The frontispiece represents the stamp of horse best calculated to carry
a lady, and is a very truthful likeness of a five-year-old horse, named
Prince Arthur, a son of the celebrated racehorse Stockwell, his dam a
half-bred Arab mare.
The subject of the plate, therefore, has some of the very best English
blood in his veins, in conjunction with that Eastern strain from which
in all probability our magnificent British thoroughbreds derive a
considerable proportion of their power of endurance, or, in turf
phraseology, their staying quality.
The horse is a first-class hack, as good a performer over the great
Leicestershire pastures and formidable oxers which so often bar the way
in that sporting county, as he has already proved himself in the
_manege_; and, as he possesses, in addition to true and most elastic
action, fine temper and indomitable courage, I venture to present his
likeness as my type of the sort of animal adapted either for Rotten-row
or to hold his own in the "first flight" over a country.
A common error is that any weedy thoroughbred, too slow for racing, and
without the "timber" and substance to enable him to carry a 10-stone man
to hounds, is good enough for a lady's riding. There can be no greater
mistake. While quality and fashion are indispensable in a woman's horse,
strength and substance are equally necessary. As I have before observed,
the very conditions upon which the comfort and safety of a lady's riding
depend, leave her horse without that support in his action which he
would derive from the riding of a good man; while, however true the
balance of the lady may be, still the horse's powers are called upon in
a long ride, either on the flat or over the country, in a way which
tests him severely. There must therefore be plenty of wear and tear in
the right place--great strength in the loins, a back _not too short_,
aided by strong and well-arched back ribs, which are at the same time
not too closely locked up.
The Arab horse proper, despite his great capability of endurance, his
symmetrical contour and extraordinary sagacity, is still a trying mount
for a lady unaccustomed to him. With great power in his hind quarters
(as a rule), he is short in the back, low and short in front of the
saddle. The consequence is that from his powerful back action, he
pitches too much in his collected paces to ride pleasantly to a woman,
although when striding away at top speed he is easy enough.
On the other hand, the English horse that possesses length enough to
enable him to travel easily under the fair equestrian too often has the
length in the wrong place, and cannot stay--a defect fatal to enjoyable
riding for a lady, at all events in the hunting field.
It is to the admixture of Eastern and Western blood, therefore, that one
has to look for symmetry of topping conjoined to length in the right
place, power, and substance.
I now proceed to say a few words as to the "aids" to be employed to put
the horse in motion. In order to impress these thoroughly upon the
memory of the fair tyro, the preceptor should adopt a form of question
and answer to the following effect:
Q. What are the aids to make a horse walk?--A. A pressure of the leg to
his side, at the same time easing the hand.
Q. How is the hand to be eased?--A. From the wrist; the arm being kept
perfectly steady, and the little finger yielding towards the horse's
neck.
Q. How many lines of action should the little finger of the bridle hand
move on?--A. Four. First, towards the waist; second, towards the horse's
neck; third, towards the right shoulder; fourth, towards the left.
Q. What are the objects of these motions?--A. First, to collect, halt,
or rein back the horse. Second, to give him facility of moving forward.
Third, to turn him to the left. Fourth, to turn him to the right. The
upper part of the rider's figure to be slightly turned from the waist,
by bringing forward the right shoulder when turning to the left and
_vice versa_, in order to enable her to move exactly on the same line as
the horse, and so to preserve completely her due _aplomb_ or balance in
the saddle. The above, in a slightly modified form, is the instruction
laid down in the "Military Aid Book," as is the following.
Q. What is meant by a light hand?--A. An almost imperceptible easing and
feeling of the bridle hand, so as to preserve the natural delicacy of
the horse's mouth.
The foregoing, however, while it indicates correctly and concisely what
a light hand is, is scarcely explicit enough for a beginner. I believe
the best definition to be this: when a horse is "light in hand,"
according to the technical meaning, it should by no means be understood
that he has so delicate a mouth that he fears the action of the bit in
it. On the contrary, having in his breaking been fairly balanced, the
greater part of the weight on his haunches, and ridden well up to his
bridle, he should admit of a steady _appui_ between his mouth and the
rider's hand, while he bends in the poll of the neck.
Thoroughly balanced, and bending as above described, his mouth yields to
the action of the rider's hand, and is "light" in the true sense of the
principles of equitation.
A great deal of nonsense is talked about ladies' hands being so much
more light and delicate than those of a man. The truth is, that,
assuming both male and female rider to be equally practised in the
saddle, there is no difference whatever in the feeling or _appui_ given
by the horse.
Thoroughly habituated to obey certain indications conveyed to him
through the medium of the bridle reins and leg or other aid of the
rider, he will answer to them precisely in the same manner to a lady as
he would to a man; while, on the other hand, if these indications are
not given with well-defined clearness and precision, he will not answer
to anybody's riding.
There is a point, however, as regards the action of the hands, to which
I beg to call the particular attention both of young ladies commencing
their lessons in equitation and of gentlemen (non-professional) who may
undertake the task of teaching riding.
