THE BENDING AND CANTERING LESSON.
According to the ordinary acceptation of the term, a horse is supposed
"to bend well" when he arches his neck, yields to the bit, and uses his
knees and hocks freely. This alone by no means conveys an adequate idea,
however, of what is meant by bending a horse in the scientific sense.
The "Military Aid Book" supplies the following question and answer,
which gives in a very concise form a better notion of the matter.
Question: What is the use of the "bending lesson"?--Answer: To make the
horse supple in the _neck_ and _ribs_, to give free action to his
shoulder, and teach him to obey the pressure of the leg.
It will be seen, then, that "bending a horse" really means rendering him
supple in every portion of his frame, and especially in his ribs and
intercostal muscles, as it is suppleness in that part that gives him the
lithe, easy motions so pleasant to the rider.
I have before observed that I do not consider an intimate knowledge of
the "haut ecole de manege" indispensable for ordinary riding purposes,
either for a lady or gentleman. But, although the "bending lesson"
thoroughly carried out may be said to be the very gist of "_haut ecole_
riding," even in its _simple form_, unaccompanied by the higher aids, it
is of great service in rendering a horse docile and obedient to hand and
leg, and for that purpose is always resorted to in our schools of
military equitation.
Now, although I do not expect every lady to acquire the art of suppling
her own horses, still a knowledge of the "bending lesson" will make her
thoroughly acquainted with the reasons why a horse renders ready
obedience to her aids of hand and leg; and, on the contrary, why he
resists them.
Stiffness (as it is technically termed) has more to do with what is
commonly called restiveness than most people imagine. A horse is asked
to do something that calls upon him to bend or supple a joint in which,
even in early youth, he is still far from supple. He cannot do it. The
rider perseveres, and the horse resists. Whereas, when he is thoroughly
suppled, he does not know how to disobey his rider (supposing the latter
to know what he is about). If a lady, therefore, will pay close
attention to the instruction of her master, she will discover that her
horse will obey her more readily, and move with more ease to himself and
her, when she applies her aids "smoothly" (without which the bending
lesson cannot be done), than by the application of sudden or violent
indications of her will. For it must be borne in mind that a double
bridle is an instrument of great power in a horse's mouth, and that what
may seem light handling to the uninitiated rider may be rough to the
horse. A fair amount of practice, therefore, in the above-named exercise
will have the effect of rendering a lady's hands remarkably true and
steady; and, although the lesson may be a little trying to the patience,
the pupil will find her reward in increased confidence and proficiency.
For all practical purposes the "bending lesson" proper may be divided
into two sections, namely, the "passage" and the "shoulder in," all
other movements of the lesson being simply variations from the above
named. The "half passage" may be looked upon as an introduction to the
"full passage," but admits of being practised with facility at an
increased pace at the trot or canter, and at the latter is a very
elegant exercise. To begin with the "shoulder in." Let us suppose a
horse standing parallel to the boards at the side of the school. To
place him in the desired position it is necessary to bring his forehand
in, so that his fore and hind legs are placed upon two lines, parallel
to each other and to the boards, and then to bend his head inwards at
the poll of the neck. No more correct idea, I believe, can be conveyed
of the position than that given in the "Aid Book," which furnishes the
following answer to the question, How should a horse be placed in
"shoulder in"? "Ans.: When a horse is properly bent in 'shoulder in,'
the whole body from head to croup is curved; the shoulders leading, fore
and hind feet moving on two lines parallel to each other, hind feet one
yard from the boards."
Again. "Q. What are the aids for working this lesson?--A. On the word
'right or left shoulder in,' the horse's forehand is brought in by a
double feeling of the inward rein, the outward leg closed, so as to
bring the horse's hind feet one yard from the boards."
The outward rein leads, the inward preserves the bend; a pressure of the
inward leg (of the rider) compels the horse to cross his legs; the
outward leg keeps him up to the hand and prevents him from swerving. The
horse should be well bent in the pole of the neck, and well kept up to
the hand with the outward leg, the shoulders always leading.
It will be seen from the above that the rider compels, or rather
_coaxes_, the horse, by very firm and steady aids, to move with his
forehand well up, and his whole figure bent (neck and ribs), with his
feet moving on two distinct parallel lines--the effect being to call
upon every important joint, and thoroughly to supple the ligaments and
tendons, as well as to create muscular development, in a way similar to
that of gymnastic or extension exercises in the human being. With young
horses in training it is necessary to watch this lesson very carefully,
and never to "ask too much" at one time, because any forcing of it would
certainly result in restiveness; the strain, even with naturally supple
horses, is considerable, and must not be persevered with one moment
after it is evidently painful. Of course, in the case of a lady
practising the lesson, it must be done upon a horse that has gone
through a long course of teaching, and to whom, therefore, the movements
cause no inconvenience. But even here the pupil will find that she must
use her hand and leg with firmness, steadiness, and decision, without
hurry or impatience, or the horse will not answer to her.
