaginary circle (usually, however, a well-beaten track)
three feet from the wall of the _manége_.
_Poll._--Top of head between the ears.
_Rack._--A gait somewhat similar to _single-foot_.
_Ramener._--To bring the head to the perpendicular.
_Rassembler._--To get the horse together, with his legs well under him
and his head perpendicular.
_Shank._--Parts of fore-leg between knee and fetlock, and parts of
hind-leg between hock and fetlock.
_Single-foot._--A very rapid gait, taught principally in the Western
States of America, in which one foot is put down at a time.
_Snaffle._--Bit jointed in middle, without side levers or chin-chain.
_Spavins_ and _Splints_.--Excrescences on bones of legs, usually caused
by strain. When they occur on the fore-shanks they are called splints,
and may do no harm. If on the hind-legs they are called spavins, and
usually result in permanent lameness.
_Stifle._--Joint of hind-leg between hip and hock, lying against
horse’s side.
_Surcingle._--A girth extending entirely around the horse.
_Thigh._--Popularly speaking, it comprises the two upper joints of
hind-leg from hip to hock.
_Throat-latch._--That strap of the bridle which passes under the throat.
_Withers._--Highest point of shoulder between neck and saddle.
LESSON V.
TO BEND THE NECK TO RIGHT AND LEFT, WITH THE REINS HELD BELOW THE BIT
(_FLEXIONS DE L’ENCOLURE_).
Before beginning each lesson it is well, as has been already
recommended, to review hastily the instruction previously given.
Now place yourself on the left side of your horse, with your
riding-whip tip downward in your right hand, and with your feet firmly
planted a little apart. Take the right curb-rein in your right hand
at about six inches from the lever of the bit, and the left curb-rein
in your left at three inches from the lever, and having brought the
horse’s head to a perpendicular position, pull the two hands steadily
apart, moving the right hand to the right and the left hand to the
left, so as to pry the horse’s head around to the right by means of
the twist of the bit in his mouth. If he offers to back, stop him by
tapping his breast with the whip; if he tries to pull away his head,
hold on tight, until presently he will turn his head to the right,
when you will instantly say, “Bravo! bravo!” and after holding it so
a few seconds, bring it back to its original position. Very soon he
will take the idea, and you will bring his head around until it faces
backward, being careful to keep it always exactly perpendicular, and
not to allow the horse to move it of his own accord in any direction.
[Illustration: “PULLING THE HANDS STEADILY APART.”]
Now try to obtain this flexion with the right-hand rein alone, only
using the left hand to assist it if he fails to understand or to obey,
and also to bring back the head to its original position.
To bend the neck to the left requires simply a reversal of the process
just described, and will give you probably no trouble. Do not be
satisfied with anything else than an easy, graceful, and patient
obedience on the part of the horse. Should he back or fidget out of
his place, bring him back to it before going on, as you will find that
his associations (unconscious, doubtless) with place are remarkable,
and that any fault is likely to be repeated on the spot where it was
first committed.
[Illustration: TO BEND THE NECK TO RIGHT OR LEFT, WITH THE REINS BELOW
THE BITS.]
When he will look backward on either side, and remain looking so upon
your drawing upon the proper rein, the lesson is perfect. The utility
of it may not appear at first, but will be evident at a later stage of
your instructions.
LESSON VI.
TO BEND THE NECK TO RIGHT AND LEFT, WITH THE REINS THROWN OVER THE NECK.
Take the left snaffle-rein in the left hand at about a foot from the
bit, and with the right hand draw the right snaffle-rein over the
horse’s neck just in front of the shoulder, until both sides pull
equally on the bit and the horse is “light in hand.” Then, by drawing
upon the right rein gradually, bend his head around to the right,
gently feeling the left rein so as to keep the bit straight in the
mouth and prevent him from moving faster than you wish; for in this, as
in all other cases, while he is to do exactly what you direct, he is to
do nothing more.
[Illustration: GETTING THE HORSE “LIGHT IN HAND.”]
To bend the neck to the left, you will, of course, reverse the
operation above described, standing on the other side of the horse,
taking the right snaffle-rein in the right hand at a foot from the
bit, and drawing the left rein over the shoulder with the left hand.
Keep the horse “light in hand” all the time, and his head perfectly
perpendicular, as any twisting of the nose to one side has a ludicrous
appearance. Now repeat with the curb.
[Illustration: PULLING ON THE RIGHT REIN.]
LESSON VII.
TO MOVE THE CROUP TO RIGHT AND LEFT WITH THE WHIP.
It is unfortunate that we have not in English a vocabulary of definite
terms relating to the training and riding of horses. We will for
convenience call all that part of the horse in front of the saddle the
_forehand_, and all that part back of the saddle the _croup_.
Take both snaffle-reins in the left hand at a few inches from the bit,
and standing near the horse’s left shoulder, get him “light in hand”
with the bit; and if his hind-legs are not well under him, make him
bring them forward by tapping him gently on the rump with your extended
whip, keeping the forehand motionless by your hold on the bit.
