HINTS ON RIDING
If you have occasion to ride for any considerable distance, and
particularly if the weather is hot, bear in mind that the weight of the
rider and saddle on his back for a long period of time tires the horse
quite as much as forcing him beyond his gait. It is better, therefore,
to keep a horse at a sharp walk or, if you are trotting, at a sharp
trot, so as to cover the ground and then to rest him at intervals for
ten or fifteen minutes, than it is to keep going for the whole time at a
slow walk or trot. When you rest your horse be sure to loosen the
girths, and, if you have far to go, it is better to take the saddle off
entirely and let the horse roll if he wants to, as few things refresh
him as much.
It is equally important not to force a horse under saddle beyond his
gait; find out his natural fast gait and keep him at it and neither
force him beyond it nor let him lag.
If you have a nervous or high-spirited horse who wants to go, it is far
better to let him go in moderation than to be constantly holding him
back, as that worries and fatigues him and, in the meantime, you are
not covering the distance. So, if you are riding in company and your
horse is the more spirited of the two, you will find it easier for your
horse to let him keep about one-half a head in advance of the other,
for, if you keep him level or hold him back, he will be fretting all the
time and tire both himself and his rider.
In riding, even for a short distance, it is most advisable to start and
finish your ride at a walk, following the old maxim, “Walk the first
mile out and the last mile in.” At the beginning of a ride a horse needs
to get going a bit in order to be limbered up and catch his wind. So, if
you start off, as many do, at a fast trot or a canter, the horse will
soon be winded and the rest of your ride will be spoiled. If you start
him slowly, he will warm up to his work and you will have the best part
of the ride where it should be--toward the end and not at the beginning.
When you bring your horse home he should be well cooled off before he
arrives, that he may not take a chill. By bringing your horse home in
this condition, you save your groom a vast amount of work, and work
which only the most conscientious grooms can be depended upon to do;
that is, to cool the horse off properly before he is stabled or fed.
With regard to the gait at which you should ride, it is, of course,
impossible to lay down any rule, so much depends upon the rider, the
horse, the length of the ride, the season of year, etc., but one point
should be constantly kept in mind, and that is, unless you are riding a
trained hunter, to go down all hills that amount to anything at a walk.
If you have to go down faster than a walk, a horse is much less likely
to stumble going downhill at the canter than at the trot. It is also
easier both for the rider and horse to go uphill at the canter than at
the trot; though, of course, if the hill is a long one, it is better to
walk it. In going uphill, always give a horse his head, and, in going
downhill, keep him well in hand and ride him on the snaffle so that you
may be able to pick him up the moment he stumbles.
In riding at night, when it is too dark for you to see the road, let
your horse pick his own way, as a horse sees very much better in the
dark than a person.
If you are riding through a strange country and lose your way, give him
his head and he will find the way home. Horses have an exceptionally
well developed sense of locality and can nearly always be trusted to
find their way home by instinct.
In these days of automobiles, it is important to follow the rule of the
road and always keep to the right.
If you have occasion to dismount and lead your horse, by far the best
way to hold him is, standing on the near side, to take the two curb
reins in the right hand, separated by the forefinger and passing through
the body of the hand where they are firmly held, keeping the hand about
two or three inches from the bit. In this position you have the horse
under perfect control, and, when you are leading him with your hand in
this position, do not look at him or pay any attention to him and you
will find that he will follow. Whereas, if, as many do, you take only
one rein in hand along the horse’s neck and then speak to him, he will
either pull back or he may get away from you and you cannot stop him.
Approach your horse’s head from the side and not the front, and be sure
not to raise your hand or whip or do anything which might frighten him
or give him the idea that you were about to hit him on the head. Horses,
especially Western-bred horses, are very sensitive about their heads
and, if an attempt is made to grab the reins suddenly or violently, they
are almost sure to back away and very apt to rear.
