ex ?H F-? ( £rttL /rYYYY/Y //, <■/;/ "' / Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2009 with funding from Boston Library Consortium Member Libraries http://www.archive.org/details/artofhorsemanshiOOfree Plate I J"u T f ,1 1 i'ii/ji: ' f.jjtp.. Xoii&on J'uhlish, d Jan.i i8o6,~byS3*'r€cman . W.SkeU*:n sculp. SI J idru ■ V Mr,h nrs K. M-An*l go . THE ART OF HORSEMANSHIP ALTERED AND ABBREVIATED, ACCORDING TO THE PRINCIPLES OF THE LATE SIR SIDNEY MEDOWS; BY STRICKLAND FREEMAN, ESQ. DISCE DOCENDUS ADHUC. Hor. LONDON: PRINTED FOR. THE AUTHOR BY W. BULMER AND CO. cleveland-row,. st. James's; and sold by james carpenter, bookseller to their royal highnesses the prince of wales and duke of york, old bond-street; AND G. AND W. NICOL, PALL-MALL. 1806. TO HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE PRINCE OF WALES. SIR, 1 he encouragement which your Royal High- ness was pleased to give to the Science of Horsemanship — by having sometimes done Sir Sidney Medows and myself the honour of coming into the riding house, while we were partners there — made me presume to request your permission to dedicate to you, Sir, all that / know, (and, perhaps, all that he knew) of that science. DEDICATION. I hope your Royal Highness will pardon me for saying, that our admiration was fre- quently excited by the just observations which you made at the time ; and by the precision with which you gave those aids, when riding there, which is seldom attained without great practice. The gracious manner in which, after Sir Sidney's death, you were pleased to give me a horse so completely dressed by him, demands my warmest acknowledgements. Indeed it was to me a valuable present, equally unex- pected and unsolicited. The proud passage on which the offspring of that horse passed his Majesty at the review of the corps of volunteer infantry, in which I serve as Major, particu- larly attracted his attention. An opportunity was thus afforded me, of shewing, that a horse, DEDICATION. which has been regularly and quietly dressed, can execute at command the graces of a passage, (the very meaning of which term is at present almost unknown) and be perfectly quiet again the moment it is no longer required to be in action. As an enthusiast in the business, I must confess the satisfaction I felt, when, on passing his Majesty the second time, he con- descended to quit his place, and was pleased to say, he was glad I had kept up the Old School. Upon this distinguished notice, I presumed to request the honour of laying this Essay at his Majesty's feet, which he was graciously pleased to permit. Your Royal Highness will, I trust, forgive me for again mentioning the name of Sir Sidney Medows, as the person to whom I owe what- ever knowledge I may have upon the subject ; DEDICATION. nor do I think, that, while presenting my labours to the public, I can pay a more suitable tribute of gratitude to my departed friend, than by prefixing his shade as a frontispiece to my Treatise. I am, SIR, With the greatest respect, YOUR ROYAL HIGHNESS'S Most devoted Servant, STRICKLAND FREEMAN. Fawley Court, June 11, 1806. PREFACE As manage and military riding are so much connected, I hope to be excused for the remarks which are here made on military matters ; and that where I have ventured to express myself without reserve, it may be attributed to no other motive, than to a zeal for the service in those parts, which have been the peculiar objects of my study. The late Earl of Pembroke, in his Address to the King, in his Treatise on military Equitation, says, in speaking of horsemanship, "Troops in their own " nature most excellent and brave have been fre- y quently rendered inferior to less powerful ones, " both in men and horses, for want of proper instruc- " tions on this art." It was said to be a remark of the Duke of Newcastle's, (who also published on horse- manship) and ought to be that of all good horsemen, quiljaid rendre le cheval ami de Vhomme; his treatise a • • 11 PREFACE. being originally written in French. The more horse- manship is studied, the more a horse will be found willing, good-naturedly to obey every order that it can possibly understand ; provided the rider has studied the art sufficiently to be able to make the horse com- prehend his meaning, and to require nothing but what by degrees it is supple enough to perform — et alors il est ami de Vhomme. The more the art of horsemanship is understood, the less the very name of a rough rider should be made use of; — nor should it ever be said of a good horseman — qu'il est fort acheval : — instead of this, it appears to me — qu'il doit plutot etre foible a cheval. The Earl of Pembroke very properly observes in one of the mottos to his book, " Vis consili expers mole ruit sua." — When the rider knows the proper mode of communicating his meaning — a horse may be won by degrees to do that quietly, which it never would do by all the strength which the rider can exert. When strength is used, the finest horses are frequently lost to our service, from its not being possible to break them in ; and many others are stiffened and strained, instead of being suppled. The great use of the art of horsemanship is to prevent this. The difference in the art, from the Duke of Newcastle's PREFACE. 1H time to the present, I shall now make some observations upon. The instruments made use of in his Grace's time were so severe, that, without the great patience and perseverance which he recommends, the horse must have been continually vexed. By decreasing the seve- rity of those instruments — a more expeditious mode of working has since been adopted ; so as to avoid the constraint at that time in use, and consequently to be easier both to the man and to the horse. No better idea can be given of the length of time required in sup- pling a horse at that time, than by quoting the Duke's expressions at the end of his third book — " Our only " aim in this long, laborious, and painful work, is to -j put a horse well upon his haunches." The bridle is the instrument, by which the intelli- gence is to be communicated to the horse from the hands of the rider — for the genius of the colt is to be brought forth by its rider, as the genius of a boy is by his school- master. If I may be allowed the comparison between the bits in use as described by the Duke of Newcastle, and by the late Earl of Pembroke, and the snaffle since introduced by my much lamented master in horseman- ship, Sir Sidney Medows — I should say that the former, when put into its mouth, were like putting a Latin IV PREFACE. grammar into the hands of a boy. The use of the latter may be compared to another mode of education, which I have formerly seen in Germany, where the boys had pictures set before them, in which the scenes were explained in the language they were meant to be taught: — by this, they insensibly learnt their lesson, instead of being obliged to pore over a book. It is well known with what aversion a boy takes the first rudiments of a language, when constrained to begin with the most difficult part of it, which is that of re- peating the grammar. If he be not expert at it, he is often severely corrected by his schoolmaster ; who perhaps in his time was taught his lesson with the same severity. But as this laborious method of begin- ning our education still continues in practice, I can only lament the hard fate of the young scholar, in the terms of our facetious author of the Bath Guide, by saying, " What pity a boy of a spirit so meek, " Should be flogg'd by his tyrant for Latin and Greek." In all the books of horsemanship which I have read, a like constraint was put upon the colt. Its mind was therefore equally prevented from being so soon, and so easily opened to the meaning of the rider. PREFACE. V For the former method of communication, even if it did succeed at last, was too harsh and too complicated. As an illustration of this, I need only refer my readers to the Duke of Newcastle's book on horsemanship. He will there see the severe bit which used to be put into its mouth, and the spurs by which it was to be corrected." In mechanics — where lightness happens to be requi- site, as well as convenience — the great art consists in judging properly where to cut out the superfluous parts. In the progress of making a musical instrument, the same judgment is required; in order that the com- plexity may be less detrimental to the sounds intended to be produced. In both cases, the genius of the artist has materials to work upon, which he can command at pleasure, in order to produce the desired effect. To adapt the comparison to the subject upon which I am now writing — the instrument to be played upon is the horse's mouth. The horseman is to convey the meaning, and the horse is to comprehend it. The mode of conveying it is by the bridle, which he holds in his hand. The materials, by which it is to be conveyed, are therefore equally to be commanded ; and require to * See the folio edition, Plate XIII. VI PREFACE. be equally simplified, so as to produce a more immediate effect. For the mouth of a horse in the manage must be kept just as delicate, as the keys of a musical instru- ment. If the horseman be not in union with his horse all cadence is destroyed. For, in the one instance as in the other, all is art. The Earl of Pembroke very justly observes, that " whatever pace or degree of quickness " you work in, (be it ever so fast, or ever so slow) it •' must be cadenced ; time is as necessary for an horse- " man, as for a musician."* The mode of simplifying the machinery was, therefore, requisite to be known, where the improvement of the science was sought for. In the Duke of Newcastle's method — when the reins were fixed to the long branches of the bit — the com- munication to the horse's mouth was at two times. One, from the reins in the hands of the rider to the ends of the branches of the bit ; and one from thence to the mouth-piece. They were also at two times when fixed to the branches of the caveson. By these different aids, according as the horse seemed to require either the one or the other, the head was meant to be raised, and the horse was to be set upon its haunches. Whoever pleases to look at the prints in the Duke of Newcastle's * See the Earl of Pembroke's Treatise on Military Equitation, page 59. PREFACE. Vll folio edition will be able to judge whether either the one or the other was accomplished. The heads of the horses there represented are generally low, and their bodies are poised upon their hocks, instead of upon their haunches. Nor indeed could that method of working them produce any other effect, unless where nature had nearly done it to their hands. For all the art of man cannot shew a horse off in such fine attitudes, as when galloping loose about a field. The head is then constantly raised, and the stops are made upon the haunches. The art of riding, like that of dancing, is to make the scholar hold up his head ; and, with an upright poise of the body, practise those attitudes, which are the most graceful, with the least constraint. Where the graces of nature are meant to be brought forth by the rider, the instrument employed for it cannot be too simple — the method of working cannot be too easy. Too much constraint cramps the mind, as well as the body. The horse, in this case, takes a longer time in comprehending the meaning of the rider: — when com- prehended— the attitudes brought forth are stiff and ungraceful ; whereas the utmost suppleness is required, in order to produce the greatest grace. Vlll PREFACE. The late Earl of Pembroke began by following the steps of the Duke of Newcastle ; but probably seeing how little the means employed by his Grace were capable of attaining the end proposed, he was the first who ventured to make the bit rather less heavy and severe, and to use the bridoon instead of the caveson. The laborious work of raising the head by the two operations of the curb bridle was lessened in great measure by the single communication of the bridoon. This last was put into the horse's mouth together with the bit bridle, and was used for that purpose instead of it. The acting of it was upon the cheeks; by which the bars of the mouth were equally eased, as when the caveson was used: — the communication also, being at one time, and in the mouth, was more immediate, and more sensible, than when at two times and on the nose by the lever from the caveson. Still two instruments were used in riding: — one — the communication of which was immediate and at one time ; — the other, though not so severe as formerly, was yet by its construction ne- cessarily communicated at two times. The art was thus far progressive in improvement, by the means begin- ning to be simplified in the method adopted by the late Earl of Pembroke. PREFACE. IX Sir Sidney Medows also began by following the Duke of Newcastle. At the period when my ac- quaintance with him first commenced, he was using the Duke's bit almost for the last time. Daily practice, during upwards of 50 years of his long life,* suggested to him, in his progress, that the methods hitherto prac- tised of communicating the intelligence from the horse- man to his horse were complex and tedious. Greater patience was therefore requisite both to the rider and to the horse, than was either pleasant or necessary. The curb bridle, though simplified by the Earl of Pembroke, was yet too thick in the mouth-piece, and much too heavy. When made on a lighter construc- tion, since the period of the late Earl's publication, it was only used by Sir Sidney occasionally, for some particular horses, the make of whose necks, as I shall hereafter mention, more particularly required it. All, in short, in his progress, was left off except the bridoon or snaffle, the simplest of all — for it was that, which carried with it the most immediate communication. — But the construction of it required to be altered; in * He was in his riding-house (Sundays and Thursdays excepted) between two and three hours every day ; during which time, he either rode or worked in hand 1 2 horses till within a few days, of his death. He died in the month of November, in the year 1792, in the 92d year of his age. b X PREFACE. order for this one simple instrument to produce a more powerful effect, than all the complicated instruments hitherto in use. This alteration produced the different mode of working, which he afterwards so successfully adopted. The Duke of Newcastle, finding that the pulley was requisite as well as the lever, first thought of using it to the caveson. A combination of these pullies was left for the genius of Sir Sidney. He first began by applying it to the bridoon ; and the snaffle thus altered was used by itself. No aid therefore remained now in use, which was not communicated in onetime. There was still something wanting to complete the work. For when the reins were placed through the eyes of the snaffle to the pommel of the saddle, the horse's head was liable to be kept too low. This was apt to produce the same fault, which the Duke of Newcastle's horses had ; namely, that of being set upon their hocks instead of upon their haunches. When the reins were placed through the eyes of the snaffle, and from thence to the headstall — the heads of some horses were kept too for- wards. It was therefore requisite to find out another intermediate pulley to obviate this defect. — With a genius peculiar to himself, Sir Sidney Medows invented PREFACE. XI a buckle and strap with a ring to it for this purpose, the construction and use of which I shall hereafter particularly describe. This, he said, was the most for- tunate discovery he ever made ; as it at once united the two greatest requisites to the completion of his work. For one additional lever was gained, by which the head could be kept upwards and inwards at the same time ; so as to set the horse more directly upon its haunches. But the reins, from being of one length in the hands of the rider, when attached immediately to the bridoon or snaffle became of various lengths, when running- through a greater or less number of pullies. The manner of riding with them was therefore totally changed. The same rules of art were consequently not applicable in this, as in the former method. The amusement