Now, holding his head so that he will not move his left fore-foot, tap
him lightly on the left flank near the hip until he moves the croup one
step to the right.
Then pat and praise him, and if he has not moved his right fore-foot,
tap his right leg with the whip to make him bring it forward even with
the left. After a little rest begin again, asking and allowing only
one step at a time, and persevering until he will move the croup one
step over to each tap of the whip, pivoting on the left fore-foot and
walking the right foot by little steps around it.
[Illustration: MOVING THE CROUP ONE STEP TO THE RIGHT.]
When he is perfect with the snaffle, repeat the process with the curb,
keeping his hind-legs well under him, and holding him “light in hand,”
while maintaining his left fore-foot immovable, with a delicate touch,
to resemble as much as possible the action of the rein when drawn from
the saddle.
Now repeat the process to the left, taking your stand near the right
shoulder, and, with both snaffle-reins in your right hand and the whip
in your left, proceed as before until the horse will walk one step at
each tap of the whip around the right fore-foot, which should in its
turn be kept so firmly in place as to bore a hole in the ground. Repeat
with the curb.
This lesson, which will last, very likely, two or three days, may
appear to some of no practical utility, but it is indispensable alike
to your comfort when mounted, to the safety of those who accompany
or meet you, and to the continued education of your horse. Who has
not seen an untrained animal force his rider to dismount to lift some
gate-latch which was really within easy reach, or prancing about in a
crowd, to the terror and vexation of his neighbors, or in momentary
danger of hooking his legs into the wheels of passing vehicles?
Now, if you trample on any one, or upset a light vehicle, though
you risk, and perhaps break, your own bones, yet you are liable for
damages; and this fact is so well known that a suit will be promptly
begun against you. Besides, for your own sake you must have it in your
power to get your horse’s haunches, and with them your own person, out
of danger from careless or mischievous drivers--just as a cavalryman
has to save his horse from a slash or thrust.
LESSON VIII.
MOUNTED.
_To Advance at Touch of Heel and Stop at Touch of Whip on Back._--Your
horse’s education must now be carried on from the saddle, and should
he never have been ridden, it will be prudent to have a man mount him
first upon a man’s saddle, and afterwards upon your side-saddle, with
a blanket wrapped around the legs to simulate a skirt. If the previous
lessons have been carefully given, you will have no trouble in making
him stand wherever you please while you mount, nor in getting him
“light in hand” afterwards. First, however, see that the saddle fits
snugly in its place, and that the girths are good and in order. If
there are more than two, let the third be loose while the others are
tight. The writer once saw a powerful horse burst two good English
girths by a sudden bound and throw off his rider, saddle and all. If
the girths and saddle are not very strong, put a broad, thin strap--a
surcingle will do--over all.
[Illustration: GETTING A HORSE ACCUSTOMED TO SKIRTS.
(An example of the “flying trot.”)]
Being mounted, gather the reins all into the left hand in the following
manner: Draw the right snaffle-rein between the fore and middle
fingers, and the left snaffle rein under the little finger into the
palm, throwing the ends forward together over the first finger, to be
held by the thumb; in like manner draw the curb-reins into the palm on
each side of the ring-finger, the left rein, of course, below, and the
right above it, throwing the ends, like those of the snaffle, forward
over the fore-finger and under the thumb. Now taking the curb-rein by
the seam, draw it through your fingers till both reins fall equally on
the bit; then do the same by the snaffle, but draw it so much tighter
than the curb that the latter will hang loose, and any movement of your
hand will be felt through the snaffle. Grasp all the reins firmly, your
hand back upward, with wrist a little bent and elbow near your side, so
that if the horse, stumbling, thrust his nose suddenly out, you will
not be jerked from the saddle.
[Illustration: SHOWING REINS IN LEFT HAND.]
All this you will quickly get the knack of, and do as easily as you
would thread a needle. You will observe that, having the width of three
fingers between the two snaffle-reins, you can, by bending your wrist
to right or left, guide the horse as easily as with the reins in both
hands. Get the horse “light in hand” by the usual play of the bit,
first the curb, then the snaffle, tapping him on the right side, just
forward of the girth, if he fails to respond or offers to back.
[Illustration: ADVANCING AT TOUCH OF HEEL.]
Now press him just back of the girth with your left heel, at the same
time relaxing the rein a little. If he steps forward, pat and praise
him, but if not, press him more firmly, at the same time touching him
as before with the whip. When he moves forward praise him, and after a
few seconds stop him, leaning back a little and laying your whip by a
turn of the wrist on his back just behind the saddle. Then recommence,
and persevere until he will start promptly forward at the touch of the
heel, and stop at the touch of the whip on his back, keeping “light
in hand” the while. If he is very sluggish you may have to strike him
smartly for not answering instantly to the heel, but he will soon
learn not to wait for the blow. Let the heel act close to the girth,
as you will soon wish to move the croup over by the same means applied
farther back. It is well not to start with the whip, nor by chirping or
clucking, which is as likely to excite your companion’s horse as your
own, and is annoying to most people.