A great difference of opinion exists as to whether the action of the
bridle hand should be from the wrist only, or whether (spring like, if I
may use the expression) the "give and take" action should be conveyed by
the upper part of the arm being quite mobile at the shoulder joint and
in conjunction with the forearm, the latter kept, however, close to the
side, and moving easily and freely to the horse's action. The latter
theory is warmly advocated by many thoroughly experienced horsemen and
professors of female equitation, who maintain that to teach a young lady
to keep the arm firm to the side, in the manner adopted in the military
riding school, is not only to give her a rigid wooden appearance on her
horse, but also to destroy the proper flexibility of her figure.
On the other hand, some instructors--those especially who are veterans
of the cavalry _manege_--insist that firmness of the arm should in all
cases be rigidly demanded.
My experience induces me to come to a conclusion which is midway between
these opposing theories.
In the first lessons given to a lady on horseback it is well to insist
upon her keeping the arm steady, because otherwise she is ready not only
to yield her hand to every movement of the horse, be that yielding right
or wrong, but gradually and imperceptibly to herself her hands will
steal forward until they are eight or ten inches in front of her, the
consequence being that the muscles of the waist become rigid, and the
flexibility of her figure at its most important point, as regards
riding, is lost, while the hands remain in the awkward and ungainly
position I allude to.
For the above reason, therefore, it is desirable to inculcate firmness
of the lower part of the arm to the side in the early lessons; the hands
drawn back close to the waist. And, in order to make this form of riding
more easily comprehensible to the pupil at her first essay, the
following will be found highly effective:
Let the instructor stand in front of the horse, and taking the bridle
reins one in each hand, let him caution the pupil _not_ to yield to him
if he pulls against her. Let him then take a quick, sharp pull at the
reins in the same way as a horse would when trying to get his head free
from the rider's control. The master will find that, despite the
caution, both the pupil's hands will come forward at once; and if this
action on the bridle had been executed by the horse instead of his
master, the former would have gained his first step in having his own
way, and, for instance, from a collected canter could increase his pace
at his own will. Now, there is nothing more important in the action of
the hand in controlling the horse than firmness and instantaneous
decision in yielding or maintaining the _appui_.
"If" (say some theorists) "a horse pulls against you, drop your hand to
him." This is rather a vague expression, which, in fact, conveys no real
meaning to an inexperienced person; among horsemen it is intended to
convey that you should yield to the horse whenever he pulls or takes a
liberty with the hand. Now, the direct reverse of this is the course to
be adopted by all riders who wish to acquire good hands. When a horse
endeavours to forereach upon the rider, the latter, instead of yielding,
should close his hands firmly on the reins, and keep the arms perfectly
steady, _without pulling an ounce_ against the horse; at the same time
closing his leg with equal firmness. In the next stride or two the horse
will yield to the hand, which should instantly yield to him; and thus he
learns that you are master of him, and goes well together, or, as it is
technically called, collectedly and within himself; whereas if the hand
is freely yielded whenever he takes a liberty or romps for his head, in
a very brief time he will be all abroad, and going in any form but that
best for himself or his rider.
To ensure firmness and steadiness of the hands, however, equal firmness
and steadiness are requisite in the arms, and, for that reason, the
pupil should be taught to keep them close to the side; an additional
reason being that, if this is neglected, a beginner, as it were,
disconnects the figure from the waist upwards, and loses her true
balance. When the pupil has had sufficient practice to ensure steadiness
in the saddle, the injunction as to arms perfectly steady may be
relaxed; and gradually, while there is no lateral motion of the arm from
the side or sticking out of the elbows, the lady will learn to give easy
play to the shoulder joint without destroying the neatness of her
riding or her power to fix her arms for a moment if the horse tries to
get his head away. In short, my theory is that it is impossible for the
pupil to learn the true _appui_, or acquire what is usually called a
light hand, until she has acquired a steady one. It is easy enough to
tell her to "give and take" to the cadence of the horse's action; but
the precise moment at which to do this must be made clear to the learner
by some well defined and easily comprehensible rule. I submit that the
readiest way of defining it is that I have attempted in the foregoing.
Having carefully given the above instruction, see that the pupil is
sitting fair and true in the saddle, and be careful to correct any
tendency to throwing forward the right shoulder, which is both inelegant
and destructive of balance. See that the right knee is in a firm, but
still flexible form on the upper pannels. Caution the pupil while she
draws her figure well up from the waist to stretch the left heel well
down; and let her then, keeping her hands perfectly quiet, press the
horse forward into a walk with the leg, while she yields the little
finger from the wrist only. Let her make the horse walk freely out, but
up to his bridle, the whip being applied, if necessary, on the off
shoulder if he hangs back behind his work.
Nearly all young people, when first put on horseback, are anxious to be
off in a canter at once, and it is a sore trial to their patience to be
kept at a walk. But there can be no greater mistake than to allow them
to canter a horse until they have learnt the "alpha" of their
business--that important lesson, how to make a horse walk true and fair.