If your horse limps and you are alone, or the person whom you are with
does not know what to do, you should immediately dismount and look at
the foot on which he is limping, to see if he has picked up a stone or
run a nail into his foot. In picking up a horse’s foot it is most
important to put yourself in a position where he cannot kick you. To do
this, approach the foot which is to be taken up from the front, face to
the rear, and grasp the horse’s fetlock with the hand nearest to him. If
he refuses to lift his foot, push his foot forward and, if necessary,
put your weight against his shoulder or stifle, so as to throw his
weight on the other leg. If you have not a hoof-pick about you, the best
way to dislodge a stone is to hammer it with another stone and, if you
are quiet and gentle with your horse, you probably will be able to
dislodge it without much trouble. If, however, you cannot dislodge it,
do not attempt to ride your horse while he has the stone in his foot,
but lead him until you get assistance. If your horse has run a nail in
his foot, you must immediately have it drawn out by some one who knows
his business, as it is not only very painful, but there is great danger
of lockjaw.
In regard to park hacks and long-tailed saddle horses, the only way to
solve the problem in this country of the two types, in horse shows, is
to divide the classes having long tails and short tails. At present in
horse shows in the saddle classes long-tailed and docked horses are
frequently entered in the same class, which makes it doubly difficult
for the judge, at times causing his decision to depend largely upon his
personal preference for long-tailed or docked horses. I would suggest,
therefore, that in all shows where the long-tailed and docked horses are
not divided into separate classes in advance, there should be an
informal division made before the judging, very much as is done with
respect to the championship classes, where the judges often are
permitted to divide the classes into horses above and below 15.2.
Every horsewoman should have at least a general knowledge of when and
with what to feed her horse. In general a horse should be fed three
times a day, and the allowance for the average horse is four quarts of
oats, at six in the morning, and as much hay as he will eat about an
hour later. At noon two quarts of oats and hay about an hour later, and
at night a bran mash composed of about two quarts of oats and an equal
mash of bran, well salted. A horse should never be watered after eating.
He should be watered about twenty minutes before his first morning meal
and may be watered about twenty minutes before each of his other meals.
There is no objection to watering him at other times, not after feeding,
and in hot weather it is advisable to water him frequently. When
watering a horse in the stable, he should be allowed to have as much as
he wants to drink, but the water should never be very cold. In winter
the chill should always be taken off the water before it is given to
the horse.
The above hours for feeding, except the hour for his breakfast, must,
however, be modified by the time when he comes in from work, as a horse
should always have a good rest and be thoroughly cooled off before he is
fed oats. He can eat hay when he is hot but never oats.
Many horses will require more than the above allowance and many others
less, and some horses require as much humoring about their food as a
nervous child.
If a horse is very thin and not working hard, one of the best ways to
fatten him is to give him light, steady work and mix molasses with his
feed. If, however, a horse is becoming poor in spite of taking all his
food, it is probably because his teeth are too long and need filing
down, as a horse with long teeth will never masticate or digest his food
properly.
With most horses, any food remaining in the manger after a meal should
be taken out and thrown away, as the sight of it is apt to disgust them
and put them off their feed.
A sweating horse should not be watered unless while on the road, in
which case it does him no harm to give him, from time to time, a drink
of not too cold water, but after each drink he should be walked for
five or ten minutes before taking up the trot or canter.
While on the road it is much safer not to let your horse eat any grass,
and if he does eat any, be sure not to trot him until he has had ample
time to digest it. On the other hand, when a horse is brought home and
is being cooled off by the groom, it refreshes him very much to be
allowed to nibble the grass.
It is very advisable, if you have land enough, to have a portion fenced
off as a paddock, even if you keep only one or two horses. When a horse
comes in tired, after a hard day, nothing refreshes him so much as to be
turned out without even a bridle, and allowed to roll as much as he
wants; and if horses are not being used it is better for them to be
turned out for a few hours in the paddock rather than to remain all day
in the stall. If you have a paddock, however, be sure that the fence is
high enough to prevent your horses jumping it, and be particularly
careful that the inside of the fence is smooth and that there are no
nails or barbed wire or anything that might injure the horse. There are
portable paddock fences to be had, which are easily put up and moved,
and they are very useful when you move your stable about from place to
place.
If you are fortunate enough to buy a thoroughly trained horse, the
difficult thing is to keep him so without spoiling him by over
indulgence on the one hand, or, on the other, by arousing his obstinacy
by fighting instead of controlling him. Quite as much tact and
forbearance are needed in the handling of horses as in handling
children. They should not be punished for trifling faults, nor should
grave faults be allowed to become habits.
Much can be done by caresses and the use of the voice. But in the
caressing be sure that the horse does not think that you are slapping
him. Most horses resent being slapped on the back quite as much as most
of your friends. In fact, all horses worth riding dislike anything that
will startle them, or any sudden shock.