[Illustration: STOPPING AT TOUCH OF WHIP ON BACK.]
Accustom your horse to stop short, whether at the pull on the reins,
the touch of the whip, or the word “Whoa.”
After riding have the saddle removed, and should a puffy spot appear
on the back where it has pressed, take the hint at once and have the
padding eased over the place, or a tedious and vexatious “saddle-gall”
may result. There is no better treatment for such a spot than bathing
with very hot water. As a preventive, however, it is an excellent plan
to bathe the back with cold water, afterwards carefully rubbing dry.
[Illustration: THE WALK (COLT IN TRAINING).]
The several instruments of torture represented in the above cut are the
_dumb-jockey_ upon the horse’s back, the _cavesson_ around his nose,
and the _lunging-cord_ in the hands of the groom--to whom the artist
has very properly given the countenance of one who, had he lived in
old times, would have lent a hand at the rack or the iron boot without
wincing. The dumb-jockey has elastic reins, which are adjusted so
as to hold the head in the proper position. The cavesson is a broad
leather band, stiffened with iron, which is fastened around the nose
just where the cartilage joins the bone, so that a tug upon it causes
great pain, and will bring anything but determined vice to submission.
These appliances are usually only the resort of laziness or ignorance,
for none of them can for a moment compare with the human hand; and in
fact they effect no saving in time, for it is not safe to leave a horse
a minute alone with a dumb-jockey on his back, as he may rear and fall
over backward at the risk of his life. The writer knew of an accident
of this kind which ended the victim’s usefulness in the saddle, and he
has seen a strong and proud horse sweat profusely, with the thermometer
at ten degrees below the freezing point, while being _lunged_, _i.e._,
driven in a ring, with a dumb-jockey on.
LESSON IX.
MOUNTED.
_To Bend the Neck to Right and Left._--You can now, if you please,
substitute a stiff _crop_ for the flexible whip you have so far made
use of. Having taken your place in the saddle and got your horse light
in hand review the previous lesson; then, having your horse still
carefully light in hand and light on foot--that is, with hind-feet
well under him--draw gently upon the left snaffle-rein. When the
horse’s head has come around to your knee, keep it in that position
an instant, and then put it straight again by drawing upon the right
rein, insisting that his face remains perpendicular during the whole
operation. Now go through the same process with the right snaffle-rein,
and then repeat the whole operation with the curb. These flexions of
the neck may now seem to you of doubtful utility, but as the education
of the horse advances, your opinion will change. It is as rare for
horses as for people to have a noble and graceful carriage; and while
you cannot, of course, really change the shape of your mount, yet you
can, by care, entirely change his appearance. His various gaits you
can indeed improve, but for his _style_ he depends, nine times out of
ten, entirely upon you, and if you are indifferent he will be careless
and probably clumsy.
[Illustration: BENDING THE NECK TO RIGHT AND LEFT.]
LESSON X.
THE WALK.
This gait is apt to be hardly appreciated by youthful equestrians,
whose love of excitement leads them often to prefer rapidity to grace
of motion; but it can, with a little painstaking, be made swift and
agreeable; and certainly, when light and animated, it shows off both
horse and rider to better advantage than any other. It is, besides,
an indispensable stage in the bitting of the horse; for until he will
continue “light” while starting, stopping, and turning at a walk, he
should not be put to a faster pace.
Your chief difficulty will be his propensity to drop into a jog-trot
as soon as you try to quicken his steps; but this must be overcome by
stopping him immediately and then recommencing the walk, urging him
forward with the heel and encouraging him to lift his feet quickly by
a delicate play of the bit, but leaving his head as free as possible.
This will give you occupation, probably, for several days. Do not
forget to praise him when he does well.
LESSON XI.
TO MOVE THE CROUP WITH HEEL AND WHIP (_PIROUETTE RENVERSÉE_).
Having your horse light in hand and light on foot (that is to say, as
we have before explained, with his face perpendicular, the bit held
lightly, and his weight well supported on his hind-legs), tap him on
the right flank with your whip or “crop” till he moves the croup one
step to the left. Your great difficulty will be to prevent him from
moving his right fore-foot, which by careful play of the bit you must
endeavor to keep fixed to the ground, while at each tap of the whip the
other three feet move one step around it. When this lesson has been
satisfactorily learned, proceed to teach in like manner the movement
of croup to the right, pivoting on the left fore-foot, substituting,
however, for the tap of the whip a pressure with the left heel, applied
as far behind the girth as possible.
[Illustration: MOVING THE CROUP WITH THE HEEL AND WHIP.]