was likewise considerably varied, by the facility which the use of these pullies gave to that mode of working the horses in hand ; which proved so great a source of entertainment to Sir Sidney, and after- wards to his scholar. But this required another help, which had hitherto never been used for the various purposes to which he applied it. A stick with a buckle and strap at the end of it, such as will hereafter Xll PREFACE. be described, was the most powerful aid possible, when made use of for these purposes — but it was also the most dangerous, when improperly used. Nothing but constant daily practice could bring these new methods to succeed. Nothing but the ardour, with which Sir Sidney Medows turned his mind to it, could have made him accomplish these difficult points with so much ease to himself, and to the horses which he had to teach. Often while he was at work, would he exclaim to me, You must be an enthusiast! Sir, an enthusiast! : ' .. , " Methinks I hear him now ; his plausive words " He scatter'd not in ears, but grafted them " To grow there, and to bear." Sir Sidney being a near neighbour of my father's in the country — my intimacy with him commenced when I was a child, " and rose as childhood ripened into man." — From admiration of his art at first, he permitted me to be his scholar ; and progressively his partner in the riding-house to the day of his death. Little was I aware of what a difficult task I was undertaking, when his friendship first permitted me to ride his horses under his instruction, and to take the place of his grooms when he was working them in hand. In this way I learned all the subordinate offices, which enabled me to teach the PREFACE. Xlll men, who were afterwards to learn under me, those parts, which continued practice began to make familiar to me. The pains that were taken in it I afterwards found were by no means lost — for my difficulty was infinitely greater with those under me; who, although their ardour was perhaps equal to mine, were not able to comprehend easily what was then perfectly easy to me. On this account, when grooms were to be instructed, I was frequently obliged to change places with them, before many impossibilities could be executed, which I was deter- mined should be done first ; and which could only be done by a good example. At this period I had also to teach myself, (being then only a scholar) upon my own' horses, untaught; and, what was the most difficult of all, with only the help of grooms, untaught also. All appeared easy with Sir Sidney — whether in working his horses in hand with the help of his grooms, or in his manner of riding them. As Cicero expresses it, " in illo miratus sum quod adhuc non attingere potui:" — for at that time all was unsteady with me, all was laborious. It was difficult enough to teach the horse; but much more so to teach the grooms. However the same zeal carried me on, that carried on my master. I was only learning the grammar regularly, under a XIV PREFACE, master who had long understood the whole language — - and who for ever told me, that I must think of it night and day before I could succeed. Experience soon shewed this to be the case. For — (to continue the expressions of the same author) " idem studium, quod oblectavit " senectutem ejus, delectavit me domi, non impedivit " foris, fternoctavit , peregrinatum, rusticatum est." Horsemanship has experienced its various periods of rise and fall, as other arts have done ; and at times, when equally unknown, like them has been equally superficially treated — nay even despised. This may perhaps still be the case, unless a school is established at the public expense as formerly. — The rising genera- tion, who might afterwards be destined to command our armies, might then be taught, in their early days, that most useful part of their future profession. Led by the instructions of so great a master, in an art, which I have followed with the same enthusiastic zeal that he did before me, I shall hope for the indul- gence of the public in any errors that may be com- mitted, in this treatise. For whether I have succeeded or not in the information that is meant to be conveyed, I trust it will at least be seen, that no pains have been spared in the mode of conveying it — Quod potui feci. PREFACE. XV I cannot conclude my Preface, without acknowledg- ing my obligations to Sir Thomas Frankland, whose peculiar talent in cutting out at sight has enabled me (with his permission) to place as a frontispiece, so striking a likeness of Sir Sidney Medows. CONTENTS. PACE CHAPTER I. SECTION I. Description of the riding-house best adapted to the ease of the horse, and to the convenience of the rider, - - 1 SECTION II. The best construction of the implements necessary for the horse- man in riding, as well as those which are requisite for working the horse in hand, - - - - - 10 CHAPTER II. THE MANNER OF WORKING THE HORSE IN HAND, AND THE ACTION OF THE LEGS IN ALL ITS PACES. SECTION I. Description of the different methods of using the reins in propor- tion to its progress on the lines of art, - - - 31 SECTION II. Action of the legs in the trot and gallop in circles on the lines of art, and the mode which the horse has of coming from the one to the other. The power of altering the motion of its limbs in the walk according to its will, so as to produce either the pace, the trot, or the gallop. Mode of working in circles on the lines of art in a walk, so as to avoid the pace. True action of the legs in the trot and gallop naturally. The false gallop, - 49 xviil CONTENTS. SECTION III. PAGE Mode of working, with the head in and croup out along the walls. The croup to the wall. The head to the wall. The mode of working down the middle of the house by two men holding the horse, one on each side, - - - - 102 SECTION IV. Mode of working at the pillar, in the corner, and at the door; and also by the man's standing before the horse down the line of the wall, and with long reins down the middle, - 130 CHAPTER III. The art of mounting on horseback, and dismounting, with the greatest ease to the rider, and with the least disturbance to the horse. Aids required by the rider for so doing. Observa- tions on the different length of stirrups suited to different pur- poses. Description of the seat of the rider while his horse is standing still, ______ 153 CHAPTER IV. SECTION I. The bad effects of martingales, - - - - 182 SECTION II. Helps required by the rider, in first getting on the back of a colt. Method of riding it slowly, and a little at a time, for the first few lessons — and then on the trot and gallop, in one piste, large, and also in circles. Method of crossing the house on one piste from right to left, and vice versa, - - - 188 CONTENTS. xix SECTION III. PAGE Position of the rider, so as to accompany that of the horse, when going on the lines of art, with its head in and croup out, - 207 SECTION IV. Method of making a long demi-volte, so as to bring the horse's croup to the wall. Mode of working in that action, as also with the head in and croup out, without the help of the walls. Head to the wall. — Quart de volte. Square — Going en cheva- lant from right to left, and vice versa — Pesade — Passades — Voltes, ------- 224 SECTION V. Two lessons that can be practised out of doors ; one for a dressed horse, and the other for one or more horses together, that are not quite so well dressed, _ . - 245 Plate IT. 'i| ' Scale of the Soust loruLoih.TMUhal JimfjjSoS iy SJVearum In. In- 3. 6\ . Sralr of ike Pillar W. Shlta'i 1 THE ART OF HORSEMANSHIP. CHAPTER I. SECTION I. DESCRIPTION OF THE RIDING-HOUSE BEST ADAPTED TO THE EASE OF THE HORSE, AND TO THE CONVENIENCE OF THE RIDER. 1 shall first give some description of the riding-house, an attention to the make and proportion of which is materially requisite. The construction of the imple- ments to be made use of, although it may seem super- fluous to dwell minutely upon some articles in common use, is also extremely necessary to be attended to. Many circumstances, which may appear trifling in themselves, are of great importance, where the touchstone of art is required, and where the man and the horse are meant to be of one piece, and of one mind. b 2 DESCRIPTION OF THE After having fixed the scene of action and described the implements, I shall next proceed to shew what is required of the actors. The best proportion for the riding-house is as three to one. If for private use, the length of one hundred and twenty feet, by forty feet broad, is large enough.* It should never be made broader than forty feet, but there is no objection to adding to the length of it. When broader, it is apt to be too fatiguing to a manage horse, when required to hold haunches while crossing. It is also liable to another inconvenience, which is, that only one corner can be taken advantage of in longing a colt ; whereas the end wall, and part of each side wall, can be brought into use, when of the size above- mentioned. It should properly be made circular at one end. By this, there is less constraint to a colt, when beginning to be longed, than what is occasioned by the corners. The other end should be square, with double doors within one foot of the right hand corner on coming in. This space may be left to put the switches, and sticks in. The doors may be made large enough to drive a carriage in, if required, and should open outwards into a porch. The right hand door on entrance should be bolted at top and bottom, and have a pane of glass in it of a proper height for a man to look through before he opens the other door. The right hand corner is * See Plate II. RIDING-HOUSE* preferable to the left hand for these doors to be placed in ; as the horse, when led in by the rider with his right hand, may have its croup immediately put to the wall, if requisite. It is then most out of the way of those who may either be riding at the time, or standing by, if it happens to be unsteady. The pane of glass, being fixed where I have mentioned, enables the person, who is bringing the horse in, to see three parts of the house through it. By this, he is prevented from being in the way, if he waits till the rider has past the door. The right hand door should be opened only when required for a carriage. They should be made to range on the inside, evenly with the boards, with which the walls ought to be lined. These boards should be placed perpendicularly along the walls, to the height of five or six feet. When placed slanting, they do not look well, and only teach horses to lean against them. The slope is said to be useful to defend the leg of the rider, but I never found the want of it for that purpose. For the beauty of the proportion, the walls should be as high as half the breadth of the house, and the roof should be as flat as it can be made. There is only one objection to these high walls, which is, that the higher the wall is against which the horse stands, the smaller the horse appears. The windows should be se- micircular, and of that description which are commonly 4 DESCRIPTION OF THE called Dioclesian windows ; but deviating in some measure in their form from those in Dioclesian's baths. The centre division should be the largest. The frame of the casement, which is put in it, should be made of iron, suspended by a pivot on each side, so as to form a slope to keep the rain out, when opened. — In order to carry the water off the better, the panes should be small squares set in lead, and tied to the iron frame. The lower part should be the heaviest, so as for them to shut by themselves. The upper part should have a cord fixed to it, the lower end of which may be looped to a pin put into the wall for that purpose, just high enough to be out of the way of the rider. This keeps the window firm when it is open. The alternate windows should be blank. A few hooks maybe driven into the sill of the first blank window next to the door, to hang the whips upon ; for all coach whips, that are meant to be good for any thing, should be constantly hung up, when not in use. I may be said perhaps to enter too much into detail about particulars which may at first sight appear immaterial, but it is necessary to have every thing done with the least disturbance pos- sible. It is therefore requisite, that every thing should be so placed, as to be most out of the way when not in use ; and so as to be come at the quickest, the moment it is wanted. RIDING-HOUSE. 5 At about thirty feet from the square end, and in the middle of the house, a single pillar, eight inches diameter, and six feet eight inches high, may be placed, so as to be least in the way. By being in this part of the house, it is no obstruction to the rider in crossing it, and gives room enough to longe a horse in the corner, when he thinks it necessary to take that advantage, as a change from the circular end. A single pillar is useful as an aid to the horseman to mark his centre by, when riding upon the volts. By being placed where I have mentioned, it also serves as a mark to him when working his horse down the middle ; besides being the safest place in the house, at which any person can stand, who happens to be looking on. For it is full far enough for a horse to be worked on its haunches down the middle of the house, if stopped within about ten or twelve feet of it. The pillar should be rounded off at the top, and an iron bar should be driven into it vertically, so as to leave seven inches of it from the top of the pillar. Round the upper part of this bar, another iron bar, with a swivel at the end of it, should be made to play horizontally. The length of it should be six inches. It may have a support to it,, which should play also. This bar should end by a fixed ring vertically, to which about three feet of a rope 6 DESCRIPTION OF THE rein with a buckle and billet leather to it should be tied for use. The ring also serves for another rein to slide through, when buckled to the horses bridle and pulled at by the mans hand. This is sometimes useful in order to prevent the too great severity of the fixed rein. The horizontal bar, being at this distance from the circular top of the pillar, allows the rein to play round (when required to do so) without risk of its catching to the top of it. Rings may also be fixed by staples to other parts of the pillar, for purposes which will be hereafter explained. The pillar, when not in use, serves as one place to hang either the whips or the reins upon for the moment. The spare straps (which will be hereafter described) may also be buckled to the rings, ready for use when called for. Two rings, one on each wall, should be fixed by staples on the boards, about four feet from that corner of the house, which is upon the left hand on entering, and which is the most disengaged. For one spare corner in a riding-house is all that is required. — Those rings should be placed as high as the boards will permit. A ring may also be fixed by a staple into the right hand wall on entrance, under the first blank window, seven feet high. The use of these rings will be hereafter explained. If the effect of double pillars should be wished for, two rings at this height may be RIDING-HOUSE. fixed, one on the door-post, and one on the bolted door at the right hand entrance. A porch is useful to protect the doors when opened. If paved with stone or other hard materials, it enables the horse to hear the sound of its fore feet, when piaffing upon them, and to strike a harder blow, by which its feet are raised the higher. The hardness of the stone also prevents it from wearing into holes, which would otherwise happen by continual use. If the porch be made large enough to admit a bench on the left hand, it may be of service to stand upon occasionally when getting on and off horseback. When the house is much above the length I have mentioned, a bench may be admitted across it, about 20 feet long, and at the distance of 120 feet from the circular end. This may be placed across the house, so as for a leaping bar to be put at one end of it, if an iron plate with holes in it, be let into the boards along the wall to receive the other end of the bar. The bench, which should be made with a back to it about the height of a chair back, is of service for a horseman to stand upon