The movement must be executed very slowly, and at first only by a few
steps at a time, because, however _au fait_ at his work the horse may
be, the pupil will find considerable difficulty in continuing to apply
the aids.
In working the "shoulder in" to the right, it is necessary for the
master, after putting the horse and rider in true position, to place
himself on the horse's off side, when he should give the word, "Right
shoulder in--march!" The lady then, firmly closing her left leg to keep
the horse up to the hand, should keep her right hand well back and low
down close to the saddle, lead the horse off with the left rein, and
close her whip to his ribs on the off side, just behind the flap of the
saddle.
If the horse has been accustomed to work the lesson, with a lady he will
obey these aids. But in some cases it is necessary for the master (to
supply the absence of the right leg of a man to the horse), to push
firmly with his left hand against the horse's ribs to move him off. The
rider, while leading the horse off with the left rein, should keep up a
continual, light easy play of the right rein, so as to preserve the bend
inwards. The instructor should count "one, two," in very slow time, as
the horse moves first his fore and then his hind leg. After a few steps
onward the horse should be halted, by the rider feeling both reins, and
closing the whip firmly on the off side. He should then be made much of
and moved on again. A quarter of an hour is ample for the first lesson.
After the pupil understands and can apply the aids for the "shoulder in"
(riding on the snaffle), she maybe taught to do it on snaffle and curb
together, and then on the curb alone, when she will find the nicest
balance in her seat and the most careful and delicate manipulations of
the reins necessary--joined, however, to distinct and perceptible
feeling upon the horse's mouth. And on moving her horse forward she will
find that her hand is true and steady.
The "shoulder in" having been neatly done, the lady should rein her
horse lightly back and ride him forward, _making the corner_ of the
school quite square, and then halt at the centre marker. On the word
"right half passage," she should turn the horse's head square down the
centre of the school, and exactly reverse the aids by which she worked
the "shoulder in"; that is, she should lead the horse off with the right
or inward rein, well balancing and assisting its power by the outward
one; with her leg she should press the horse until he places one foot
before the other, gaining ground to his front, and obliquely to his
right at the same time, until he arrives at the boards, when he will
completely have changed the hand he was working to, and at a canter
would, if necessary, be called upon to strike off with the left leg
instead of the right.
After executing the "half passage" correctly, the pupil may practice the
"full passage," the difference between which and the "shoulder in" is
again concisely explained in the "Aid Book."
"Q. What is the difference between the 'passage' and 'shoulder in'?--A.
In the passage the horse bends and looks the way he is going. The
outward are crossing over the inward legs, and the inward rein leads. In
the 'shoulder in' the horse does not look the way he is going. The
inward are crossing over the outward legs, and the outward rein leads."
"Q. What is the difference between the full and half passage?--A. In the
'full passage' the horse crosses his legs. In the 'half passage' he only
half crosses them, placing one foot before the other."
The pupil will find the passage much more easy to execute than the
"shoulder in," though, I repeat, no horse would do the former up to the
hand as he ought to do unless he has been well drilled in the latter.
The greatest care on the part of both master and pupil is indispensable
to carry out this lesson. The slightest inadvertence or false movement
is at once answered on the part of the horse by his taking advantage of
it and putting himself in a wrong position, whereas if he is carefully
ridden, and kept well up to the hand, the subsequent cantering lesson
will be much more easy to perform.
It must be clearly understood, however, that for a lady to attempt to
execute the "bending lesson" by written directions alone, and unaided by
the vigilant superintendence and oral instruction of a first-rate master
would be a mistake. Clear and concise as the language of the "Aid Book"
is, it is impossible for any man writing such directions to indicate the
precise moment at which each movement of hand and leg is to be made, any
more than the man who writes the score in music can regulate the hand of
the instrumental executant of it. There must be energy, patience, and
close attention on the part of the pupil; vigilance, patience, temper,
and thorough knowledge of his craft on the part of the instructor.
Master and pupil thus in accord, the latter will derive great advantage
and insight into the elegant accomplishment she is endeavouring to
acquire, while anything like carelessness on either side will be fatal
to the utility of the lesson. It should be thoroughly well done or not
at all.