Should he not understand this pressure, interpret it to him with the
whip. As long as there seems to be any mental effort required on his
part, pause after each step to caress and praise him. Be careful to
keep him calm while learning, or he may tread one foot upon the
other, possibly inflicting a severe wound, and after dismounting
inspect his feet carefully to make sure that this has not happened.
LESSON XII.
TO GUIDE “BRIDLEWISE.”
Up to this time your horse has been guided as in driving, by a pull
upon one side of the bit, that is to say, upon one corner of the mouth,
and it is time now to substitute a simple pressure of the rein upon
his neck. The chief difficulty to be encountered is in the fact that,
as the rein is attached to the bit, the tension of it against one side
of the neck pulls the bit on that side, consequently conveying to the
horse an impression exactly opposite to that intended. This difficulty
must be overcome by patience, for this instruction cannot be completed
in a single lesson, but will have to be carried on simultaneously with
other work for a week or more. It is given by carrying your hand over,
whenever you turn, to the side towards which you wish to go, so that
the reins will press against the neck. Thus, if you wish to turn to the
left, draw on the left snaffle-rein, and as the horse answers to it,
carry your hand to the left, so that the right reins press against the
right side of the neck. This must be done with judgment, or the bit,
being pulled too hard on the right side by the tension of the rein on
the neck, will stop him in his turn. Of course you will seek as many
occasions as possible for turning, choosing, in preference, places
where your intention cannot be misunderstood, as at a corner, for
instance. There is no better spot than some old orchard, for the horse
instantly takes the idea of going around a tree, and there will be more
or less shade, and probably good turf. While he is learning this lesson
do not distract his attention by other instruction; but as soon as he
has mastered it, see that his head is always turned in the direction
towards which he is to go, for it is a habit with horses, as awkward
as it is common, to turn one way and look the other. At the same time
always lean in your saddle towards the centre of the curve you are
describing, and at an angle increasing in proportion to your speed.
[Illustration: GUIDING BRIDLEWISE (TURNING TO THE RIGHT).]
Some English writers depreciate the above method of guiding the horse,
preferring to use the bit exclusively, but it is almost universal in
the United States, and its advantages for ordinary riders are numerous
and evident. Indeed, Stonehenge, a well-known English authority, says
that in “this way a horse can be turned with a much greater degree of
nicety and smoothness than by acting on the corner of his mouth.”
LESSON XIII.
THE TROT.
Writers on the horse distinguish three kinds of trot, _viz._, the
“jog” trot, the “true” trot, and the “flying” or “American” trot. In
the first the feet remain longer on the ground than in the air, and
lazy animals are naturally fond of it, while spirited horses sometimes
drop into it from impatience of walking. It is, however, apt to be
a slovenly gait, which, though easy to the rider, should hardly be
permitted.
In the flying trot the horse leaps a considerable distance through
the air at each stride--evidently a mode of progression unsuited for
ladies, who must attain speed in trotting by quickening the step
without undue lengthening of the stride.
Your first care will be to prevent your horse from losing his
“lightness,” as he will be inclined to do at every change of gait or
increase of speed--and this, while often by no means easy, is yet a
task to be thoroughly accomplished if you wish for comfort or style
in the future. You will observe in trotting, as in all other gaits,
at each step a slight tug on the rein, called by some writers the
_appel_, and this you will ordinarily yield your hand to, so as to keep
a steady feeling of the mouth.
If, however, the horse begins to bear on the bit, hold your hand
firmly, with the rein just so tight that at every step he will himself
thrust his jaw against the curb. This will very likely bring him to his
senses and restore his lightness, and if so, pat and praise him; but if
not, tap him on the side with your whip, at the same time pulling on
the curb for a second or two. If he does not yield to this, repeated
two or three times, stop him short; and when, by the same method, you
have got him to relax his gripe of the bit and arch his neck, allow him
to go on again. He will dislike excessively to be stopped and started
in this way, and when he finds that he will not be permitted to go in
any way but the right one he will give up the attempt.
Do not try to succeed by giving a long, steady pull, nor by using
force, as it will do no good, and may cause the tongue to be put over
the bit--a very troublesome trick. Remember, in stopping, to lean back,
and lay your whip, by a movement of the wrist, on the horse’s back.
You will next turn your attention to your horse’s gait. As the trot
is rarely so easy that a lady can sit down to it with comfort, it is
advisable to rise in the stirrup.
This is difficult and fatiguing if the stride is too long, and you
will therefore prevent its extending too much by giving a little tug
on the rein just as each step is made, at the same time with the heel
keeping up speed and animation.
If your bitting has been thoroughly done, and your horse’s mouth
is fine and sensitive, you will probably find the snaffle best for
trotting, and you will give a steady support with it.
Keep the step quick, elastic, perfectly cadenced, and without any
rolling of the shoulders.