to work his horse in hand. Rings may be placed on the top of the back, either for sliding the reins through, when it is piaffing in the same place ; or for the horse to work there, when supple enough to bear being tied to them in piaffing de ferme a ferme. When the whole length is 120 feet, the leaping bar 8 DESCRIPTION OF THE should be placed at about 50 feet from the square end of it. For this purpose, a hole should be made in the floor opposite to the iron plate in the boards, and about nine or ten feet from it. Into this hole a wooden frame should be placed, having a plug in it when not in use. This plug should have a ring at the top to pull it out by, and be placed so much below the surface, as to allow it to be covered by the mould. For this purpose a groove should be made in the plug, so as for the ring to lie even with the top of it. When this is taken out, for the bar to be used, an upright post should be put into the hole. It should have a groove in it, to receive the other end of the leaping bar in the common way. The floor of the riding-house should be of that sort of clay, which has the least mixture of sand in it. It should be laid two feet deep, and well rammed. When the clay is kept dry, the surface of it is tenacious to the foot ; and the dung from the horses generally forms a mould upon it, sufficient to soften the upper surface, and to prevent its being slippery. If become so by frequent use, or that it happen to be worn into holes, it should be lightly picked over with a pick axe. A little short litter may be thrown upon it after it is picked, if requisite, so as to encrease the mould upon it with the help of the bits of clay which the pick axe takes up, and which should be strewed upon it. When the RIDINC-HOUSE. house is required to be watered, the man should begin at the top and walk backwards, swinging the water- ing pot after him ; this is the best method of watering it evenly. [10] SECTION II. THE BEST CONSTRUCTION OF THE IMPLEMENTS NECESSARY FOR THE HORSEMAN IN RIDING, AS WELL AS THOSE WHICH ARE REQUISITE FOR WORKING THE HORSE IN HAND. 1 h e description of the scene of action having been given, the implements necessary for the actors are next to be considered. A chambriere was formerly used ; but a coach whip answers the purpose better, and is more convenient for working in hand. As it is seldom made with a proper fall, I shall describe the one I like best. The crop should be of that length which is gene- rally used for a four-horse whip. It should taper from the handle to the point, the strength of the crop keeping pace with it, as it tapers. The handle of it should have no paper between that part, and the leather that binds it. By this, it will be smaller in the hand. The keeper, to which the thong is to be fixed, should be made of buff leather, as being most pliable. It should project about an inch beyond the part where it is tied to the end of the crop, in order to give a full and easy play to the thong. This last should be made gradually larger from the end adjoining to the keeper, to THE BEST CONSTRUCTION OF THE IMPLEMENTS, &C. II a certain distance, so as to constitute what is called the belly of the thong, upon the nicety of which the whole fall depends. It should taper from thence to the ex- tremity, which should be about as long as will nearly reach to the commencement of the leathern handle. It should have about six inches of whip-cord tied to it. When the thong is of this construction, the whip falls easier for being smaller in the hand. When a bit is used, the best, that I know of, is what is at present in general use by the name of a Pembroke bit. It is upon a construction much improved from that of which the late Earl of Pembroke has given a plate in his publication on horsemanship. The pro- portions of it are different, and the whole on a lighter construction. The dimension of the parts, and the method of making a bit, are so various, according to the pleasure of those who make use of it, that I have thought it necessary to have an exact drawing taken, having such particular proportions as are best calculated for the use of the rider. I shall now give my reasons for approving the shape and construction given in the plate.* The rings at the ends of the branches, instead of being edgeways towards the rider's hand, when on horseback, as repre- sented in the Earl of Pembroke's book, should lie facing * See Plate III. 12 THE BEST CONSTRUCTION OF THE IMPLEMENTS, &C. it. The reins, which come from his hand, will then have the under side of them uppermost, where they join the rings. This prevents them from twisting, and keeps their under side towards the neck of the horse, which position they should preserve. The branches coming from these rings should be full half as long again as the cheeks, which are the continuation of those branches upwards. Exclusive of the power gained by the length of them, it prevents their flying up when in use, which the short branches are apt to do. The mouth-piece, which is between them, may have a play attached to the port, if required, as it assists in keeping the horse's mouth fresh. It should be about three eighths of an inch thick. If rollers are added to it, either fixed or moveable, it should be about three eighths of an inch more ; so as for the mouth-piece, when the rollers are added, to be about three quarters of an inch diameter. The rings of the curb should be all twisted one way. When put on for use, the hook should receive the ring, which is to be put into it, on the outside of that ring, in order to keep the rest even." There are two sorts of bridoons applicable to a curb bridle. The one has a half cheek to it on each side, with an eye at the upper end of it, to wdiich * The names of some parts of the bit are frequently confounded, the branches bein7L .FtiblLrlied Jan.'.i.i3o6,by SSFrccmtm.' Wronq belwyl k rujlii "before W..Skebtow sculp. TUtc VI. Z,,ut,n JUWrf Ja>& **">" *' ^'■"™m ifo/Ar 3ftW A' if WW bciofi. tan. sculp. THE GALLOP RIGHT BEHIND AND WRONG BEFORE. 6*3 When the gallop is wrong before, it is occasioned in the same manner by its having been begun by an impulse communicated to the off fore-leg while doubling on the first circle." The near fore-leg is next thrown forwards so as to lead.-f This is succeeded by an im- pulse on the near hind-leg, after which the off hind- leg is thrown forwards when the haunches are thrown in, as before mentioned. Had the horse waited one time more, the impulse, as before observed, would then have been given to the near fore-leg when gaining ground by passing the off fore-leg in the circle ; instead of being given to the off fore-leg, while doubling. The gallop would then have been true. Whereas, from impatience, or from other causes, the impulse having been given one time too soon, the centre of gravity is across and across, as well in this case, as when the gallop was begun by the bound on the off hind-leg; for it is thrown on the off fore-leg and near hind-leg. This gallop is therefore said to be wrong before and right behind. * See Vignette page 50. + See the plate. 64 THE FALSE GALLOP BOTH BETORE AND BEHIND. E.ft . Ctlalon dd W.Skebon sculp. The impulse can also be given totally false, when the gallop is begun either by the hind-legs or by the fore-legs ; for the impulse may be given by the off hind-leg while doubling, succeeded by the near hind- leg, and these succeeded again by an impulse on the off fore-leg, by which the near fore-leg leads; and vice versa, if begun with the off fore-leg. The gallop is then said to be wrong both before and behind, when the horse is going in circles to the right ; for each near-leg would lead when each off leg received the impulse. But this would be the exact true gallop, if the horse were going in circles to the left. METHOD OF CHANGING FROM THE GALLOP TO THE TROT. 65 When either by the will of the horse, or by the direction of the rider, the change is again required from the true gallop to the trot, it can be made at either of the two periods that it could in the other case. It has been just mentioned, that when the gallop was begun by the near fore leg while gaining ground on the second circle, a bound is made upon it, and the off fore leg is impelled forwards one instant before the near hind leg. When the haunches are afterwards thrown in, I have also observed that the off hind leg is impelled forwards after a bound has been made on the near hind leg, one instant of time before the near fore leg, which comes next. The continuation of this bound, as before described, constitutes the gallop ; the cessation of it, therefore, constitutes the trot again. This, as well as the gallop, can be begun at two different periods. The alteration of the centre of gravity is all that is required. If the change be begun while the off hind leg is lead- ing, one instant is required to throw the centre of gra- vity, and the impulse, on the near shoulder. By the centre of gravity being thus thrown forwards, the spring on the off hind leg is decreased, and it touches the ground at the same time as the near fore leg, instead of being one time sooner. The weight being thus divided, the impulse required to throw the other two legs for- wards is also equally divided ; that is to say, it is 6*6 ALTERATION OF THE GRAVITY WHEN THE TROT IS RESUMED. given by both these legs across at the same time ; suc- ceeded immediately by both the other legs across at the next period. If it be begun while the off fore leg is leading, one instant of time is required to transfer the centre of gravity to the off fore leg, which was thrown forwards after an impulse had been given to the near fore leg. The action, being thus retarded, brings the off fore leg to the ground at the same time with the near hind leg, instead of being one time before it, as it would have been had the gallop continued. The cen- tre of gravity being transferred at the instant upon the off fore leg, the impulse also accompanies it, — so that the impulse is also given at the same instant by the off fore leg and near hind leg. The other two legs across are then thrown forwards in their turn. This change can generally be distinctly heard in a riding-house, if it happens to be too quick to be perceived by the eye. It can, and ought also always to be distinctly felt by the rider the instant it happens ; as his hands should be immediately accommodated to it by slackening the reins instantaneously, after having gently pulled them, when he wishes it to take place. It has been observed before, that the making of the change takes the difference of one instant of time from what would have been required, had the gallop con- tinued. In that instant, if the rider sits loose enough, POSITIONS IN THE STOP THE REVERSE OF THE PROGRESS. 67 he will find himself drop on his saddle very differently to what happened in the gallop: for the centre of gravity is thrown more on the haunches in the gal- lop, than in the trot, in the last of which, the weight is more equally divided. In the longe the trot should always be preferred, as being the greatest exertion to the shoulders. But it is such a relief to a horse, to go easily from the one to the other, that it is by far the best way to permit it to be done so. After a little time, the horse's croup gets more and more thrown out by its bearing to be tied rather tighter than at first. The shoulders consequently be- come more supple by being constrained to describe the smallest circles. When it can bear to do this with ease to itself, the trot or the gallop may be more exactly required. The haunches should be left as much as possible at liberty for nearly the first year of a horse's work. They should never be exerted except in the stop. At that period, the whole body of the horse should be reversed ; and the hind legs should come upon the same circles, which the fore legs worked upon in the progress, and vice versa. The haunches, being then the nearest to the centre, will at that instant be most worked. By their being bent in the stop, the centre of gravity will also be altered, so as to be entirely upon them, instead of upon the shoulders, which at that time occupying the outward circles will be the least 68 WHY THE STOP SHOULD BE THE REVERSE OF THE PROGRESS. constrained. The reason, why the position should be altered in the stop, is this. If the horse be stopped with its croup out, namely in the same position as when in progress, the stop must be made upon the shoulders ; as being the parts occupying the smallest circles, and consequently the most constrained. Not only this, but when the horse sets off again, it must go false for a few steps, before its position can be recovered. What I mean by false is, that the near leg must lead outwards, namely to the left, for two or three steps, before the horse can regain its position in the longe. For till then, the off fore leg is not at liberty to occupy the 1st circle, that is the circle nearest the centre. Whereas, if the stop be made outwards, that is, with the shoulders on the 3d and 4th circles, the haunches are then most con- strained ; and consequently bend to receive the weight as they ought to do. The foreparts, being stopped on the 3d and 4th circles, are also immediately ready to advance to their position on the 1st and 2d circles, when the horse is required to set off again. It may seem a diffi- cult matter, when a horse is working in hand, for this stop to be performed with tolerable exactness, but it is not so.* For there is more difficulty in getting a horse * The horse's position at that instant should be the same as would happen when stopped in going with its head to the wall, which will be hereafter explained. For in the stop, its head should be to the wall; ad- vantage of which should sometimes be taken for that purpose. POSITION OF THE MAN IN STOPPING THE HORSE. 69 to put its croup out, than to put its croup in. At this period, the man in the centre is making a very narrow circle, holding the rein in his left hand, which is put through the eye of the bridle up to the head on the near side. That man also holds a whip in his right hand, trail- ing it across before him on the ground. When the stop is to be made, advantage being taken of the wall, the man, as before mentioned," should run before the horse towards the circumference of the circle ; and, while he speaks to it for that purpose, he should look it full in the face. His whip should be brought forwards and lifted up suddenly in one hand. His rein should be shaken as suddenly with the other hand, which should be lifted up at the same time for the same purpose. When the horse, for a few days, has stopped quietly by this method ; the master may check it, so as to endeavour to make it go back two or three steps, after the stop is completely finished. This should be done without un- tying it. For this purpose, the whip, which was trailed before him in his right hand, should be put into his left hand in the same position. The long rein should be taken hold of verv short, and be twisted round his 4 right hand ; the remainder of it being held with the whip in his left hand. At this period, or before if it can be done, a plain * See page 39. K 70 BEARING ON THE BACK PREPARES FOR THE WEIGHT. saddle should be put on as quietly as possible ; and the stirrups be thrown over the pommel, when the horse is brought in. They may occasionally be put down during the time it is longing, in order to try whether the horse would be disturbed by it, in case of the rider's acciden- tally letting his foot slip out of either of them. At the end of the lesson at this period, if the horse be quiet, while the stirrups are let down, the horseman may venture a little more. Having untied the horse, and taken off the black rein — let that end of the rope rein, which has a loop to it, be put through the eye of the snaffle, and slipped on to the upper cheek of it on the off side. Let the other end be unbuckled from the headstall on the near side, and be buckled to the front part of the eye of the snaffle on that side. If there are two men at this period on the outside of the circle, one of them should stand about the length of a man's arm before the horse, and hold this rein about that length, in each hand, in the manner I shall hereafter describe. This may either be done by one rein, and one man ; or by two reins and two men, if requisite. The other two men, advancing quietly to each side of the horse, should take hold of the stirrup leathers high up, and bear the whole weight of their bodies by leaning on them. The manner of doing this I shall also describe, when speaking of it as a counterpoise to the weight of the rider, while TWO METHODS OF WALKING. 