After the careful execution of the above lesson, the pupil should
prepare her horse for cantering by reigning him back lightly on his
haunches; touching him if necessary smartly with her whip, in order to
put him well up to his work. A step or two back (_well up to the
bridle_) is sufficient, when she should move forward, and the instructor
should give her the aids for cantering; which (once more to quote the
simple language of the "Aid Book") are as follows: "A light firm feeling
of _both_ reins to raise the horse's forehand, a pressure of both legs
to keep his haunches under him, a double feeling of the inward rein, and
a stronger pressure of the outward leg, will compel the horse to strike
off true and united."
The above of course is intended as instruction to a man; but
substituting a light tap of the whip on the off shoulder for the
pressure of the inward leg of the man, and very light for strong aids,
the instruction holds good in the case of the lady.
Now, I have observed before that a horse to be thoroughly broken to
carry a woman should be taught to answer to very light aids, and
require, in fact, very little leg in order to understand and answer to
the indications of his rider's will. If this has been properly carried
out the lady will have no difficulty in striking her horse off to the
right, _true and united_, which means in cantering to the right (as
nearly every hack and lady's horse does) with the off fore, followed by
the off hind leg.
A charger or "high _manege_" horse--which must use either leg with equal
facility, and go to the left as well as the right--in cantering to the
former hand will go with the near fore, followed by the near hind, and
be still "true and united" in his pace. When he goes with the near
fore, followed by the off hind, or _vice versa_, he is "disunited."
A point of vital importance to be looked to by the master is that his
pupil at her first attempt at cantering her horse is perfectly cool and
self-possessed, and that she applies her aids _smoothly_, without hurry
or excitement, for so great is the sympathy of the horse in this
respect, that flurry on the part of the rider is sure to cause
passionate, excited action in the horse. The manner of the master has
much to do with this; while it should be such as to keep his pupil and
her horse _vif_ and on their metal, he should be careful not to crowd
the former with too much instruction at once. Her position should be
corrected before she is allowed to strike her horse off. Care should be
taken that her arms are firm, and hands well back. The waist should be
bent slightly forward, which will give it more suppleness. She should
have a firm grip of the upper crutches, both heels well down, and at her
first effort she should ride equally upon the snaffle and curb reins. To
do this (assuming that she is riding with her bridle in military form),
it is only necessary that she should draw up the slack of the near-side
snaffle rein with her right hand until it is level with and under the
near-side curb rein; then carry the snaffle rein thus shortened over the
middle joint of the forefinger of the left hand, and shut the thumb
firmly on them. She can then place the slack of the off-side snaffle
rein for a moment under the left thumb, while she places the rein
between the third and little finger of the right hand, brings the rein
through the full of the hand over the middle joint of the forefinger,
and closes the thumb firmly on it. The whip should be held in the full
of the hand, the point downwards.
With her hands and figure in the above-named form, the lightest
application of the aids ought to strike her horse off "true and united;"
but if by any chance he takes off with the wrong leg or "disunited," as
may sometimes happen with the best broken horse, from a little
over-eagerness or anxiety on the part of the pupil, or a little
unsteadiness of hand, the master should cause her to bring her horse
again to the walk, and reassure her--taking care, however, on these
occasions that she never "makes much of" or caresses her horse, which
would tend to confirm him in a bad habit, but reins him back, and again
puts him up to his bridle.
It is a rare occurrence when a horse (thoroughly well-broken) strikes
off incorrectly; but I am endeavouring to write for every contingency.
Assuming the horse to have struck off smoothly to the instructor's word
_Ca-a-n-te-r_--which should be given in a quiet, soothing tone of voice,
and drawn out as if every letter were a syllable--the horse should be
allowed to canter freely forward, although without rush or hurry. The
pace should not be too collected at first; the military pace of
manoeuvre is about the correct thing; eight miles an hour or
thereabouts; the cadence true; the horse well ridden into his bridle,
and in this case _yielding to the bit_--because, in cantering, it is
necessary to have an _appui_ upon the mouth, quite different from that
to be maintained in trotting, in which it is best for the lady that the
horse should feel her hand fairly and firmly, and that there should be
little "give-and-take" action of the latter. In cantering, on the other
hand, an easy give-and-take play of the hands is indispensable, to cause
the horse to bend in the poll of his neck, yield to the hand, and go in
true form. By this time the pupil should have acquired sufficient
firmness and _aplomb_ in the saddle to justify the instructor in
commencing to impart to her that mobile action and flexibility of the
upper arm at the shoulder joint, which may be regarded as the artistic
finishing of her course of equitation. But it will not do to commence
this (so goes my experience) at the outset of the cantering lesson,
wherein at first it is best to insist upon firmness of the arms,
otherwise the pupil is most likely (imperceptibly to herself) to allow
her hands to glide forward, and thus destroy the flexibility of her
waist, which is a point always to be most carefully watched. It is
possible that at first the figure of the pupil, from over-anxiety to
maintain her position and ride her horse correctly at the same time, may
be somewhat rigid; but complete flexibility cannot be expected at once.