It is easy to establish a sort of a private signal code with your horse,
which he will always understand. It is only necessary always to do the
same thing to bring about the same result. If you wish your horse to
move the part of the body in front of the saddle, the signal should be
by stroking him on the neck or shoulders, and if he is to move any part
of his body behind the saddle, he should be stroked or touched on the
quarters. If he obeys, continue stroking, but if he disobeys or
misunderstands, cease the caress. In time he will come to regard the
caress as a signal. For example, if you wish your horse to back, do not
stroke him on the neck, nor if you wish him to turn from one side to
the other should you stroke his quarters. Much more can be done with a
horse through kindness than through fear. Unbounded patience is needed,
and the individual peculiarities of each horse must be made the subject
of careful study. Some horses are intelligent while others are stupid,
and it is with the latter that good horsewomanship comes to the fore. A
stupid horse has to be led on step by step, and should only be taught
one lesson at a time and should master that before proceeding with the
next. When you are training your horse and he shows obstinacy, or
appears to be stupid, before starting to punish him or compelling him to
obey your will, be sure first that the cause of his obstinacy is not
some petty discomfort--such as an ill-fitting bit or a sore back, too
tight a girth, or indigestion. Nine times out of ten the reason for a
horse’s obstinacy is that he is uncomfortable or that his mind is
distracted by some petty annoyance. Furthermore, a horse when he is
fresh can seldom be taught anything. The best thing to do is to give him
thirty or forty minutes good straightaway work until he is calmed down,
and then you can command his attention. He will then go along without
gazing around or being distracted by every passing trifle, and all his
faculties will be at the command of his rider.
When riding in company remember there is a “riding courtesy.” You have
your comrade and your comrade’s horse to consider as well as yourself
and your own horse. The two horses should be kept going together, and on
the same gait as much as possible, so if your horse begins to urge
ahead, keep him back a trifle. There is nothing more annoying than the
“galloping friend” who will not take the trouble to control her mount,
and so makes the other horse nervous and unmanageable.
Never “cluck” to your horse, even when you are riding alone. It is a
very bad habit to acquire, and, when you are riding in company, the
other horse or horses are sure to hear you and to increase their gait
quite as much as you want your horse to increase his. You are supposed
to ride a trained horse, who will obey the signals from the reins, heel,
or whip, and if your horse does not know these signals he must be taught
them before you ride in company. Do not, however, under any
circumstances, flourish your whip or use it with such force that another
horse can hear it, for the effect will be quite as bad as clucking.
If your horse lays his ears back and bites at the other horse, do not
pull his head away, especially if you are up with the other horse, for
that will put him in a position where he can kick to great advantage.
Instead of pulling his head away, rein him back and keep his head
straight.
If you have occasion to raise your right hand to adjust your hat or
hair, be sure first to place the whip in the left hand, as otherwise
your horse or your comrade’s horse is very apt to be frightened by
seeing the whip flourished in the air.
A most important point to be remembered is that your horse should be
girthed before you mount him, and never after mounting--first, because
it is very dangerous to mount with the girths loose, for if the horse
should break away from the groom, or whoever is holding him, or even
swerve or buck suddenly, the saddle is almost sure to twist and there
may be a very bad accident; and, secondly, because girthing a horse
after the rider is mounted generally results in the girths being drawn
too tight, and too tight girths not only cause the horse great pain but
make him apt to stumble or lag in his gait and become unduly exhausted.
Tight girthing has very much the same effect on the horse as tight
lacing has on the rider.
If you have occasion to look to the rear, always turn your body toward
the right; not only is it much easier to look around in this way, but
you cannot turn to the left without raising your right knee more or
less, and you are apt to raise it so high that if the horse should
start suddenly you would lose your hold of the pommel.
[Illustration: SAFETY STIRRUP, OPEN]
[Illustration: SAFETY STIRRUP, CLOSED]
With the side-saddle, safety skirts and stirrups should always be used,
as with them a fall is very unlikely to injure the rider. With the plain
skirt a bad accident may be caused through the skirt catching on the
pommels, and with a plain stirrup there is great danger of being dragged
by the foot.