71 mounting. But it should always be practised at this period, as a preparatory step ; in order that every thing maybe done as quietly as possible at the time of mount- ing : for at that time, a great many things are required to be done at once with the greatest exactness. The method of working the horse on the trot and gallop has thus far been given. It has been said to be that, by which the lessons of the colt should be begun. I come now to the more difficult task of describing the foot pace. This will lead me next to describe the manner of working the horse in circles on a walk, which lesson may be begun at this period. To the best of my knowledge, the action of the legs in the walk has never been accurately described by any former writer on the subject. The Duke of Newcastle says,* " a horse, in walking, has two of his feet in the " air, and two upon the ground, which move otherways " at the same time, one fore and one hind foot, which " is the movement of a gentle trot." Dr. Johnson, in his Dictionary of the English language, says, "Inzwalk, " a horse lifts two legs of a side, one after the other, " beginning with the hind leg first." As Dr. Johnson has specified this walk to be made by two legs of a side, beginning with the hind leg, in which he is right, I shall shew that the Duke of Newcastle's account is also right; * See the folio Edition, p. 30. 72 MODE BY WHICH THE HORSE'S WALK WAS DISCOVERED. and that the walk which he describes is begun by the fore-leg. For a horse has the power of walking either way, according to its will. But before so difficult a task is entered upon, perhaps it maybe allowable for me to make a short digression, in order to shew my reader by what chance, the opportunity presented itself of studying it for a length of time, so as to enable me to describe it in that detail, which the intricacy of the subject requires. When my work was thus far in the press, I happened to take a journey over the Welsh mountains, in an open carriage, with my own horses and two out-riders. The horse, on which one of my servants rode, was impa- tient with him, while following the carriage, when going gently. The men were therefore permitted to pass me up and down the hills with their horses on a foot pace. My first motive was the ease of each party, by preventing their horses from being disturbed. But it struck me, that a double purpose might be answered, by the frequent opportunity it afforded me, of observ- ing the motion of their legs in the walk, as they passed. This enabled me to form a more accurate idea of the separate motion of each leg, than had ever before pre- sented itself.* I shall now, by the use of letters and *As it has been mentioned that the journey was made with my own horses — it may also be observed, that when I had gone a considerable ACTION OF THE HORSE IN THE WALK. 73 figures, endeavour to convey to my reader the two different actions of the horse in the walk, which nature distance, it occurred to me to keep an account of the greatest number of miles in which some of my horses' shoes were worn. This I shall now point out, and shall also make other observations, tending to shew the advantage of their fore-shoes being made in the manner recommended in my publication on the mechanism of the horse's foot, in preference to the heels of them being drawn in, so as to cover the extremities of the heels of the foot — a mode too much recommended, and too much practised.* For in proportion to the encrease of the length of the fore shoes, both the spring and the tenacity of the fore foot is diminished. My off side wheel-horse was a large strong footed horse, and was shod before with the thin shoe recommended in page 59 of my pub- lication on that subject. It was steeled at the toe, and the steel extended to the off side quarter, as that horse happened to wear the shoes most on that side. My off side leader was shod in my usual way, and well steeled at the toe. The shoes were kept so wide at the heels, as to permit the frog to touch the ground at first, and to bear entirely upon it at last. When they were about half worn out, they were as slippery as glass ; yet these horses hardly ever made a slip with their fore feet the whole way. For when their shoes became thin by wear, their frogs took almost the same hold of the ground down the hills, as the bare feet of many of the passengers whom we met. The heels of the hind shoes were turned up on the outside quarter, and made i-ather thicker on the inside quarter ; in order that the tread might be more even. The fore shoes of the strong footed horse were moved twice, and repaired on the second moving. Those of the leader were moved once, and wanted no repair. As the part which touched the foot was worn quite flat, they were put into the fire, when moved, so as to give them a gentle heat; and were then hollowed out, in the same manner as they were made at first ; by which they bore only on the outward crust. Both pair were worn out at the same time, and both pair lasted six hundred miles. As I paid particular attention to the shoes myself, as well as to the number of miles, they have been kept by me ever since. Although the distance may seem very great, let it be considered, that the * See Boardraan's Veterinary Dictionary, Plate XXVI. and XXVII. 74 ACTION OF THE HORSE IN THE WALK. has probably dictated for the ease of the limbs. For the centre of gravity is easily and almost imperceptibly wear of shoes kept wide at the heels, so as to let the frog take its share in hitting the blow upon the ground, must be much less, than when the blow is hit every time almost only by the shoe ; which must happen, when it is drawn in at the heels. Let it also be considered, how much less jar is given to the horse, when the foot is permitted to strike upon the cushion given to it by nature for that purpose, with full sufficient guards for its protection. Let the benefit also of the friction of the frog upon the ground be considered, in promoting the circulation of the innumerable blood vessels surrounding the foot bone. It also prevents thrushes, as well as other complaints, which Mr. Boardman (in the article Foot) very properly observes to be brought on by the very means used to defend that part from being injured. In regard to the horses slipping less with these shoes, another instance of it occurred during this journey. A second pair of fore shoes were taken with me for each horse. When the saddle horse, on which I occasion- ally rode myself, had worn out the first shoes, the other pair hap- pened to be too long at the heels, so as to hinder the frog from touching the ground. Thinking that they might not hurt the horse till they wanted moving, they were allowed to be worn ; but it was soon perceived, that the horse slipped continually on the hard road, on which I then hap- pened to ride, as well as on the turf by the side of it, on which it occa- sionally went. Finding the horse go very uneasy to itself, and unsafe with me, it occurred to me to try what difference it would make, were they cut a little shorter. An order was sjven for this to be done, without thinking; it necessary to attend to it myself. The smith did as he was bid ; but, not having been used to see them kept so wide at the heels, he also drew them in, when he shortened them. The length, gained by that, made them as much too long when drawn in, as they were at first, when kept out. The horse consequently could not bear its frog upon the ground, and slipt as much as ever. I then attended to it myself, and saw the shoes taken off once more, and made as wide at the heels, as those that were pulled off. In riding the next day in the same manner over the same ground — no slip was made ; and the horse, which had appeared to go crip- pling, and stumbled, when the shoes were drawn in at the heels; went now as well as ever. THE WALK WITH THE ACTION OF THE PACE. 75 changed, by the will of the horse, so as to produce either the one or the other. One method of walking is by the motion of two legs succeeding on another in the air on one side, instead of being lifted up together, as they are in the quicker motion of the pace. These are in the same manner followed by two legs succeeding one another on the other side, The other method is by the action of the two legs succeeding one another across and across, in- stead of being lifted up at the same instant, as they are in the trot. Let a. b. c. d. be supposed to be the horse's four legs standing evenly upon the ground thus When the foot pace begins naturally, any one of these legs may be lifted up first ; and the walk is continued accordingly. Let that walk be first supposed to take place, which is the action of the pace. Let the rate of going be sup- posed to be very slow ; and let the near hind leg d for instance, be taken up first. This is set down again, short of the place, where c the near fore leg stands — c is lifted up and set down next. These are succeeded in the same manner by b and a on the off side, and the body then gains an almost imperceptible progress. In this very slow walk, there is only one leg in the air at a DC. time. If the walk be begun quickly, J being on the 76 THE WALK WITH THE ACTION OF THE PACE. ground, supposing d the near hind-leg to be lifted up first, as before — c the near fore-leg is taken up instantly after, to make room for it — b is taken up next, the moment after d is set down beyond the place from whence c was taken up. The near fore-leg c is set down next, so as for the two legs on the near side to be on the ground together. The moment after c touches the ground, a the off fore-leg is taken up, to make room for b ; for the latter was before mentioned as being already in air. b is then set down beyond the place which a has quitted, in the same manner as took place on the other side. The instant that b the off hind-leg is set down — which is the moment after a is taken up — d the near hind-leg is also taken up. The off fore-leg a is then set down, so as for the two legs on the off side to be on the ground together, d having been previously taken up, as before mentioned, the same process begins again, by c being lifted up next, to make room for d to be set down, beyond the place which c had quitted. By a little attention to the sound of each foot, as it comes to the ground, they can easily be counted as they come down. Namely, d 1, followed by c 2, ; and these again fol lowed instantaneously by b 3 , and a 4 . In this encreased rate — that is, when two legs are ofT the ground at a time — the motion of the body is rather more visible ; but by no means so easy to be seen, as in many GALLOP FROM THE WALK OF THE PACE. 77 animals, not so compactly made, although possessing greater springs ; the cat for instance, or any of the tiger tribe. This is one way of walking. If the rate of going is to be altered immediately, so as to produce the gallop ; it can be begun either before or behind, as it can from the trot, according to the position of the legs at the moment. For in- D C stance being the four legs as before supposed, let us imagine d the near hind-leg to be set down where c the near fore-leg is taken up from, and b, the off hind-leg, to be in air, followed by a, the off fore-leg being taken up the moment c is set down ; and the gallop to be required when c is coming to the ground.* The latter is then sprung upon as it is set down — and d is sprung upon on the ground ; — so that the horse is all in air in a moment. For an active horse can spring from the ground, as suddenly as a cat can, whence comes the familiar expression, for a horse that happens to possess great powers for springing — it is said to spring like a cat. In order to shew what has been just observed, that at the^ period in which my description was left off, the horse is all in air ; it must be recollected that a the off fore-leg is taken up as it * See page 60, where the gallop is supposed to be begun from the trot by the near fore-leg while in air. L 78 GALLOP BEGUN BY THE FORE PARTS. otherwise would have been, to make room for b, the moment that c the near fore-leg is set down (which is the period at which the gallop is supposed to begin), and that b the off hind-leg is already in air. The two off side-legs b and a, therefore pass the other two as would have happend in the walk, but with this differ- ence— in the walk, the two former pass successively, while the two latter are on the ground : — in the gallop, the two former pass successively, while the two latter are successively in the air. Had the walk continued when c was set down, b would have been set down next, as being the most advanced ; but the centre of gravity having been thrown on the fore parts, and c being sprung upon — a springs as it is taken up, and passing in air, on c coming to the ground ; c leads by the impulse given to c ; and is set down before b.* The grasp being made by the fore legs — d which is already sprung upon from the ground and in air ; and b which is advanced in air, and passing it, are thrown in next, and sprung upon in their turn — d the near hind-leg is set down first * This change in the setting; down of the len.,?ubliilud JanZufiefi iy SJFreem "W.Skelion sculp- AIDS REQUIRED ROUND THE PILLAR JUST AT FIRST. 147 to touch the pillar, should describe the two smallest circles. If the rein be not required to be put on to lead the horse by — -just at first, a man may stand at the horse's near shoulder, with a switch in his hand, ready to take hold of the fixed rein at the mouth piece, if requisite, now and then, with his left hand ; and ready either to touch the horse's nose with the but end of the switch, in his right hand, if it advances too fast; or to hit a blow on the back part of the horse's arm, if inclined to run back. He should keep close to the pillar, stepping backwards in the circle as the horse advances. As the action is meant to be the same, when going round the pillar, as when going round the walls, the horse should be bent to the right, and should cross its legs in four tracks to the left. This makes a variety in the lesson, and is very useful to those horses, that are apt to piaffe with their fore legs, hardly moving their hind legs — it also prevents them from retaining themselves. It is more severe than when done in larger circles along the walls, and is a greater stress to the hind parts ; so that these lessons should not be practised, till the horse is nearly dressed. This lesson may be done either with long or short reins, according as the horse seems to require it.* * The horses in this Plate are represented as doing it either to the right or to the left, and are supposed to be supple enough to require only 148 ACTION ROUND THE PILLAR WITH THE HEAD TO IT. The next lesson, which is that of putting the horse's head to the pillar, is more easily done by the short reins, with a man at the pillar (as at No. I in this Plate) ; as it requires the driver to go too large a circle, when done with the long reins. In this case, the black reins must be put on, in the same manner as the rope reins were in the last lesson ; but instead of the near side rein being put through the ring at the pillar, it should be taken hold of very short by the man, who should stand close to the pillar, keeping the pillar between himself and the horse. This rein is only wanted just at first, in order to prevent the too great severity of the rope rein. If a rein be requisite, just at first, to lead the horse by, another man should stand before the horse and have his rein buckled to the front part of the off side mouth piece to lead it by. The man, at the horse's near shoulder, should hold the near side rein almost close to the eye of the snaffle. He must regulate his off rein to such a length, that while he holds it, he may also have the use of the switch in his right hand. With these aids, he should bring the horse's head pretty close to the pillar, in order to make its fore parts describe the two smallest circles, and its hind parts the two largest. The driver must the aids of the driver's long reins, so as for him to keep their plie. His own time, in going round the pillar, is of course regulated by the time he wishes the horse to take in going round it in the piaffe. Tlato X N°. N°: ffJB.lfuLm del. London, Published Jan'x.xSob' by S.Frccman . TV.Skeiton sculp. REINS ALTERED WHEN THE HORSE IS PERFECT. 