Should you happen to be mounted upon a horse which, from bad handling
or his own faulty conformation, is disposed to “bore,” or bear on his
bit, you will ride with the curb, taking its reins in one hand, but
in the other hand taking the snaffle, with the left rein drawn much
tighter than the right. This will have an effect quite different from
what one might expect, and will put a stop to this most fatiguing and
annoying trick.
This recipe is not found in Baucher’s book, but is said to have been
given by him verbally to his pupils, and it is really “a trick worth
knowing.” If it does not have the desired effect, however, when
practised with the left snaffle-rein, try it with the right, as the
mouth--for instance, from the effect of double harness--may not be
equally sensitive on both sides.
If you observe that the step of one foot is shorter than that of the
other, making the horse appear lame, you may be almost sure you have
fallen into the too common feminine practice of bearing too much of
your weight on one side. An even balance in the saddle is of capital
importance, and a rough-and-ready test is to observe whether the
buttons of your habit are in the same plane as the horse’s backbone,
and your shoulders nearly equidistant from his ears--points of which
you can judge as well as any one.
In the matter of the horse’s gait you must be equally exacting, not
resting so long as you can perceive the slightest irregularity or
difference between the strides. It is desirable to cultivate such
a sensitiveness to all the horse’s movements as will enable you to
know where his feet are at all times without looking, and the first
step towards this is to learn to “sit close to the saddle.” This firm
and easy seat, coveted by every rider, is attained by some with much
greater difficulty than by others. Many riders will bump about on their
saddles for thousands of miles without being “shaken into their seat,”
because they neither abandon themselves to the instinct which correctly
guides a child, nor, on the other hand, seek out and remove the cause,
in the muscular contractions of the body and limbs.
A loose sack of grain set upright on horseback does not jump up and
down, and, while it is not desirable to be quite so inert as a bag of
grain, yet a lesson may be learned from it--which is, that the lower
part of the person, from the hips to the knees, should be kept firmly
and steadily, though not stiffly, in place, while the waist, with the
back bent slightly inward, should be as flexible as possible, and the
whole upper part of the person pliant and supple, so as to yield with a
certain _nonchalance_ to every movement.
Nervous riders, like nervous horses, are those in whom involuntary
muscular contractions persist the most obstinately.
As both of the horse’s strides are equal when the trot is true, it
seems nonsense to talk, as some writers do, about the “leading foot” in
trotting; and except that few horses are so perfectly symmetrical that
both strides are equally elastic, there should be no difference to a
man on which one he “rises,” and he will therefore spare that foot and
leg which, for any cause, he may suppose to be the weaker. A lady will
without effort find the stride best suited to her.
Horses are often trained in our Western States to trot when the rider
touches the back of their neck, and to single-foot or pace when he
makes play gently with the curb-bit. These signals are injudicious,
because in harness a slight movement of the bit sets the horse so
trained to single-footing, and there is no way to communicate to him
your wish that he should trot. It is better, therefore, to give the
signal to trot by taking a firm hold of the snaffle, and laying your
whip gently on his hind-quarter while you incite to speed with your
heel.
After dismounting, observe whether your horse has _interfered_--that
is, struck one or more of his fetlock joints with his hoofs; should
the skin be knocked off, apply some healing ointment; and if the joint
swells, bathe with water as hot as the hand will bear. This is the best
remedy for all ordinary bruises and sprains.
LESSON XIV.
THE GALLOP, HAND-GALLOP, AND CANTER.
These are treated of by some writers as distinct, the canter being
called “purely artificial;” but it will be convenient and sufficiently
accurate for our purpose to take them up together and to consider the
canter as what it in fact is--an _improved_, and not an “artificial,”
gait. Horses undoubtedly often canter in a rude way without being
taught, as may be seen often in the field, and not seldom in harness,
and you will probably have little trouble in getting your horse to do
the same. It is this natural canter which is called by country people
the “lope.” It is of importance, however, that your horse should not
change his gait without orders, no matter how hard pressed, this being
especially true if he is to be driven as well as ridden. The signal
to canter should, therefore, be such as can be given only from the
saddle. It is well not to use the whip for the purpose, but to try by
raising the bridle to lift the forehand, while stimulating at the same
time with the heel. Should he persist in trotting, do not get vexed
or discouraged, for he is only resisting temptation to do what he
has expressly been taught not to do; but continue your incitements,
raising the bridle-hand firmly at every stride till you have got him
fairly off his feet into a gallop, when you will soothe his nerves by
patting and praising him, and gradually calm him down into a canter,
lifting your hand at every stride to prevent his relapsing into a trot.
When he will canter promptly at the signal, you will get him “light
in hand” before giving it; then make him start without thrusting out
his nose, and keep him light by the means already detailed in the
lesson on the trot. Next you will bring his haunches forward under him,
which is the great point, and increase the brilliancy of his action by
stimulating him with heel and whip, while at each step you restrain
him by a gentle pull, so that he will not spring forward so far as he
intended. Persevere until he will canter as slowly as he would walk.
