EFFECT OF INDICATIONS.
Retaining, urging, and guiding indications.--To make the horse collect
himself.--Canter, right turn, right pass.--Left shoulder in.--Bearing
on the mouth.--The horse must be made to collect himself in
turning.--And should not be turned on one rein only.--Lady's
canter.--The quicker the pace, the greater degree of
collection.--French and English mistake here.--The shy horse.--The
restive horse.--Truth may be paradoxical.
[Sidenote: Retaining, urging, and guiding indications.]
There are three sorts of indications, retaining, urging, and guiding.
[Sidenote: To make the horse collect himself.]
The indications of the hands are of two sorts, guiding and retaining.
Those of the legs and whip are also of two sorts, guiding and urging.
Suppose a horse standing still with full liberty and fully extended. If
the retaining indication of the hands only are given, he will go
backward in a loose and extended form. If, on the contrary, the urging
indication of the legs or whip only are given, he will move forward in
a loose and extended form. If these two opposite indications (that is,
retaining and urging) be given equally at the same time, the horse will,
as it is termed, _collect_ himself; that is, being pulled backward, and
urged forward, at the same time, in obeying both indications a sort of
condensation of the horse results, he bends his neck and brings his head
in, and brings his haunches under him. If both indications are continued
and increased, the horse will _piaff_, that is, continue collected, in
motion, without progressing, or he will make the courbette or terre à
terre or rear. If both indications are discontinued, he will resume the
extended position of repose. If, again, from this position, both
indications are given, but the retaining the strongest, the horse will
go backward in a collected form. If both are given, but the urging
indication the strongest, he will move forward in a collected form, at a
walk, trot, or canter, according to the vivacity with which the
indications are given.
[Sidenote: Canter, right turn, right pass.]
As far as this is clear enough. But now come some niceties which I am
puzzled to explain. If the retaining and urging indications are given,
but the right rein is felt the strongest, which is the guiding
indication of the hand to the right, and the left leg is pressed the
strongest, which is the guiding indication of the leg to the right, the
horse should either turn to the right, or canter with the right leg, or
he should _pass_, that is, cross his legs and go sideways to the right,
bending and looking to the right. When the _same_ indications are given
it seems monstrous to require the horse to discover which of three
_different_ movements is required of him. In practice the skilful
horseman finds no difficulty in making himself clear to his horse, by
different modifications of the indications, and of the position of his
weight. In theory I can give no rules for it _short enough to be read_.
[Sidenote: Left shoulder in.]
When the horse is passing to the right, if the indications of the legs
are continued the same and those of hands reversed, that is, if the left
rein is felt stronger than the right, the horse changes from right pass
to "_left shoulder in_" (in towards the centre of the school) that is,
he continues to cross his legs and go sideways to the right, but he
bends and looks to the left. As the hands alone make this change, they
may be said to guide here. If, from the left shoulder in, the
indications of the hands are continued the same, and those of the legs
reversed, that is, if the right leg is pressed stronger than the left,
the horse changes from left shoulder in to left pass, that is, he
continues to look to the left, but crosses his legs and goes sideways to
the left. As the legs alone make this change they may be said to guide
here.
These are useful lessons, and, together with reining back, should be
taught to all horses and all horsemen. Tie a string from eye to eye of
the snaffle behind the horse's chin, hold his head by this against a
wall, and make him pass, the head leading, by showing him the whip. Make
him do the same mounted in obedience to the leg, with the snaffle as in
Fig. 13.
[Sidenote: Bearing on the mouth.]
When the horse is in movement there should be a constant touch, or
feeling, or play, or _bearing_ between his mouth and the rider's hands.
It is impossible to bestow too much pains and attention on the
acquirement of this. It is the index of the horse's actions, temper, and
_intentions_. It _forewarns_ the rider of what he is about to do, and by
it the rider feels _muscularly_ without mental attention whether his
horse requires more liberty or more collecting. And it is impossible
that in this bearing on the horse's mouth, or in the indications of the
hands and legs generally, or in shortening and lengthening the reins,
the rider can be too delicate, gradual, smooth, firm, and light. The
hands should be perfectly free from any approach to a jerk, a loose
rein, or uneven feeling on the mouth. The legs should be kept from any
action approaching to a kick, except when the spur is given; that should
be always present, and when used should be given smartly and withdrawn
instantly, but the pressure of the legs should be perfectly smooth and
gradual, though, if necessary, strong.