149 stand on the near side, and give the aid of his whip on the near side flank. After a time, the driver may take the place of the man at the pillar, and hold the pillar rein only in his left hand, and the black rein on the off side in his right hand.* When difficulty no longer occurs in doing these lessons, another alteration may be put in practice for both of them. But this is still more severe, and should never be done till a horse is perfectly supple. By this I mean, that the pillar rein, instead of being buckled to the mouth piece on the near side, may be passed over the horse's shoulders, and be buckled to the mouth piece on the offside. The man at the horse's near shoulder will then make use of a black rein on the near side, by taking hold of it very short in his left hand ; and the driver will have only the aid of his whip behind, so long as that is necessary — but this is the very touchstone of art. If the whip behind can be dispensed with, the driver should stand at the horse's shoulders for this purpose. When I say the driver, I mean the master ; for the driver is the only man who should speak and regulate the whole. Having only the black rein on the near side to hold in his left hand, his right hand will be at liberty to give the aids of the switch. In going head in and croup out, if the horse be inclined to come round too fast, the rein may * See Plate, No. I. 150 CROUP TO THE PILLAR. be held forwards and towards its jaws — it must conse- quently be pushed from the man. For the near side rein now regulates the whole, by being held towards or from the driver, as occasion may require. — The aids of the switch may be given either by being held at the horse's nose, if it hurries round too much ; or occasionally by striking the horse either across the body or on the rump, if the hind parts do not work enough. The pillar rein may be put on in the same manner, when going with its head to the pillar, when the horse is tolerably perfect in that lesson. The driver when at the pillar, with the help of the near side rein only, in his hand, must then of course bring the fore parts towards himself, as before mentioned for that lesson. In the next lesson, which is that of going with its croup to the pillar, the long reins may be put on again as when going in the lesson of head in and croup out. But the pillar rein must in this lesson be buckled to the off side mouth piece, for the horse must be on the con- trary side of the pillar to that on which it is in the former lesson, so as to be between the man and the pillar." A man may lead it by a black rein on the near side, if requi- site, in order to keep its head out from the pillar, as far as the pillar rein will permit it. The driver must give the aids of the whip on the near side when going to the * See Plate, No. II. work in hand for a supple horse. 151 right. He must pull his off rein, more or less, when he touches the horse with his whip, in order to aid it in holding haunches, so as for the off side flank nearly to touch the pillar. The hind legs will consequently describe the two smallest circles, and be most con- strained, and the fore legs the two largest. He must walk rather fast himself, as he will have to describe the largest circle. The rings at the side of the pillar5 are only required for occasional use, when the horse can bear to have the off side rein tied to them, instead of being held in the driver's hand, when bent to the right in piaffing, de Jerme aferme. The only aids, then required, are those of the whip, and the switch at their different places by two men ; or it may be done with aid of the switch only, by the driver standing at the pillar, and occasionally touch- ing the horse's nose with the butt end of it, or striking the ground, or the saddle, with the other end. Less and less is required, in proportion as the horse gets more and more supple. When perfectly so, it may be driven on the piaffe, with two long reins, by only one man with its head to the wall, and from thence occasion- ally upon the volts. Having made two or three volts on the piaffe, or in terre a terre, in the middle of the house, it may be brought back to the wall without stopping, and from thence may be made to turn and piaffe down ■ 152 A SUPPLE HORSE DRIVEN WITH LONG REINS ONLY. the middle. In the turn, perhaps a man may be placed, so as to meet it, and may be required to accompany it down the middle just at first, with only the aid of the switch, without any rein. From thence taking hold, just at first, of the driver's near side rein close to the mouth piece, he may do the same thing as before described, when a black rein was put on — namely, hold it close to the horse's jaw, and make it go sideways to the wall en chevalant, and from thence to the pillar.* This part may also be frequently done by only the aids of the switch, without the driver's rein being touched by the other man. Indeed, I have frequently done the whole of it, without any aid at all from another man. If the man takes hold of the near side rein at this time, the driver should not let it go out of his hand ; so that the horse's progress need not be stopped a moment for those occasional aids. When the horse is so highly dressed as to be able to do all this, the aids are very few, and should be delicately given — for, (if I may be allowed to resume the comparison,) as the better the sails are set, and the less the rudder is touched, the better the ship will go, so the less the reins are touched, and the more nicely the whip is managed, the better the horse will go ; for the whip is the sail and the reins are the rudder. * See page 130. [ 153] CHAPTER III. THE ART OF MOUNTING ON HORSEBACK, AND DISMOUNTING, WITH THE GREATEST EASE TO THE RIDER, AND WITH THE LEAST DISTURBANCE TO THE HORSE. AIDS REQUIRED BY THE RIDER FOR SO DOING. OBSERVATIONS ON THE DIFFERENT LENGTH OF STIRRUPS SUITED TO DIFFERENT PURPOSES. DESCRIPTION OF THE SEAT OF THE RIDER WHILE HIS HORSE IS STANDING STILL. In attempting to mount a colt there is a certain method to be pursued, which, though seldom put in practice, ought strictly to be adhered to. At that time, every thing should be done as much by degrees — as quietly— and as slowly as possible. — If any confusion prevail, by every one not being exactly in their places — the colt, which you wish to keep as quiet as possible, will be frightened by the hurry of those around it. I merely pre- mise this, as some excuse for the dry detail, which this chapter will consist of. For, before the man can ride a horse properly, that is zmtaught, he ought to be tho- roughly taught himself. Let us therefore first consider the man as the scholar, going to mount a horse, so quiet, that the frequent practice upon its back, of those 154 PARTICULARS TO BE ATTENDED TO. instructions which are necessary for the rider, gives it no disturbance. Lucky it is for both parties, where such a horse falls to his lot ; for otherwise, the horse is apt to be spoiled, long before the man is taught. The rider should, properly, have two men to help him, while the master is giving the lesson. The utmost obedience should be paid to the master, and no other voice be heard. I shall now shew the method in which the horse ought to be brought into the house, and repeat a few observations, which have been made before. If a common saddle be put on, the stirrups should always be put through one another, over the pommel, before the horse is led out of the stable. This should be a general rule, either in leading a horse in or out of the riding house. A crupper should invariably be used, for reasons before mentioned ; when a breast- plate is wanted, a crupper should also be used, in order to keep the saddle in its place. With these two aids, the girths may be quite loose ; for, as before observed, the play of the horseman's body would otherwise be lost.* The bridle should be put on of such a length in the cheeks of the headstall, as for the mouth piece neither to gag the horse by being placed too high, nor to rest upon the tushes by being placed too low. But particular care should be taken not to let the * See page 22. HOW THE OFF SIDE REIN MAY BE PUT ON. 155 throat-band be too tight — a fault too common — and which is particularly distressing to a manage horse, while in action — for it is doubly tight, when the horse is bending. — If a curb bridle be used for manage riding, instead of its being accompanied by a bridoon, the buckle and strap with the ring to it, should be fastened to the offside of the mouth piece of the bit. For this purpose it should be twisted round the branch above and below the mouth piece, and be firmly buckled there. A black rein should afterwards be passed through the ring of it, and be buckled to that part of the front of the bridle, where it joins the cheek, so as to embrace both the front and the cheek at that part. This may either be done so, or another buckle and strap being put on there, the rein having been put through the ring at the mouth piece may be put through that ring also, and be brought from thence to the saddle. It may either be put on thus ; or having passed the rein through the ring of the buckle and strap at the mouth piece, it may immediately be buckled to the saddle. This should be done selon le besogne du cheval. The other end should be tied in a knot, and be of such a length as the rider may require. These things being properly done, the man should lead the horse from the stable to the riding house, by holding, with his right hand, either the near side rein, or the headstall, whichever he finds requisite. 156 OBSERVATIONS BEFORE THE HORSE IS LED IN. When arrived at the door, he should always make a! point of looking through the pane of glass, in order to see that no horse is passing, so as to impede his opening it with his left hand. As the horse is now going to be led into the house, I must repeat my obser- vation on the absolute necessity there is, for an exact obedience being paid to any order that may be given to the man who leads it. At this time he should change his hands frequently in leading, as occasion may require it. Many things seem so plain, that they appear hardly to be worthy of observation ; yet they are seldom attended to. For instance, as before observed, every one knows that the effect of pulling two reins is to stop, and that of pulling one rein is to turn, yet it is seldom practised ; for when one rein is pulled, in order to turn the horse, the other is seldom given. Another obser- vation might also be made on what is not in general at- tended to. In leading — or in riding a horse — when its head is turned towards a person, its tail must of course be put from him. This, although so very common, cannot be too often thought of, in order to prevent many accidents which would occur without it ; in a riding house especially, where only a given space is allowed for such particular movements, and where the greatest nicety is required in choosing the ground on which the horse is to work. DIRECTIONS, AS SOON AS THE HORSE IS LED IN. 157 Having premised this, I shall open the door of the riding house, with such directions, as will shew the im- mediate importance of the observation. The man must, on entering, lead his horse towards the pillar with his right hand : he should then, as he goes along, come before the horse, and, changing sides, lead his horse with the left hand to the left-hand wall, leaving the pillar close upon his right hand. Having arrived at the wall, he should continue along it, with the horse nearest the wall, till he comes almost to the circular end. — By lead- ing the horse with .the right hand on entering the house, if it be unsteady by being above its work, (or for any other reason) the croup can immediately be put to the right-hand wall. For if it springs while the man holds it — as the head is retained, so will the croup advance of course ; and if held in the left hand, according to the observation which has just been made, the croup will in that case be foremost before it can be put to the short wall on the left. The horse may then run back if it chooses, possibly to the great annoyance of those who may be riding there. By the hand being changed while the horse is leading, the same advantage is taken of the long wall on the left hand, as might be taken of the right-hand wall on entering, if requisite. While the horse is leading along this left-hand wall, the man is at liberty to turn with it at any time, so as to be totally out T 158 AVOIDING ANOTHER HORSE WHEN MEETING OR PASSING. of the way, if another horse be coming along the wall either way. When that happens — the man, having turned one horse's length, should lead the horse one circle entire round his own centre. This brings it back again to the same place, and allows the other horse this interval to pass in. If nothing happens to be in the way, when nearly at the circular end, he should turn with it into the middle of the house. Being arrived there — without stopping and without quitting his hold on the off side, he should advance a little before the horse, and take hold ot the near side rein with his right hand, and should stop the horse chiefly with that near side rein. If it be led in with a curb bridle, the man's right hand, when he stops the horse, should be put as close as possible to the end of the branch ; so as to pinch the ring with his finger and thumb. It should be taken hold of equally close to the eye of a running snaffle, in case that bridle be put on. By this, the horse will stop with one haunch a little in, and consequently with its shoulders presented to the rider. In this position it should be made to stand upon all four legs. All this may seem too much detail, but experience has shewn me the absolute necessity of putting it in practice exactly. The following remarks ought still more precisely to be attended to, for want of which I have known the rider have the greatest difficulty in FUt&JL. H.B.CkaLon. del-. X.o7ido?L .JFuiTzshal JarLj.3-800 hy SJirccmtoh. W. Skeltmi Si uZp HORSE HELD READY TO BE MOUNTED. 159 getting on horseback — indeed I have seen instances in which he has been put into the greatest danger ; and has, for a time, absolutely given it up. — What has just been observed (namely, that when a horse's head is held one way, the croup must of course be the other), should here be particularly remembered : for, in general, the man who holds the horse, standing on the off side, pulls its head towards himself — if the horse does not stand still, he pulls it still more towards himself. At this time he totally forgets the danger into which he puts the man who is going to mount, by placing the croup of the horse so much nearer to him, as to put it still more out of his power to accomplish it — for the horse, thus held, is exactly in the proper position, either to kick the horseman, or to tread upon his foot with its hind leg. When the horse stands properly upon all four legs, if there be two men to help the man who is going to mount, one of them should stand before the horse, and hold its head towards the rider, by putting his left hand a little towards himself, and pushing his right hand a little from himself. By this act, the croup will be from the rider. But most frequently the less the horse is held the better. In a case, where the horse was apt to run back violently, I have sometimes seen the stick with the strap at the end of it brought into use with very good effect. It should be buckled to the 160 POSITION OF THE MAN HOLDNG THE STIRRUP. eye of the snaffle on the near side, or be twisted round the cheeks of a curb bridle above and below the mouth piece ; which is the best way of buckling it to its place. The man should stand in a sidling position towards the horse's near shoulder. He should be rather before the horse; and hold the stick with his left hand the forwardest. He should pull it towards himself; and endeavour to keep the horse's head towards the person who is about to mount. The stick being buckled on the near side enables him to put the horse's cvou^from the man who is going to mount. He should raise the head so high as for the horse to have its nose quite in the air. It is then in an impossibility of running back. But violent remedies should seldom be made use of, and are seldom necessary. If there be only one man to hold the horse, he should stand on the off side of it almost close to the girths, taking hold of the headstall of the bridle, as well as he can reach it, with his right hand extended, and pushing it gently from him.