It must be remembered that, although the action of cantering in a horse
is much easier than trotting, still it is novel to the rider, who
moreover has to keep her horse up to his work.
It is not the case of putting a young lady upon an old tittuping hack
that can do little else than canter along behind the bridle and "drag
his toe" at a walk. A horse that has any action or quality in him, and
has been taught to trot up to his bridle, requires "asking" to canter,
and in the early efforts of the pupil requires keeping to his work a
little after he has struck off in his canter, otherwise he will drop
into a trot again. Such a horse, however, is the only one upon which to
teach a lady to ride. The easy-going old hack above alluded to is fit
only for an invalid to take the air on. At the same time it is asking a
good deal from the pupil in her early cantering lessons to keep her
horse up to his work, and to maintain her own position correctly; and if
she exhibits a little stiffness or formality (if I may use the
expression) at first, it may fairly be passed over until increased
confidence permits the master to give his attention to what I may
perhaps call the "unbending" of his pupil. After a few days' cantering
as above described, the lady may begin to collect her horse; and by this
time also she should be fitted with a spur, of which the best I know is
Latchford's patent. An opening in the skirt on the inside is necessary.
The shank of the spur should not be too short, otherwise it is very apt
to cut holes in the habit. The pupil, when the spur is first fitted on,
should be cautioned to keep her left toe as near the horse's side as the
heel, in order to avoid hitting him when he does not require it; and,
indeed, the wearing of the steel aid is in itself a good exercise as to
the true position of the left leg, while the blunt head of a Latchford
(when not pressed hard to the horse's side) does away with any danger.
The use of the spur in a lady's riding is objected to by some; but I
cannot consider any rider (man or woman) worthy of the name who cannot
use one and be safe enough in the saddle at the same time. One objection
to spurs for ladies is, that they are apt to do all sorts of mischief in
the event of the lady being thrown from her horse. Now, the latter is a
contingency which (except in the hunting field) I do not admit as
possible, if the lady has men about her who know their business in the
horse way. If she has not such people about her, she is better without
spurs decidedly; and there is another thing she is better without,
namely, a horse of any sort.
If a horse is properly broken, and has a man about him who will give him
plenty of work, and keep him from getting above himself, and his fair
owner has been as well taught as her horse, she ought to be as safe on
his back as in her brougham, in any kind of riding, except in
exceptional cases in the hunting field. By exceptional cases I mean
where a lady, unaccompanied by a good pilot, takes a line of her own
when hounds are going fast in a big grass country, and rides (jealous of
the field) at impracticable places. In such case she is likely enough to
get down, horse and all. But even so--and I have witnessed more than one
such accident--I have never found that the lady got hurt by the spur
when she wore the sort I allude to; and again, I think it is only just
to that clever loriner, Mr. Latchford, to say that he has invented a
lady's stirrup which renders danger from it in the event of a fall next
to impossible--certainly she cannot be dragged by it. In this stirrup
there is no opening at the side by means of springs or complicated
machinery of any sort. It requires neither diagram or drawing to
describe it, because it is the perfection of mechanism--extreme
simplicity. One has only to imagine an ordinary stirrup, rather
elongated than usual from the opening for the leather, the bottom bar
broad and flat; the latter perforated with two holes. Within the
above-named stirrup another, a size smaller, but fitting nicely into it.
On the lower side of the bottom bar of the inner stirrup two
projections, or obtuse points of steel, which fit into the holes of the
lower bar of the outer stirrup. Now, as long as the lady is in her
saddle the inner stirrup must, from its mechanism, remain in its place;
but in the event of her being thrown her weight acts upon the lower part
of the outer stirrup, which turns over and releases the inner stirrup
entirely.
To return, however, to the question proper of spurs for a lady, I must
say that they are of the greatest assistance to her when, having
acquired the necessary degree of steadiness on her horse, she desires to
"wake him up." Too much whip is a bad thing. In riding in the country a
lady must perforce have to open a bridle gate sometimes for herself,
and if she is always using a whip to liven her horse up, she will
find it difficult to get him to stand still, even while she opens the
lightest of gates. As regards the pupil in the school, I repeat she
should be habituated to wear a spur as soon as her progress justifies
it.