If good riding is worth your attention do not think these things beneath
your notice. For the acquirement of the bearing on the horse's mouth,
the turning your horse on the proper rein, smoothness of indications,
and, in shortening the reins, the power of making your horse collect
himself, and the working together of your hands and legs, are the unseen
and unappreciated foundation on which good riding stands. These, and not
strength or violence, command the horse. With these your horse will rely
on your hand, comply to it, and, without force on your part, he will
bend to your hand in every articulation. Without these, however
unintentionally on your part, you will be perpetually subjecting him to
the severest torture, to defend himself against which he will resist
your hand, poke his nose, and stiffen his neck, and every other part of
his body. The horse can endure no greater torture than that resulting
from an uneven hand. This is known to every hack-cabman. Every
hack-cabman has hourly experience that a _job_ in the mouth will compel
his jaded slave into a trot, when the solicitations of the whip have
been long unanswered.
The single case in which a jerk in the mouth is admissible is when your
horse is about to kick, and some one is within reach of his heels. The
jerk causes him to throw up his head, and he cannot without difficulty
raise his croupe at the same time. But except to save life or
limb--supposing no one within reach--hold your hands high, and pull
severely, but smoothly; do not jerk. This will in general be sufficient
to prevent his kicking, but it is better that your horse should
occasionally kick than that he should always go as stiff as a stake,
which is the inevitable result of jerking.
[Sidenote: Collect the horse to turn.]
[Sidenote: Do not turn on one rein only.]
To keep the horse when in movement to a collected pace, the opposite
indications of urging and retaining him must be continued. This working
together of the hands and legs and the power of making the horse collect
himself are also most essential in turning. A horse should never be
turned without being made to collect himself--without being retained by
the hands, and urged by the legs, as well as guided by both. That is, in
turning to the right both hands should retain him, and the right guide
him by being felt the strongest, both legs should urge him, and the left
guide him by being pressed the strongest. The rider should also lean
his weight to the right, and the shorter the turn and the quicker the
pace, the more the horse should be made to collect himself, and the more
both he and his rider should lean to the right. This is well seen, when
a man standing on the saddle gallops round the circus. There the man
must keep his position by balance alone, and were he not to lean
inward--were he for a moment to stand perpendicularly, he would be
thrown outside the circle by the centrifugal force. In turning suddenly
and at a quick pace to the right, unless the rider leans his weight to
the right, he will in like manner have a tendency to fall off on the
left. If, by clasping his legs, he prevents this, his horse will be
overbalanced to the left when turning to the right. It is bad, in
turning to the right, to run into the contrary extreme to the one-handed
system, and, slackening the left rein, to haul the horse's head round
with the right rein only. The horse's head should not be pulled farther
round than to allow the rider to see the right eye; both legs, and
particularly the left leg, should then urge the horse to follow the
guiding rein.
A lady, till very skilful, should ride with one bridle only at a time.
The other bridle should be knotted loosely, and should lie on the
horse's neck.
[Sidenote: Lady's canter.]
The indications for a lady's horse to canter are an _over_ collection
and a tapping on the mane with the whip; that is, take your reins _too_
short in the left hand, and tap the horse's mane till he canters. When
off, if the reins _are_ too short, take one in each hand, turn the fore
fingers towards you, and let the reins slip. If the horse goes freely up
to your hand, keep a rein in each hand. If not, return the right rein to
the left hand, and keep the whip ready to urge him up to his bit. If a
lady has her reins at full length at a walk she should clutch, cross,
canter. If the lady has her reins already crossed in the left hand at a
walk, she should by two changes place them _too_ short in the left hand
before she uses the whip.
[Sidenote: The quicker the pace the greater collection.]
[Sidenote: French and English mistake here.]