* The nearer he stands to the girths the safer he will be in case the horse advances to strike him. If it happens to be impatient, and moves its posi- tion a little, while the rider on the other side is going to mount, he should invariably accompany it quite close, * Where the arm was too short for this purpose, I have known the aid of the but end of the whip, or switch, called in Avith success, by pushing the cheek of the headstall with it from himself. THE RIDER PREPARING TO MOUNT. l6l without letting go the stirrup leather. For if upon this the man gets rather further off, he is in a possibility of being struck by the horse ; but hardly otherwise. If he moves his position at all, fearing that he should be struck at by the horse's hind leg, he should only go a little nearer to its shoulders ; for the horse cannot strike him sideways with its fore legs. In this case, (properly) another man should be called in, who should hold the reins as before described.* The man on the offside should then resume his former position close to the girths. The horse being held very close to the eyes of the snaffle, or to the rings of the curb bridle, let the rider, with a switch in his right hand, with the point held downwards, come quietly up to it, till he stands facing the horse's shoulder. His left hand is then at liberty, with which he may caress the horse, if it stands quietly. If a curb bridle be put on. let him take hold of that part of the reins where they are sewed together. For this purpose he should bring his right hand in front of that part of the rein of the bridle which is lying on the neck of the horse. With his thumb on the under side, and his finger on the upper side of this rein, let him pinch this part firmly. The rein on each side of the horse's neck will then be held at an even distance from his hand to the rings of the bit. His arm * See page 159- 162 BRIDLE TAKEN HOLD OF BEFORE MOUNTING. should then be extended upwards, till the reins are so far straight as for him to feel the bit without acting upon it : for if the bit be at all acted upon, it might occasion the horse to run back. While he is doing this, the man who stands before the horse should let go his reins for a moment. The left hand of the rider must then be lifted up almost close to his right hand. Putting two lingers quite home between the reins, let the other two fingers, (namely, the fore finger and middle finger), feel the off side rein on the outside of it, and let the thumb feel the outside of the near side rein.* Let his left hand, as above described, be then slipped downwards along the reins till it touches the mane of the horse. At this pe- riod, the end of the reins held by the right hand must be thrown out of that hand on the off side of the horse's neck. If a running snaffle be put on, instead of a curb bridle, * In the old method of riding, the little finger only was put between the two reins ; but it cannot be too often repeated, than when a direction is to be given by pulling one rein only, the other rein cannot be given (that is slackened) too much. The power is not the same in creating this effect, when one finger only is put between the reins, as when Uvo fingers are put between them. For supposing, for instance, that when the rider is mounted, his left hand is to be carried towards his right hand, with his nails upwards ; the left rein would be more shortened, and the right rein more slackened, exactly in proportion to the number of fingers that are put between these two reins. The power of stopping a horse is also increased by it. POSITION OF THE MAN GOING TO MOUNT. 163 the rider must take hold of the near side rein, where it is buckled, or tied, to the off side rein. Holding this up in his right hand, he must put his left hand underneath it close to his right hand, and taking hold of it loosely, quite home in his left hand, he must slip that hand down again along the rein, till it touches the mane. He must then throw the remainder of the rein from his right hand, on the offside of the neck of the horse. Let him then hold up a lock of the mane with his right hand, and taking hold of it also with his left hand placed under- neath his right hand, he should twist it firmly round the fore finger of his left hand, and bring the remainder of it within that hand. The switch should then be put. quite home into his left hand, and the mane be firmly grasped by his finger and thumb. This is absolutely necessary to be attended to, being, as it were, one of the pivots, upon which he must afterwards turn in mounting. His right hand being quite disengaged — with his body in an upright, easy position, let him throw his right shoulder back, and turn gently and gracefully upon his left leg on his own centre till his back comes almost op- posite to the side of the horse's head ; or, as M. le Comte Drummond de Melfort expresses it, " qiiilfasse un demi a droiteT He must then put the poize of his body on his right leg — advancing his right shoulder again, let him take hold of the stirrup leather with his right hand just 164 MODE OF ASCERTAINING HIS DISTANCE IN MOUNTING. above the iron. The part which hangs outwards should then be presented towards his left leg, which should be lifted up for the purpose at the same instant, and put into the stirrup. If all this be properly attended to, it will be the best method of ascertaining the distance he should stand from the horse. His body being then brought back, till he stands perfectly upright, he is at liberty to make a spring or two, if requisite, on his right leg, and at the next instant to bring his right arm forwards and take hold of the offside of the cantel of the saddle with that hand ; so that if his distance happens not to be exactly taken, this will ascertain it. He should spring up, so as to bring his right leg in air even with his left leg, and ready to be thrown across at the next instant. If there be two men to help the rider, the man on the off side should take hold of the stirrup leather with both hands thus : — the right hand should be placed close to the stirrup iron, and the left hand just above the right hand. When the rider puts his foot into the stirrup, the left hand should be slipped up the leather close to the iron upon which they are suspended, in a common saddle, pinching them at the buckle, which should always be brought up to that part. If it be a peak saddle, his hand should be slipped up close to the bur.* The stirrup leather in this part must be pinched as firm as possible between * See Plate XI. Plate -C! KJB.OiaLem. lei. X ondan ,Tublislmdj Jan?. i ±8 06, Tyy SJ'r&cman. W.SkeltoTb sculp. STIRRUP HELD AND PRESENTED TO THE RIDER. 165 his finger and thumb, which should be kept upwards for that purpose. This will enable him to bear from his knuckles to his elbow, against the horse's side firmly and concavely ; leaning on the stirrup leather with his whole weight. — Before the rider throws his leg across, his right hand should be shifted from the cantel to the bur, with his fingers on the inside, and his thumb on the outside of the bur. While he is doing this, the man holding the stirrup leather should slip his left hand down again, in proportion as he feels his counter- poize less wanted. This must be done quickly; his hand will then be out of the way of the horseman's thigh. At that time, the right hand should be taken away from the stirrup iron, which should be presented by the /^//.hand to the rider's foot. That part of the stirrup leather, which hangs outwards, should for this purpose be held towards the horseman's leg, ready for him to put his foot into the stirrup, when he raises his toes for that purpose. When he has a man to assist him in mounting, his girths should be only so tight as just to admit his hand, if he puts it between them. For it cannot be too often repeated, that tight girths should always be avoided in a riding house ; as the pressure of them prevents the horse from bending so much as is required ; and is fre- quently the occasion of its back being set up, besides u ^66 PRACTICE IN MOUNTING. other bad consequences before remarked. In my de- scription of the implements, it was mentioned that the bottom part of the stirrup iron should be made hollow, in order to receive the ball of the foot, and to prevent it from slipping ;* as being the principal pivot upon which his body is to turn while mounting. The rider being then in his seat — with his right hand still on the bur of the peak saddle, (or on the pommel of a plain saddle,) and his left hand not having yet quitted hold of the mane, let him throw his leg back again over the horse's croup for practice. For this purpose, he must first press his weight on his right hand, and on his left leg ; and then bring his right leg close to his left leg, (in air,) and his right hand back to the cantel. For the better practising of this, a portmanteau might be put on to the horse's croup, if the rider be a military man ; and he should practise it frequently, in order to be able to throw his leg over the largest quantity of baggage that is ever put upon a horse, without disturbing the poize of his body, and without interrupting the two pivots upon which it acts, by stooping too forwards. If I may be allowed the comparison, this is like a writing master's teaching a scholar to write a round text hand — slowly at first — in order, that by thus forming his letters large, and of a good shape, he may afterwards be able to form * See page 28, and Plate IV. No. 14- PRACTICE IN MOUNTING. \67 them in a smaller hand, of the same good shape, quickly, and gracefully. — When the rider has practised getting up and down at two times, sufficiently to be able to keep the poize of his body in doing it slowly — at the time that his right leg is in air, let him bring it to the ground again. With his left hand to the mane, as before, and his left leg in the stirrup, let him then make two or three bounds upon his right leg. With the spring acquired by this, he must throw his right leg at once, as high as possible, over the horse's croup, till in his seat ; placing his right hand (at the different times,) as before directed. This must be tried on a very quiet horse, and I recommend his throwing it high, only for the trial, and in case of necessity. For having done this for practice, he will be able to do it with greater ease to himself, and consequently with less disturbance to his horse, when less exertion is required.* * This can never be done gracefully with a short stirrup — nor can it be done so quickly. The shorter the stirrup is, the more effort the man must make to lift himself from the ground. For he cannot, with equal ease spring upon the ground two or three times for practice, as has been recom- mended, in order to give his body that proper equilibrium, which enables him to throw his leg steadily over a quantity of baggage. I will venture to say, that a man practising in the way that is here mentioned, with a stirrup of a moderate length, will spring up infinitely more quickly and more gracefully, than with a shorter stirrup. I will also venture to say, that the poize of his body will be better kept, while throwing his leg over. 168 THE RIDER MOUNTED — WITH HIS HORSE STANDING STILL. The rider being now again in his seat, should let go the mane ; keeping the bridle in his left hand, where he took hold of it. Before he takes hold of the offside rein, he should bring his right hand over his left hand, and take the switch gently out of it, turning the point downwards as he brings it back. He should then let his elbow fall easily down, for his hand to take hold of the off side rein. While the rider is changing his switch, the man who held the stirrup, should take hold of that rein loosely, in order to give it into the rider's hand. The man who stands before the horse, should now quit his hold of the rider's bridle, and stand still by the horse, and encourage the horse to stand still, till the rider has adjusted his bridle of such a length, as to be able to give the horse all its head, at first setting off; for he should feel his horse's mouth as soon as he has taken a step or This will abundantly compensate for all the advantages that are said to be gained, by the leg being more easily thrown over the baggage, when standing on a short stirrup — for his body cannot be so firm. The power therefore, which is gained by the shortness of the stirrup, is lost by the unsteadiness of the body. For a man cannot venture to stoop his body so low when crossing his leg over in a short stirrup, as he can on one rather longer, and he can only lift his leg up in proportion as he stoops his body for that purpose. It must also be remarked, that a man who has a short stirrup to get up by, does it most by the pull of his arm, whereas the man who gets up by rather a longer stirrup, does it most by the spring of his leg. But of the length of the stirrups for different purposes, I shall have occasion to say more hereafter, MODE OF ADJUSTING HIS REINS BEFORE HE SETS OFF. |69 two, but not before; since (as before observed) the switch is the sail, and the reins are the rudder. The reins should no more be used, before the horse is put in motion (either by speaking to it, or by the switch,) than the rudder of a ship should be used before the sails are set. If a curb bridle be used, the same mode should in some measure be adopted in adjusting the reins to their length, as was done in first taking hold of them. For this purpose, let the finger and thumb of the right hand find that part where the reins are sewed together : — pinching that part firmly, and holding the right hand up with his thumb facing the horse's ears, let the left hand be slipped forwards along the reins, till it comes a little beyond the front of the saddle. The reins being then thrown from the right hand, and the curb bridle being adjusted; let the left hand help the right hand in settling the length of the offside rein, which I men- tioned should be put on to it : — this should be held rather more forward than the curb rein, as it is a running rein. If a running snaffle be put on — when the offside rein is given into the right hand of the rider, it must be pulled through that hand, by the help of his left hand, till the length is adjusted. In the same manner, by the help of his right hand, he must slip the near side rein through his left hand, to the length he requires it. When running reins are made use of, no positive 170 LENGTH OF THE STIRRUPS, directions can be given about the precise length at which they should be held. This must depend on the manner in which they are put on. For the reins should be held proportionably shorter at first, according to the number of levers to be made use of ; as there is so much more rein in proportion to come into the hands, when begun to be used. In that case, it is frequently requisite that they should be held very short at first, and the arm be put much more forward than is otherwise right ; for when it is intended to turn the horse directly, the right hand should be held almost close to. the mouth piece, and the left arm be proportionably advanced, to give the near side rein. If fewer levers are made use of, (by both reins being only put through the eyes of the snaffle up to the head,) they need not be held so short. The length of the stirrups should be determined by the horseman when seated. He should place himself just as easily on his saddle, as he would naturally do, were he on the bare back of his horse ; raising the ball of his foot easily as soon as he is seated, in order to put it into the stirrup. This part when easily supported by his stirrup, should be nearly on a level with his heel. The rider should now sit with his limbs perfectly loose. Nothing can better demonstrate the absolute necessity of this, than by supposing a possible, and sometimes a probable Why OF THE LENGTH HERE MENTIONED. 