Your best guide will be to observe the action of some well-trained and
well-ridden horse, and to endeavor to obtain the same in yours.
[Illustration: THE CANTER.]
To _change the leading foot_ in cantering is, however, a more difficult
matter, and we will postpone the consideration of it until his
education is a little farther advanced. In the mean time you will avoid
turning a sharp corner at a canter.
The hand-gallop is simply a moderate gallop in which the ear observes
three beats,
[Music]
as in the canter, but swifter; while in the extended gallop it hears
but two,
[Music]
though given with a sort of rattle, which shows that neither the fore
nor the hind feet strike the ground exactly together, as they do in
leaping.
_Keep to the left, as the law directs_, is an admonition on bridges and
other thoroughfares in England which has often excited the surprise of
Americans, very likely eliciting some such comment as “How stupid!”
“How perfectly ridiculous!” Yet for many centuries it was really the
only safe way to turn, whether on foot or on horseback, and as all our
fashions of riding and driving are based upon it, it is hard to see why
the custom should have changed in this country. In the olden time, when
people went about principally on horseback, when roads were lonely and
footpads plenty, it would have been “perfectly ridiculous” for a man to
turn to the right and expose his defenceless bridle-arm to a blow from
a bludgeon or slash from a hanger. Much more would it have been so had
he a lady under his care, who would thus be left in the very front of
danger, whether it might be of robbery from highwaymen, of insult from
roistering riders, or of simple injury from passing vehicles. At the
present day and in this country the danger last mentioned is the only
one really to be feared, and it is so considerable that the question is
often raised whether a lady be not safer at the right of her cavalier;
but the still greater danger in this case of her being crushed between
the horses, in case of either one springing suddenly towards the other,
has caused it thus far to be decided in the negative. There is also
always a possibility--slight, doubtless--of a lady’s getting kicked or
bitten when on the right; and it might be difficult for her companion,
without risk to her limbs, to seize her horse by the head should he
become refractory. In case of its becoming absolutely necessary to take
a terrified or exhausted rider off of an unmanageable horse, there
would probably be time for her escort to cross behind her and place
himself at her left hand.
Now that we are on the subject, we may give a word of caution as to
some other dangers of the road. Among those to the rider, the most
common is _shying_; but vigilance--and perpetual vigilance will be
necessary--will reduce this to the rank of simple annoyance. Get your
horse past the alarming object somehow, even if he has to be led; get
him up to it if you can, and then pat and praise him; never let him
hurry off after passing it; never whip him afterwards.
Rearing is less common than shying, but more dangerous from the risk
of pulling the horse over backward. To rear he must, of course, spring
up with the fore-legs, and if his intention can be divined in time it
may perhaps be frustrated by a smart stroke down the shoulder; but an
active animal is usually up before his rider has had time to think, and
the question is how to come safe down again. To this end, on no account
pull on the bit, but, without letting go the rein, grasp a thick
lock of the mane and hold yourself with it as close to the neck as
possible--which will throw your weight in the best place, and prepare
you to leap down, should it be necessary. If you have kept perfectly
calm, so that the horse has not suspected that you were frightened,
he will doubtless come down on his feet, and very likely may not rear
again. If, however, you feel his hind-legs sink under him, he will be
intending to throw himself down, and you must jump down instantly to
avoid getting caught under the saddle.
Kicking, when coming unexpectedly, is more likely than rearing to
unseat the rider. If you withstand the first assault, however, get the
horse’s head up by an energetic use of the bit, and look out that he
does not get it down again. It is needless to say that should either of
the last two tricks become a habit, it will make the horse quite unfit
for a lady’s use.
If your horse is restless and disposed to jump, or perhaps run, when
horses or vehicles rapidly approach him from behind, occupy his
attention by moving the bit a little from side to side in his mouth.
Running away is undoubtedly serious business, but all authorities agree
that the safest plan is to let the horse run, if there is room, and
that the best lesson for him is to make him continue running after he
wishes to stop. A steady pull on the bit is quite useless, and so is
any cry of “Whoa! whoa!” at first. But after a little the bit should
be vigorously _sawed_, so as to sway the head from side to side if
possible, and thus confuse him, while you speak to him in a commanding
tone.
The dangers to the horse upon the road, however, are greater and more
numerous than to yourself, but they may almost all be averted by care
and watchfulness on your part. Beware of a fast pace on hard macadam;
beware of loose stones, which may bruise the frog or cause a tedious
sprain; beware of food, water, above all, of currents of air when he is
warm.
LESSON XV.
THE PIROUETTE, DEUX PISTES, PASSAGE.