Every change of pace from slow to quick should be indicated to the horse
by a greater collection; the "bride abattué," and the "reines
flottantes" system is a great mistake. So is the direction to the
English cavalry (quoted p. 6), to advance the little finger to make the
horse advance. To make the horse advance the reins should be tightened;
he should be made to collect himself, or he will advance in a loose and
extended form.
On account of ease to the rider, a lady's horse is only permitted to
canter with the right leg. He should never be cantered circles to left,
or turned at a canter to the left, as unless the horse shifts his leg it
will be an unfair exertion to ask of him. Cantering circles to the
right, in open ground, where the horse has nothing to bias him but the
indications he receives from the rider, is an admirable practice for a
lady. An occasional race--who can canter slowest--is also good practice
both for horse and rider. This must not be often repeated, nor must the
horse be forced from a fair canter into a hobble or amble. Parade riders
are too apt to be contented with wooden paces provided they are short.
This is very vicious. Really to collect himself, a horse must _bend_
himself. We cannot too often repeat Ovid's line,--
_Flectitis_ aut freno _colla_ sequacis equi.
With horses obstinately addicted to the left leg, which is frequently a
result of being longed only to the left, it is a good plan to canter
them side-footed to the right, that is, on a level line, on the side of
a hill which rises to the right. In this case a very slight slope will
incline the horse to take his right leg, and on the side of a steep hill
he can scarcely avoid it.
[Sidenote: The shy horse.]
There are three gradations in riding the shy horse. A man who pulls his
horse's head towards what he expects him to shy at, and uses violence,
_makes_ his horse shy. A man who leaves his horse's head entirely loose,
_lets_ his horse shy. And a man who turns his horse's head from what he
expects him to shy at, _prevents_ his horse from shying. Do not imagine
that there will be any danger of the horse getting into trouble on the
side opposite to what he shies at: the very contrary will be the case.
If, indeed, you pull his head towards the object of his alarm, and
oblige him to face it, there is every probability that he will run
blindly backward from it. And while his whole attention is fixed before
him, he will go backward over Dover cliff if it chance to be behind him.
Under such circumstances you cannot too rapidly turn your horse's head
and his attention from the fancied, to the substantial ill. But on
common occasions the turning his head from what he shies at should be as
gradual and imperceptible as possible. No chastisement should be allowed
in any case. If he makes a start, you should endeavour not to make a
_return_ start. You should not, indeed, take more notice of a shy than
you can possibly avoid; and unless the horse has been previously
brutalised, and to re-assure him, you should not even caress him, lest
even that should make him suspect that something awful is about to
happen. The common error is the reverse of all this. The common error is
to pull the horse's head towards the object of his fear, and when he is
facing it, to begin with whip and spur. Expecting to be crammed under
the carriage-wheel, the horse probably rears or runs back into a ditch,
or at least becomes more nervous and more riotous at every carriage that
he meets. Horses are instantaneously made shy by this treatment, and as
instantaneously cured by the converse of it. It is thus that all bad
riders make all high-couraged horses shy, but none ever remain so in the
hands of a good horseman.
[Sidenote: The restive horse.]
There is a common error, both in theory and practice, with regard to the
restive horse. He is very apt to rear sideways against the nearest wall
or paling. It is the common error to suppose that he does so with the
view of rubbing his rider off. Do not give him credit for intellect
sufficient to generate such a scheme. It is that when there, the common
error is to pull his head _from_ the wall. This brings the rider's knee
in contact with the wall, consequently all farther chastisement ceases;
for were the rider to make his horse plunge, his knee would be crushed
against the wall. The horse, finding this, probably thinks that it is
the very thing desired, and remains there; at least he will always fly
to a wall for shelter. Instead of _from_ the wall, pull his head towards
it, so as to place his eye, instead of your knee, against it; continue
to use the spur, and the horse will never go near a wall again.
[Sidenote: Truth may be paradoxical.]
To pull a horse _from_ what he shies at, and _towards_ the wall he rubs
you against, are very paradoxical doctrines. But, ~ho mythos dêloi~, the
fable shows, that truth _may_ be paradoxical--that we _can_ blow hot and
blow cold with the same breath; and it was only the brutal wild man of
the woods who drove the civilised man from his den, for performing the
feat.