171 case, if he be seated on a high-couraged horse, or on an unsteady one, or perhaps both. I will suppose, that without the least notice to the rider, at first setting off, a bound is suddenly made in the one case ; and a plunge attempted in the other. The rider, in the first instance, far from being discomposed, would only be put lower in his seat. For his limbs, being so loose, would fall still lower, in proportion to the hollowness, which by this exertion is made in the horse's back. If the back be set up in the second instance, it is still more requi- site to sit loose ; as nothing is so difficult to sit, as a horse that sets up its back suddenly, and attempts to plunge, without doing so. The most difficult next to that is, when it really makes the plunge by setting up its back. In both cases, nothing can save the horseman but his sitting perfectly loose — for the length of his fork is then undiminished below, and his whole body undisturbed above, so long as neither his legs nor his elbows, are lifted up by any exertion of his own. The length of the stirrups, by the directions that have been given, will be such, as that the legs of the rider can find them without disturbing his seat, in every exertion which the horse makes. For instance, let a horse be made to rise without a rider on its back, but with only the stirrups hanging loosely from the peak-saddle. The different parts of the sides of the horse, which these 172 THE MODE OF DETERMINING LENGTH OF STIRRUP. stirrups will touch, in proportion to the height it rises, will determine exactly where the position of the horse- man's legs should be, and consequently the length of his stirrups, so as to let the ball of his foot rest easily on the hollow of the stirrup iron. If they are too short, the horseman will not be able to get his legs far enough back, without violently pressing upon them ; if they are too long, he will not be able to get them back with- out dropping his toes so much lower than his heels, as to run the risk of losing them. In either case, the muscles of the thighs and legs must be stiffened ; and when any one part is stiffened, the poize of the body is presently gone.* Having now put the horseman com- * Taking them as a body, no men ride so well as hack postilions, who are obliged to sit loose and throw their bodies back, when they happen to have horses which will not advance, so as to touch their collar. In this case they are obliged also to give them all their heads at first setting oflf; for if the rein were pulled by the least possible touch, the horse would never advance. Let any one observe the length of the stirrups of those poslilions who ride horses of this description, which are often the highest couraoed — if they are too short, they would lose their seat in throwing their bodies back ; for the position of their legs would be more horizontal —if they are too long, their own ease would not be consulted, — for they would not be able to sit what is called the New-Market hitch; that is to say, so far to press upon their stirrups in the trot, as only to touch the saddle at every other bound. When this is mostly done by the action of the horse, so as for the man to use no more effort of his own, than by leaning his body a little more forward, (which of course throws him rather more off his saddle,) it is the greatest ease both to himself and to his horse. In the same DISADVANTAGE OF TOO SHORT STIRRUPS. 173 pletely in his seat, I shall make a few observations, on the different lengths of stirrups, suited to different pur- poses. In order to corroborate my opinion of the dis- advantages of the shortness of the stirrups used by our cavalry, in opposition to the advantages said to be gained by them, I shall quote the sentiments of M. le Conte Drummond de Melfort. He says* -• Si ce n'etoit ' pas fronder le sentiment general des officiers de ' cavalerie, qui sont convaincus, au point que rien 5 ne pourroit les en dissuader, que les cavaliers, pour ' bien assener un coup de sabre, doivent necessairement ' avoir leurs etriers courts, j'entreprendrois de donner ' des raisons que je crois capables de persuader, du ' moins ceux qui preferent qu'on leur montre la verite; ' a la folle ambition de vouloir toujours que les autres ' donnent dans leur sens." After so far agreeing with those, who are in favour of short stirrups, as to be of opi- nion, that the stirrups of an officer. of cavalry, may be rather shorter than those of a manage-rider, he goes on by saying, " mais ci ces memes etriers, plus releves qu'on " ne viLnt de le dire, forcent le cavalier a s'asseoir pres manner, I consider it much more easy, when a race horse or a hunter are at full speed, for the body of the man to be so far advanced, as for him not to touch the saddle at all. For in proportion as his body is advanced, his legs must go back ; he is therefore said to stand upon his stirrups, which in fact he does — but of this more hereafter. ■ * See his Traite sur la Cavalerie, p. 27. X 174 DISADVANTAGE OF TOO SHORT STIRRUPS. " de l'arcon de derriere, et que dans l'attente de l'eve- " nement d'une bataille, ou d'un combat de cavalerie, *■•■ oil, d'apres le principe reeu d'avoir les etriers courts, " le cavalier soit a meme, pour ce cas seulement, d'en " tirer avantage, et qu'en attendant que cet evenement " puisse avoir lieu, tous les cavaliers soient forces d'avoir " leur assiette trop en arriere, et les jambes trop en " avant ; je me recrierai sur cette premiere inconse- " quence, qui force toute la cavalerie a etre toute la vie " mal placee a cheval, pour ne tirer avantage de cette " position defectueuse qu'un jour, peut-etre, en deux " ou trois compagnes." This perhaps somewhat re- sembles the remarks I might make on our own cavalry, though from a different cause. For the inclined plane on which (as before described) the dragoons sit, as their saddles are now made/1' would force their seat too forward, were it not counteracted by the shortening of the stirrups ; so that instead of their being in a possibi- lity of getting their legs back, they are thrown forwards, in the best position for spurring their horse's shoulders, and in the worst for any other purpose. Ourecavalry having a double disadvantage, both from the shortness of their stirrups, and the make of their saddles, must bound upon them, when the horse makes a sudden jerk, as is too frequently seen. Nay, I will venture to say, that if * See page 21. LENGTH OF STIRRUPS FOR DIFFERENT PURPOSES. 175 a horse were first to rise, and then to launch out with a horseman on its back in this position — if the slightest touch were given to him sideways, upon either shoulder, it would throw him off in an instant. The disadvantage of short stirrups in mounting and dismounting, with ease and expedition, has before been mentioned. Having already pleaded my excuse, for the observa- tions that may be made concerning our cavalry, I shall now take the liberty of making a personal digression, as it appears applicable to my subject, and then return to it again. Some years ago, I had so very severe an accident, as to oblige me to forego the pleasure of hunting. In consulting my own ease, in order to enable me to enjoy as often as I wished, what was my greatest amusement, I pursued the following plan. The saddle on which I rode my hackney to cover, was made ship shape* and my stirrups were of the length before described ; and thus I sat at ease au fond de la selle. My hunter's saddle was generally made a little straighter. My reason for this was, in order that it might keep the better in its place, without the use of a crupper ; as it is necessary for the girths to be so tight, as for the rider to be able to get on and off in a moment, as occasion might require ; and sometimes whether the horse will stand still or not. This is the only case in which I * See Plate IV. No. 2, and note, p. 25. 176 DIGRESSION. think tight girths are allowable, and consequently a crup- per unnecessary. For if the girths be tight — a crupper, upon any sudden spring, is liable either to gall the horse's tail, or to snap ; which last would frequently occur in the exertion of leaping. The stirrups on my hunting saddle were put one hole shorter, so that ray legs could not be kept quite so far back, unless my body was a little bent forwards by rising upon them, when in full gallop, so as to make one line perpendicular from my hips to my heels. When in this position, I was just clear of my saddle. My legs being so far back, and my position but little elevated, it was still firm enough to allow me, the free use of my arms, to direct the horse in any way without pulling at its mouth. By this, the bars retained their sensibility, whenever they were required to be acted upon, as a direction for the horse either to slacken its rate, to stop, or to turn. Had I been sitting easily upon the saddle, with my stirrups one hole longer, my natural position would have been one straight line nearly perpendicular from my shoulders to my heels. Being elevated upon the stirrups only sufficiently to clear the saddle, when my body was stooped forwards in the full gallop — my legs, as before observed, were allowed to go so much further back as to make a straight line perpendicular from my hips to my heels. My position was therefore firm, with the least constraint. COMPARATIVE DIGRESSION. 177 This was the more necessary, when it was frequently requisite to be kept as still as possible in this position, for some length of time during the chase, unless interrupted by leaps. When a leap presented itself, my stirrups were not so short, as to prevent my sitting easily down, and throwing my body as far back as was necessary, resuming my former position instantaneously after- wards. If they had been so short as those of our cavalry, and my body of course a chateau branlant, it would have been equally impossible for me to have kept my seat, without continually pulling at my horse's mouth for that purpose only. This is so frequently done, (by English sportsmen especially) that foreigners say of us very properly, " cut an Englishman's bridle " and he will fall off directly." The above digression has been introduced, in order to shew what a similarity takes place in a party of cavalry, pursuing an enemy. The ease of a soldier should be as much consulted, as the ease of a sportsman. The latter may change his position at pleasure ; may ride home in his stirrups, so as to alter his position for his own ease ; may stand up in them, or not, as he likes; and has the free use of both his hands to guide his horse with. The dragoon must absolutely sit in the same position, frequently for a length of time. If he be confined and cramped by the shortness of his stirrups, he cannot help himself; for 178 BAD EFFECTS OF TOO SHORT STIRRUPS. neither his stirrups, nor the make of his saddle, will permit him to put his legs back. How absolutely necessary is it, that he should be firm in his position, particularly at times when his life is doubly endangered, by the uncertainty of the ground he has to gallop over, and by the leaps he may have to take, when pur- suing, or being pursued by an enemy ? Add to this, that when in a body — all possible regularity, circum- stances considered, is to be preserved, so as for the line to be kept unbroken. The position of the dragoon, in pursuit of his enemy, is nearly the same as that which I have mentioned, for the sportsman when at full speed. — In proportion as the body is thrown forwards, the lower parts must be stiffened. The higher therefore the knees are, the greater their tendency to slide up to the pommel of the saddle, if the horse makes the least false step ; or by any sudden jerk or spring ; et alors ilfaut avoir recours a la main. With this help, (the disadvantages of which Mr. de Melforthas very properly pointed out) the horseman might venture to throw his body more forward than when his stirrups were rather longer ; but he is too much a chateau branlant to do it without this aid. The disadvantages therefore, are fairly pointed out by him, and I think are worthy of consideration. In speaking of the advantages of rather longer stirrups, he says very properly, that the rider BAD EFFECTS OF SHORT STIRRUPS. 179 ■• tenant son cheval entre ses cuisses, ses jarrets, et ses " jambes" sits so steadily as to be able to guide his horse with one hand, while he directs his sabre with the other. Let it also be considered, that where neither the bridle nor the mane are wanted to be held as points d'appuie — when he stands on his stirrups his body is unconfined. For his position is as firm, as if standing on the ground. Let us therefore suppose him on the ground ; and that he is required to pull at some fixed object by a cord held in his left hand, while he leans forwards, to make a cut with the sabre in his right hand. Let him try whether he can reach his object with his arm stretched out, as exactly as if his whole body were unconfined, and his left hand at ease. In this last instance, he has the free use of both shoulders, to help him to exert, with the greatest force, the muscles of that shoulder, the arm of which is to be directed with the greatest strength, and with the greatest exactness. Can this be counterbalanced by the advantage he can be said to lose, for want of a little more height, to aid the then uncertain fall of his sabre? or by the greater length he can venture to strike, with more risk of losing his seat, and with less power of guiding his horse ; having only one hand allowed for that pur- pose? In this case also, he sits as steadily as if he were standing on the ground ; having one hand at 180 SEAT, WHEN NOT INTERRUPTED BY STIRRUPS. liberty to guide his horse with at times, while he has all the advantages just mentioned, of using his sabre with so much greater force and certainty with the other hand. When his stirrups are too short, — as Mr. le Conte Drummond expresses it, " il est comme un chateau " branlant, et ne peut avoir, dans cette posture, qu'une " solidite factice, et incertaine, encore faut il, le plus " souvent, qu'il s'attache a la main, ce qui est un incon- " venient des plus dangereux, dans un moment surtout, " oil il est aussi essentiel pour lui, que son cheval ne " fasse pas de faux mouvements." As I have dwelt perhaps too long upon this subject, I shall conclude this chapter by quoting a few passages from a pamphlet entitled, Rules for bad Horsemen, by Charles Thompson, Esq. This was some time ago put into my hands, and contains among others, some very judicious remarks. In the 5th Edition of it, p. 2,2, he says, " It is often said with emphasis, that such a one " has no seat on horseback ; and it means, not only that " he does not ride well, but that he does not sit on the " right part of his horse. To have a good seat, is to sit " on that part of the horse, which, as he springs, is the " centre of motion ; and from which of course, any " weight could be with most difficulty shaken. As in " the rising and falling of a board placed in equilibrio, " the centre will be always most at rest ; the true seat PLACE OF THE SADDLE ADAPTED TO THE SEAT. 181 " will be found in that part of your saddle, into which " your body would naturally slide, if you rode without " stirrups; and is only to be preserved by a proper " poize of the body." Page 25, he goes on by saying, " To have a good seat yourself, your saddle must sit well. " To fix a precise rule might be difficult : it may be a " direction, to have your saddle press as nearly as pos- " sible on that part, which we have described as the " point of union between the man and horse, however, " so as not to obstruct the motion of the horse's shoulders. " Place yourself in the middle or lowest part of it: sit " erect ; but with as little constraint, as in your ordinary " sitting. The ease of action marks the gentleman : you " may repose yourself, but not lounge. The set and " studied erectness acquired in the riding house, by *' those whose deportment is not easy, appears un- " genteel, and unnatural." [ 183] CHAPTER IV. SECTION I. THE BAD EFFECTS OF MARTINGALES. As nothing has yet been said on the subject of martin- gales, which are too much in general use — before my rider is set in motion, I shall make a few observations on them. Although the bit, which is now made use of, is by no means so severe as formerly — yet, when accompanied by a bridoon, passed through a running martingale, the confinement is almost as vexatious, as the constraint of the former more severe bit was without it. Let the hand of the rider be ever so delicate, there must, in that case, be a constant pressure by the bridoon on the bars of the mouth, whenever the horse is in motion — for the martingale being fixed to the girths, the rings at the end of it, through which the bridoon passes, cannot yield to the motion of the horse. They are therefore the fixed pullies, through* which the reins pass from the hands of the rider, previous to the com- munication with the horse's mouth. This continued pressure tends to benumb the most sensible parts ; and TIGHT MARTINGALES AS BAD AS TIGHT HARNESS. 