If the horse shies to the right, always remember to throw the weight to
the left; this keeps the legs tight in position which enables the rider
to maintain her balance; whereas, if you throw your weight to the right,
you lose the grip from the right knee and have no means of recovering
your balance, so that a fall is inevitable. Of course, if the horse
shies to the left you should throw your weight to the left for the same
reason. Owing to the very strong grip of the right knee over the pommel,
it is almost impossible for a woman to be thrown to the near or left
side of the horse; the only real danger is of being thrown to the right,
and, as there is nothing to stop a woman from falling on the off or
right side of the saddle, as there is on the left, it follows that,
toward whichever side the horse may shy, the only thing to do is, as I
have said, to throw the weight to the left.
When you feel yourself being thrown, especially if you have on a plain
skirt or have a plain stirrup, or both, be sure not to let go of the
reins, for in case you do not fall clear of the saddle, your one chance
for self-preservation is that in some measure you still have control of
the horse. If you keep hold of the reins you have a good chance of being
able to pull him in and keep him from running away, and you will save
yourself from being dragged and probably escape a very serious accident.
If a horse in the act of shying or balking succeeds in turning half-way
round with you, do not try to turn him back against the direction in
which he has shied, but, instead, pull him quickly and completely around
in the direction which he has taken. He will not attempt to resist you
and you will at once have him back in his original position and going
in the original direction.
If your horse rears, give him his head immediately and throw your weight
as far forward as possible. This will usually bring him down. If,
however, you feel that he is going over, remember that a horse when he
rears always falls to one side or the other. Therefore, as soon as you
find that he is bound to fall, pull his head with all your strength to
the right so as to make him lose his balance and fall on that side. The
chances are that you will not be hurt, whereas, if he falls to the left,
you are almost sure to have your legs caught beneath him and so be
seriously injured.
If your horse backs, give him his head and particularly be sure not to
have any pressure on the curb, as that keeps his head in. Sit close and
urge him forward with the left leg and touch him on his off quarter with
your whip. If you are wearing a spur, touch him lightly at first and
then as hard as may be necessary.
If your horse kicks or bucks, keep his head up by loosening the curb and
using the snaffle only. Sit close and put him in motion, but be careful
not to let the left leg go back, as this is apt to terrify him and make
him kick or buck all the harder. Very few horses will either kick or
buck when they are in motion, and, unless the horse is vicious and is
an habitual kicker or bucker, his kicking or bucking is usually caused
by freshness, and the best thing to do is to make him canter until he
has calmed down.
If your horse balks, by far the best thing to do is to distract his
attention or else let him stand quietly without offering him any
resistance. A horse has only one idea in his mind at a time, but that
idea is very fixed, so that if you strike a balking horse or resist him,
you will simply arouse all his obstinacy and he will balk all the worse.
The best way to distract his attention is to pet him and speak to him.
In the course of a short time he will tire of the balking and attempt to
start forward. If at this moment you keep him standing a bit longer he
will become possessed of the idea that he wants to go, and you will have
no more difficulty with him for the time being. Indeed, I have found
that this is by far the best way to break a horse of the habit of
balking.
When you are riding in company, an important thing for both your
companion and yourself to remember is that if your companion, whether
man or woman, is mounted on a slower horse than yours, and your horse
starts to run, the very worst thing that he can do is to try to catch
you. The noise and excitement which his horse produces will make your
horse run all the faster; his horse being slower, he will not be able
to catch you, and you will be almost sure to have a runaway. I have
known of many very serious accidents being caused through a man trying
to catch a girl’s horse when her horse was merely galloping a little too
fast. Unless your companion is a thoroughly experienced rider and has a
horse that he knows is faster than yours, he had much better rein his
horse in and give you a chance to control your own horse. It may also be
remarked that it is a very difficult thing to catch a runaway horse, and
any one who attempts it is taking a great risk, not so much for himself
as for the girl whose horse he is attempting to catch, while another
woman, if mounted on a side-saddle, would have the greatest difficulty
in bringing herself into position to catch your horse at all. If a woman
using the side-saddle has occasion to catch another’s horse, she should
be sure to keep the other horse on her near or left side. If the runaway
horse is on her right side, it is very difficult for her to catch him
without losing her balance. If you do have occasion to stop a runaway
horse, you should, if possible, have your horse at least a neck ahead of
him, so that you may be sure to catch his reins close by the bit when
you grab for them. If you attempt to catch the reins back of his neck,
it is very unlikely that you will be able to stop him, and you are much
more apt to cause a fall.