This accomplished, "going large" round school or paddock, the pupil
should be carefully instructed how to turn her horse square to the right
or left, and to rein him back. And in order to make the instruction as
clear and concise as possible, again, in a modified form, the "Book of
Aids" may be called upon. The formula there laid down, in the shape of
question and answer, is as follows:--
Q. How do you turn a horse to the right or left?--A. By a double feeling
of the inward rein, retaining a steady feeling of the outward. The horse
kept up to the hand by pressure of both legs. The outward by the
strongest. Now, as in the case of a lady, there is no right leg to
support the horse, in turning, he is liable to lean upon the hand; the
rider should close the left leg firmly, and touch him lightly on the
off-side with her whip, which will at once cause him to keep his
forehand up and his haunches under him. After being once or twice so
corrected he will turn carefully, without hurry or coming on his
shoulder.
The pupil should then be taught to turn her horse right and left about
in the centre of the _manege_, the aids being simply continued until the
animal faces the reverse way, the pupil turning her horse upon his
centre in the middle of the _manege_, instead of his haunches, as at the
side. Plenty of practice should be given in making these turns, because
by them the pupil learns to bring up the right or left shoulder
according to the hand turned to, the right shoulder in turning to the
left, and _vice versa_; and this should be most carefully attended to by
the master, otherwise the body of the pupil is moving on one line and
the horse on another, and in case of his flirting the pupil is already
half-way out of her saddle. Too much attention therefore cannot be given
to this vital point in the _aplomb_ for this obvious reason--if a lady
once acquires the habit (which unfortunately too many do) of allowing
the horse to turn without "going with him," it is quite on the cards
that some day a horse, a trifle too fresh, may jump round with her. If
the above principle of "going" with the horse has been thoroughly well
taught her in her early lessons she will have no difficulty in
accompanying the action of the horse, if she even fail in checking it;
but if she is permitted so to sit as to be looking over her horse's left
ear when she turns him to the right, she is leaving the question of her
seat entirely to the generosity of the steed. And it may be as well to
say at once that, with the best intentioned, broken, or mannered horse,
it may be laid down as a golden rule in riding to leave nothing to his
generosity. Horses are very keen in their perceptions, and can detect in
a manner little suspected by the inexperienced when they have one at a
disadvantage.
Reining back may be practised from time to time. To do this well, again
clearly defined instructions should be given. First the horse should be
halted. Thus: A light _firm_ feeling of both reins, to check his forward
movement; the leg closed tightly at the same time, to keep him up to the
hand; the reins to be eased as soon as the horse is halted. The aids for
reining back should then be explained as follows: Closing the hands
firmly on the reins, the rider should feel the horse's mouth as though
the reins were made of silken thread instead of leather, and close her
leg quietly to keep him up to the hand. There should be no dead pull at
the horse's mouth, but the reins should be eased at every step he takes
backwards, which, if the aids are smoothly and truly applied, he will do
without throwing his haunches either in or out. In the early lessons the
pupil should not be allowed to rein her horse back more than two or
three steps at a time. The use of reining back is to bring the greater
weight from the horse's forehand to his haunches, to collect him and
make him light in hand. (See "Aid Book.") It is also of great use in
assisting the pupil to correct her own _aplomb_ in the saddle, and
acquire a true _appui_ on the horse's mouth. Every movement of the hand
of the rider, however, and every step of the horse, should be carefully
watched by the instructor. The horse should never be allowed to _hurry_
back, as that will at once enable him to get behind his bridle.
These lessons at a walk, the turns to the right and left, turns about
and reining back, should be continued until the pupil executes them with
precision. Her position should be rigidly attended to, all stiffness
avoided, and nothing in the shape of careless sitting allowed to pass
unnoticed. I repeat, the early lessons should, if anything, be a little
overdone in the way of exactness, because any careless habit acquired at
such a stage is most difficult to get rid of afterwards. When the pupil
is thoroughly _au fait_ at her walking lesson, she should commence the
next important section, that, namely, of learning to trot, the formula
of which I will endeavour to explain in my next chapter, concluding this
with a description of the form in which a lady should dismount, and the
assistance that should be afforded by the master.
Having halted the horse in the centre of the school, his head should be
held by a steady groom. The lady should then pass the reins from the
right hand to the left, and quietly lift her skirt with the right hand
until she can easily disengage her right knee from the upper pommels. At
the same moment her left foot should be disengaged by the assistant from
the stirrup, and her skirt from the near-side pommel or third crutch.
The lady should then drop the reins on the horse's neck, and having
disengaged her right knee, turn quietly to the left in her saddle, and
face the assistant. She should then with both hands take up the slack of
her habit until her feet are quite clear of it, otherwise, on alighting
she is liable to trip and fall, possibly right into the arms of the
assistant, which is not, by any means, according to rule.
Having gathered up the skirt, the lady should then carry her hands
forward about eight or ten inches from her knees, and rest both her
hands firmly on those of the assistant, who should raise them up well
for the purpose. It remains only then for the lady to glide smoothly
down from the saddle, and, slightly supported by the assistant, she will
alight easily and gracefully on _terra firma_. Some riding masters have
a fashion of taking a lady off her horse by placing both hands on her
waist and allowing her to throw her weight forward upon them. Such a
practice is _outre_, inelegant, and unsafe, because the lady is likely
enough to throw more weight forward than the master anticipated, in
which case both may come to the ground, to the great discomfiture of the
fair equestrian.