In the _pirouette ordinaire_ of the French _manége_ the horse turns
upon one of his hind-legs, walking on the other three around it, just
as in the _pirouette renversée_ of Lesson XI. he turned upon one of
the fore-legs, around which he walked upon the other three; and now, as
then, the chief difficulty is to keep him from moving the leg which is
to serve as a pivot. The means for accomplishing this you have already
acquired, and a pressure of the heel on the one side, or of the crop
on the other, will prevent an intended movement of the croup, while
by the rein against the neck you move the forehand to the one side or
to the other. In wheeling to the left it is the left hind-foot, and
to the right the right hind-foot, which serves as a pivot. If your
horse is stiff and clumsy in this exercise it will probably be because
you have not got him together, with his hind-legs well under him, but
at best you will probably find him less supple on one side than the
other. Begin by moving the forehand but one step at a time, keeping
your horse calm, so that he may not wound one foot with the other,
holding your own person motionless, and gradually accustoming him to
slight and delicate effects of hand, heel, and whip, so that he may to
a by-stander appear to move of his own volition.
[Illustration: ORDINARY PIROUETTE.]
The _piste_ (literally “trail” or “track”) in the French _manége_ is
an imaginary circle lying three feet distant from the wall; which
imaginary line, however, becomes in practice a well-defined path, which
the horse soon learns to follow with little guidance from his rider. To
go, then, “on two _pistes_” is to cause the horse to advance with his
body placed obliquely, so that the hind-feet move on a different line
from the fore-feet. In the cut the horse is shown directly across the
_piste_.
[Illustration: GOING ON “DEUX PISTES.”]
The _passage_ is a side movement without advancing. By it the cavalry
close up their ranks, and to a civilian it is useful in many ways. Both
of these movements you are now able to execute at pleasure.
[Illustration: THE PASSAGE.]
LESSON XVI.
BACKING.
This lesson has been deferred thus far because, while it is one of the
most practically and frequently useful, yet it is also the method which
the horse naturally takes to escape from the unwonted constraint put
upon the muscles of his neck and jaw in the course of the preceding
lessons. You have had, therefore, to be on your guard hitherto against
it; and had you taught it earlier you would have found your horse
cunning enough to pretend to believe every play of the bit to be a
signal to step back, and thus protract the instruction.
Having, then, got your horse, as usual, well in hand, lean back and
give a pull on the reins. If he steps back, well; if not, touch him
with the heel or tap his side with the crop, and when he lifts his foot
to step forward repeat the pull on the reins, when the foot will be
replaced farther back; then pat and praise him, and persevere until he
will, at each tug of the reins, move backward one step and no more.
Should he swerve to right or left, straighten him by a tap or pressure
of the crop on his right side, or by the pressure of the heel on the
left, as the case may require.
[Illustration: BACKING.]
Your horse having learned to obey the pressure of the rein upon the
neck, you may now, if you choose, adopt another method of holding the
reins. It differs from that described in Lesson XIII. in that the two
snaffle reins, instead of being separated by three fingers, have only
one--the middle finger--between them; while the curb-reins, instead of
coming into the hand between the snaffle-reins, come in below, having
the little finger inserted between them.
[Illustration: REINS IN HAND.]
This method, though formerly the one usually taught, being that adopted
by the English cavalry, has not, on the whole, as many advantages as
the other for a civilian.
[Illustration: ACT OF CHANGING REINS.]
If you have occasion to use the left hand, or wish to rest it, change
the reins into the right hand by placing the right, still holding the
whip, over and in front of the left, both palms downward, inserting
the right fore-finger between the reins separated by the left little
finger, and so on, then grasping all together with the whip, and
allowing the ends to pass out to the right.
This does not disarrange the reins, but makes it possible for you to
take them back into the left hand in an instant by passing the left
hand in like manner over the right.
LESSON XVII.
RIDING IN CIRCLES.--CHANGE OF LEADING FOOT.
You are now prepared to practise with profit a simple exercise, which
you will find interesting to yourself, and, if carefully done, very
improving to your horse. It is the riding in circles of small diameter.
Mark out a number of rings of various sizes in some pasture-field with
white pebbles or beans or small scraps of white paper, which may be
scattered at intervals of two or three feet, so that the figures may
not be remarked by the horse, but that he may receive his instruction
from you only. Let the circles touch one another, so that you may
change from one into the other, and thus turn to the right and left
alternately. Begin at a walk, then proceed to a trot, practising first
on the large circles, and then taking the smaller ones. Keep your
horse “light in hand,” and do not let him place his body across the
line, but make him follow it accurately, with his neck and body bent
around to the curve which it describes. When he is perfect in this
exercise on level ground, move to some hill-side and begin again. When
he can do figure 8’s of a small size accurately at a smart trot on a
pretty steep slope, you may congratulate your self on having made good
progress, and may begin to do the large circles on level ground at a
canter. Here comes in the troublesome matter of the “leading foot,”
and if you do not understand it, you must not be discouraged, for many
persons ride “hit or miss” their whole lives long without thinking or
knowing anything about it. The expression, besides, is misleading, and
you will do well to study up the subject first on straight lines. Get
a friend to canter beside you, and observe the motion of his horse’s
feet. You will see that the two fore-feet and the two hind-feet strike
the ground not only one later than the other, but one in advance of the
other, and that the one which leaves the ground last steps past the
other and is planted farthest forward. It is this foot taking the long
stride which is called, although it moves last, the “leading foot.”
