Let the pupil walk the horse forward in a straight line, and at a slow
rate, supporting his head in such a manner as to make him keep time in
the beats of his pace; but not holding the reins so tight as to impede
the measurement of his steps, or to make him break into a trot on being
slightly animated. The hand should be so held, that it may delicately,
but distinctly, feel, by the operation of the horse's mouth on the
reins, every beat of his action. If he do not exert himself
sufficiently, he should be somewhat animated. Should he break into a
trot, he must be checked by the reins; but the pull must neither be so
firm nor continued as to make him stop. The moment he obeys the rein and
drops into a walk, the hand is to be relaxed. Should he require
animating again, the movement for that purpose must be more gentle than
before, lest he once more break into a trot.
[Illustration]
After walking in a straight line for a short time, the lady should
practise the turn to the right and to the left; alternately using both
hands in these operations, in the manner directed in a previous page.
She must observe, that when she pulls the right rein in order to turn
the horse on that side, the other hand must be relaxed and lowered, or
advanced, to slacken the left rein and ease the horse's mouth, and _vice
versa_.
If the horse do not readily obey the hand in turning, or bring forward
his croup sufficiently, he must be urged to throw himself more on the
bit, by an animation of the leg or whip. The animations, during the
first lessons, should be commenced with great gentleness, and the rider
will easily discover, by a little experience, to what degree it is
necessary to increase them, in order to procure obedience. This
observation should be attended to, were it only for the pupil's safety;
for, if she begin with her animations above the horse's spirit, his
courage will be so raised as to endanger, or, at least, alarm her, and
thus render what would otherwise be an agreeable exercise, unpleasant.
After the pupil has practised walking in a straight line, and turning
on either side, for a few days, she may walk in a circle, and soon make
her horse wheel, change, demi-volt, &c. The circle should be large at
first; but when the pupil has acquired her proper equilibrium, &c., it
must, day by day, be gradually contracted.
In riding round a circle, the inner rein should be rather lowered, and
the body inclined inward. This inclination must be increased during
succeeding lessons, as the circle is contracted, and the pupil quickens
the pace of her horse. She must practise in the large circle, until she
is able, by her hands and aids, to make the horse perform it correctly.
The inside rein must be delicately acted upon; if it be jerked, at
distant intervals, or borne upon, without intermission, the horse, in
the former case, will swerve in and out, and, in the latter, the rider's
hand, and the animal's mouth, will both become, in some degree,
deadened; and thus their correspondence will be decreased. In order to
procure correct action, the inner rein should be alternately borne on in
a very slight degree, and relaxed the next instant,--the hand keeping
exact time in its operations with the cadence of the horse's feet. The
direction is to be frequently changed; the pupil alternately working to
the right and the left, so as to bring both her hands into practice.
[Illustration]
As soon as the rider becomes tolerably well confirmed in her seat and
balance, and in the performance of the simple aids and animations, as
well in large as small circles, she should begin to ride in double
circles; at first of considerable diameter, but decreasing them, by
degrees, as she improves. Riding in double circles, is guiding the horse
to perform a figure of 8; and this, in the language of the
riding-school, is effecting the large and narrow change, according to
the size of the circles. The number of the circles may be increased, and
the sizes varied, with great advantage both to the rider and the horse.
They may be at some distance from each other, and the horse be guided to
work from one to the other diagonally. Thus, suppose he starts from _a_,
he may be made to leave the upper circle at _e_, and enter the lower one
at _d_; leave it at _c_, and enter the first again at _b_; and so
continue for some time: then, beginning at _f_, to quit the lower circle
at _c_, enter the upper one at _b_, leave it at _e_, and enter the lower
circle again at _d_. Thus, the position of the rider and horse are
alternately changed, from working from the right to a straight line,
thence to the left, thence to a straight line, and thence again to the
right. To give an instance of riding in a greater number of circles, of
different diameters, let the horse start from _a_ (see figure, p. 77),
and leave the upper circle at _b_, traversing to the outer small circle
at _c_, passing round, so as to enter the inner circle at _e_, and going
round, by _f_, to _g_; quitting it at _g_, and entering the lower
circle at _h_; quitting the latter again, after passing round _i_, at
_k_, and thence proceeding towards the outer small circle; entering at
_l_, going round and entering the inner circle at _e_, passing round,
and quitting it at _f_, to return again to _a_, by entering the upper
circle at _m_. These exercises may be diversified in various ways; the
pupil, for instance, may perform the upper circle, and one or both of
the pair below, return to the upper circle, cross from that, diagonally,
to the lower circle, quit it, at _h_ or _k_, to perform one of the
middle circles, return to the lower circle again, pass thence to the
other middle circle, and quit it at _c_ or _f_ (as the case may happen),
to return to the upper circle again. Nothing can be more beneficial than
this variety of action; it tends at once to confirm the pupil in her
seat; to exercise her in her balance and aids; and to render the horse
obedient: while, if he be kept in only one direction, he will perform
the figure mechanically, without either improving his own mouth and
action, or the rider's hands, aids, or balance.
[Illustration]
In the art of riding, working on a circle is called a _volt_; in angles,
or a zig-zag direction, _changes reverse_; and on half a circle from a
line, a _demi-volt_. These figures may first be performed separately;
but there can be no objection to the demi-volt and changes reverse
being afterwards embodied in the exercises on circles. As in the last
figure, the lady may work from _a_ in the mode directed, for some time;
then perform the variations, by going across from _a_ to _b_, and
describe a demi-volt round by _c_ _e_ to _a_; then return from _a_ to
_b_, and work a demi-volt, in an opposite direction, from _b_ to _a_:
thence, the lady may proceed in a line, enter the lower circle at _d_,
and re-commence riding in circles. The change reverse may at any time be
performed, by quitting the upper circle at _e_ or _f_, and working on
the traversing lines, so as to cross the lower circle at _g_ or _h_, and
enter it at _i_ or _k_. In fact, these exercises may be varied, _ad
libitum_; and the more they are diversified, the greater advantage the
lady will derive from them, provided she persevere until she can perform
one figure with accuracy, before she enter upon another that is more
complicated. Should the horse, in changing, yield his head, but withhold
his croup so as to destroy the union of his action, or mar the
perfection of the change, the rider should bring it to the proper
position, or sequence, by an aid of the whip or leg, as the case may be.
[Illustration]