[Illustration: LEADING WITH THE RIGHT FORE-FOOT.]
It ought not to make any difference to the horse with which foot he
leads, nor to his rider, if a man, so long as he follows a straight
line; but whenever he has to turn, it becomes both to horse and rider
of importance--if the curve is sharp, of very great importance--that he
should lead on the side towards which he is to turn.
A little observation of your companion’s horse when turning will make
the reason clear to you. A woman’s seat being on the left side of the
horse, it is easier for her that the shoulder having the most motion
should be on the right side, and ladies’ saddle-horses are consequently
trained to lead with the right foot; the result, we may remark, often
being that the fore-foot which does most work gives out before the
others.
[Illustration: LEADING WITH THE LEFT FORE-FOOT.]
The horse so trained, however, is in this way always ready to wheel
to the right; but when he turns to the left, whether carrying man or
woman, he must change and lead with the left foot; and if he has not
sense enough to do so himself, you must teach him.
This, really, is not an easy task for an amateur, especially for
the amateur feminine, who has not the efficient masculine resource
of a pair of spurred heels. Even with their aid a man is often so
embarrassed to make his horse comprehend that he gives up the attempt,
and contents himself with “slowing down” before turning, his failure
usually resulting from the insufficient previous training of the horse,
coupled with his own ignorance of the successive short steps by which
the latter may be led up to the performance of the wished-for act.
If you have been exact in the instruction hitherto given--if your
bitting has been so thorough that your horse remains “light in hand”
during all the manœuvres described in the foregoing lessons; if he
responds instantly to the pressure of the rein upon the neck, and to
the touch of the heel and of the whip upon the flank, so that you can
move the forehand and the croup separately or at the same time in the
same or in opposite directions; if he will rise from a walk into a
canter without trotting; and if, finally, your drilling in the flexions
of the neck permits you to bend his head to right or left when at rest
or in motion without affecting the position of the forehand--then your
horse is thoroughly prepared for the present lesson; and the same tact
and patience which have brought you on thus far will assuredly carry
you triumphantly through it.
First, however, you should learn to tell with which foot you are
leading, and you can do so by leaning forward in the saddle while
cantering, when you will see that the knee of the leading leg is thrown
up higher than its fellow, and by bending still farther you may see
this foot planted in advance upon the ground. If your horse has never
been trained, it is as likely to be one foot as the other. Now, the
first step to be taken is to put your horse in such a position that it
will be easy and natural for him to lead off with the desired foot,
and awkward to lead off with the other. This position is with the head
turned in the direction you wish to go, and with the croup advanced
a little in the same direction, so that the body is placed obliquely
across the line of advance. Thus, if you wish to lead with the right
foot, you keep his head turned in the direction you wish to go, while
with the heel you move the croup over two steps to the right; then,
touching him with the heel and raising the hand, you give the signal to
canter, and he will probably lead off with the right foot. If not, stop
him and try again, giving him a sharp cut with your whip just behind
the right shoulder. To lead with the left the process is reversed, the
croup being moved two steps to the left before the signal to canter is
given, a sudden dig with the heel behind the shoulder conveying to
the horse the hint to hurry forward his left leg. You can now begin
to canter on the circles you have marked out; you will, however,
at first come down to a walk before changing from one circle to an
adjoining one--which change, of course, reverses the curve, and makes
it necessary to change the leading foot.
This figure eight riding, thus, ∞, is most useful both for horse and
rider when it is carefully done. Keep the horse “light in hand,” and
above all, _collected_--_viz._, with his haunches well under him, and
always with his feet exactly in the circle and his neck and body bent
to the curve. As soon as he will lead off correctly from a walk, begin
to teach him to do so from the trot; and when this lesson has been
learned, practise him on the double circles, or figure 8’s, beginning
at a trot, and lifting him into a canter just as you pass from one
circle to the other. This will accustom him to the idea of a change
of movement at the time of a change in direction. Having got him to
canter, continue on the same circle many times around and around, then
bring him to a trot, and pass to the adjoining circle, lifting him to a
canter just as you turn into it, as before, but of course leading with
the opposite foot. Make your circles smaller and smaller, and continue
till he has had time to appreciate the importance of leading correctly;
then try to make him change at a canter, choosing for the purpose one
of your smallest figure 8’s, and indicating to him the change of foot
on the same spot and in the same way as when you began by trotting, and
you will no doubt be immediately successful.
If the horse in changing the lead of the fore-feet does not make the
corresponding change with the hind-feet, he is said to be _disunited_.
This fault must be corrected immediately, as it renders his gait not
only uncomfortable to the rider, but very insecure.