183 consequently to impede the comprehension of the horse, as well as to constrain the motion of its limbs. Fixed martingales prevent the action of the limbs still more, although they do not interfere with the mouth. When the seat of a horseman is not sufficiently steady for him to have his hands at liberty upon all occasions — the bridoon, when pulled at unawares, will not disturb the horse so much, whose bars have been deadened by its passing through the running martingale, as if their sensation had not thus been impeded. Therefore, perhaps to an unsteady horseman, it may be said to be of service. A bad coachman, for the same reason, gains an advantage by harnessing his horses extremely tight. For their limbs being confined by their harness, and consequently their action constrained, less nicety is required in keeping them together. But that man is the best horseman, who can sit the stillest, with the loosest reins — that person is also the best coachman, who can drive the steadiest, with the loosest reins and the longest traces. If a colt naturally holds its head up, (a circumstance ex- tremely to be wished by all good horsemen) — as soon as a circingle can be put on, the general practice is to put on a martingale with a headstall to it, which is fixed to the circingle under its belly. This — to be of any ser- vice— is buckled so short, as to be very painful to the 184 ACTION With AND Without A MARTINGALE. jaws, by confining the head downwards, more than nature intended it. It is consequently the first impedi- ment to the motion of the limbs. For, observe a horse when loose in a field, at its first setting off from a stand- still. The head is immediately raised — the consequence of which is, that the fore parts are at liberty for action, and the weight is directly thrown on the haunches. When a bit and bridoon are put into the mouth, and the latter is accompanied by a running martingale, the power of deadening the bars is double. For both bridles act on the same part of the mouth, and have the same tendency to pull the horse's head downwards. Both are frequently used at the same time; and then equally tend to confound the meaning, which the rider wishes to communicate ; even if the horse, after a certain time, has sufficient sensibility left, to be able to com- prehend any thing : — for as I before observed, the only medium of communication, from the rider to his horse, is by the mouth. The Duke of Newcastle was so much aware of the tendency which the bit had to deaden the bars of the mouth, that a caveson was made use of at that time, for the rider to have a power of raising the head with, occasionally, when put on single as at first. This was afterwards put on double, and made use of to bend the horse, without affecting the bars of the mouth. The bridoon used by the late Earl of Pembroke* IMPEDIMENTS OF A MARTINGALE. 185 answered the same purpose, as the caveson did, when put on single, and acted on a more sensible part. It equally avoided the former laborious method of raising the head by degrees with the bit ; and equally eased the bars of the mouth. For the bridoon, unaccompanied by a martingale, acts upon the cheeks of the mouth, espe- cially when the hand of the horseman is raised for that purpose. The position of the horseman's hand is then very material, which is not the least so, when the bridoon is run through a martingale ; as it can then only act upon the bars. But in the former case, if the reins of the curb bridle be slackened, when the hands are raised, in order to bring the bridoon into action — the bars of the mouth, not being at that time acted upon, have time to recover their sensibility. Thus far I have only mentioned the general bad effects of a running martingale, in regard to deaden- ing the horse's mouth. The ill consequences of it, when the horse is required to be turned, or to be bent, come next into consideration. If one arm of the horseman, with the bridoon in his hands, be extended sideways, so as for that rein to be nearly at a right angle from its neck ; the line, by which the horse is meant to be turned, only reaches from his hand to the martingale. The remainder of the rein, from the rings of the martingale to the mouth piece of the 186 WRONG DIRECTIONS OF A MARTINGALE. bridoon, makes a straight line downwards, towards the horse's shoulders ; and conveys no other direction to the horse than for it to back sideways upon its shoulders,- — for the head is prevented from being raised, so as to per- mit it to back upon the haunches. It is also prevented from being turned — by the rein coming straight from the mouth piece (the point of communication) to the ring of the martingale. — But, if the arm of the horseman be extended sideways, when the martingale is not used, so as for the rein to be nearly at a right angle to the horse's neck ; that line, by which the horse is meant to be turned, reaches quite straight from the hand of the rider to the bridoon in its mouth. It forms, as it were, a portion of the turn, which the horse is meant to describe in advancing, and for which purpose it is pulled sideways. The communication is then at one time, and without interruption. It is also in this case upon the cheek; whereas, in the other case, it acts severely on the bars; and consequently continues to encrease the insensibility of the mouth, without conveying the meaning of the rider — for the effect of it is to back, rather than to turn. When the stop is intended to be made — whether by the use of the curb bridle, or of the snaffle running through the martingale, the difficulty is equally great. For the bars being already deadened by the continual BAD EFFECTS FROM CONSTRAINT. 187 pressure of the bridoon on exactly the same parts, upon which the curb bridle acts also ; the horse is doubly provided with a defence against the rider. When the method of communicating the intention of the rider is thus counteracted, horses frequently cannot understand the meaning. When they cannot under- stand it, as well as sometimes when they will not, they are directly ready to play tricks. For, (as my old master frequently observed,) " no boy tries to " plague his schoolmaster, so much as a horse does " to plague a horseman." What is begun by constraint, is apt to be continued by severity ; and instead of the master's receiving any pleasure in the progress of his scholar — at this period generally begins the battle. For the genius is longer in opening, when the means are so very inadequate to the end proposed. But the reason assigned for constraint is, that it is the shortest way. As to the boy — I believe it is not ; as to the horse, I absolutely deny it. A sullen obstinacy is also in both cases frequently the result, where steadiness and obedience are required by means of constraint and severity. A mode therefore better suited to the horse's comprehension, by leaving off the use of the martingale, would avoid the necessity of inflicting a punishment, frequently as tormenting to the mind of the master, as painful to the body of the scholar. [ 188 ] SECTION II. HELPS REQUIRED BY THE RIDER, IN FIRST GETTING ON THE BACK OF A COLT. METHOD OF RIDING IT SLOWLY, AND A LITTLE AT A TIME, FOR THE FIRST FEW LESSONS — AND THEN ON THE TROT AND GALLOP, IN Ollt piste, large, AND ALSO IN CIRCLES. METHOD OF CROSSING THE HOUSE ON Onepiste FROM RIGHT TO LEFT, AND Vice Versd. 1 h e manner in which the colt should be tied for the longe, and the method in which it should be worked in hand along the walls, with its head in and croup out, has been described in a former chapter. The use of work- ing in hand, previous to the horse being mounted, has also been mentioned. When the colt has been longed, so as for it to be sufficiently settled for the rider to venture to mount — the black rein, and buckle and strap, should be taken off. If there are two men to help the rider, two long reins should be buckled — one to each eye of the snaffle. The reason, why the horse should be held with two long reins is — that those, who hold them for the rider, are not only in greater security themselves, but are ready to go on with the rider when he first sets off. This — when properly done, is the greatest help METHOD OF HOLDING LONG REINS before THE COLT. 189 lo him. The colt thus prepared, should be brought into the middle of the house, and when there — the men should be placed before it thus. If there are two men — they should stand about six feet from each other, and about the same distance from the horse, with two rope reins held about that length from the mouth piece to their hands. The man standing on the off side, should twist that rein once, quite home, over his left hand. Having done that, he should firmly grasp his left hand with his right hand ; by which he gets the use of both hands to the rein in the steadiest manner. The man, on the near side, should twist his rein over his right hand, and firmly grasp that hand with his left hand. If the man on the off side should require a whip in his right hand, when it is meant that the horse should ad- vance— that hand is at liberty to hold it, by the rein being held in the left hand. The man standing before the horse on the near side, has more power by holding the rein in his right hand, the bend of his arm enabling him to use it with more effect than when held in his left hand — for his right arm is held concavely towards the horse. By holding the reins in this manner, each man has the greatest power when he wishes to exert it. Their arms should be extended before them as far as they . can, without being stiffened. The reins should be held slack enough, for the horse not to be sensible of being held, z igo use of long reins before the colt. and tight enough, for the men, by stepping back, to check them towards themselves, in one time, when wanted. If the horse advances straight of its own accord, while the rider is coming up to it — the men should step back as many steps as the horse advances, and give their checks together: — for a check on each side stops a horse, or backs it. If the colt moves sideways towards the rider — the man with the long rein on the near side should step from the colt sideways on that side, as many steps as the colt takes — checking it as he steps. The man on the off side should at the same time go as many steps towards the colt, without altering his rein, as the other man steps sidewaysyrora it. This will slacken his rein entirely. — I cannot too much inculcate the absolute necessity of attending to so common a thing as that two reins stop, and that one rein turns. It is what every one seems to know, but what very few practice. By the man on the off side advancing, without altering his rein, the same number of steps, which the other man took sideways — it is impossible for the colt to check itself unawares with that rein, so as for the two reins to act at the same time ; by which the intention of the check would be prevented. When the colt is coming back to its place by means of this check — the man on the offside must step quickly back to his place also, and the man on the near Two reins or one AS may be necessary. 191 side approach it, as many steps as the horse takes side- ways to gain its place again — at the same time slackening the rein till he means to stop it. If the colt run side- ways the other way, the same thing should be done vice versa, with the same attention. If it runs back, the two men should remain fixed in their places. The consequence of this will be, that it will probably only run back as far as the length of the reins permits it. If the colt still forces itself back— let the men indulge it in the thing for. which it wishes, and back it down the middle by checks being given by each man at the same time, to the end of the house ; or as far as it chooses to go : and let the rider endeavour to begin to mount it there. If the colt be tolerably quiet, I have seldom known the assistance of above one man required. In this case one end of his rope rein should be buckled to the off side mouth-piece, and the other end of it should be put through the eye of the snaffle on the near side, and then slipped on to the upper part of the cheek of the bit, having taken it out of the loop for that purpose. The rein on each side should then be taken hold of, about three or four feet from the horse's mouth: — the man having twisted it round each hand, his arms should be extended and held wide apart. The middle part of the rein will then be neither so short as to prevent either hand 192 man's position when holding one rein. from acting separately ; nor so long as for the man to be in danger of treading upon it. His two hands, aided by his legs, must now do the same offices, as I before mentioned, the two men should do ; carefully recollect- ing, that in making or in preventing the horse from going sideways — when one hand checks, the other hand must give entirely; — that is, the other rein must be thrown forwards to the horse, for fear of a check being given unawares. Let this be thoroughly attended to. His own position must also be strictly observed, lest the colt should plunge suddenly upon him. He should therefore stand rather upon the near side of the colt, in the manner before pointed out, when holding the horse with short reins." This will enable him to let the colt slip by him, if it plunges notwithstanding the check. The colt being now held by one — or by two men — as above described ; the other two men should approach it quietly and carefully, one on each side. The man on the offside should take hold of the stirrup, in the manner before mentioned, and be ready to hang upon it with all his weight. The rider (having previously pulled off his spurs for safety) may then put his foot into the stirrup as before described, and rise upon it without crossing his leg over ; being counterpoized by the man on the off side. This is the utmost that should be * See page 159, and Plate XI. COLT ADVANCING WITH THE WEIGHT SUSPENDED. 193 attempted at first. It should be done after the colt has been worked in hand ; and if it stands still, it should immediately be caressed, and put into the stable. If it will not quite bear this, no more should be attempted than it will quietly bear. After the next days lesson — if the colt is perfectly quiet ; the man or men, holding the reins, should, by stepping back a little, and speaking gently, pull it two or three steps forwards, while the rider is standing in equilibrio, with one foot in the stirrup, one hand holding the mane, and the other on the cantel of the saddle ; ready to cross his leg over, without doing so. After the colt has gone two or three steps, it ought to be stopped by checks given by the man standing before it — for the reins should not yet be put on for the rider's use. This will prove, whether the colt is not only quiet while standing still with a weight upon it, but also while walking forwards with the weight. The rider is in perfect safety at both these times, let what will hap- pen— for by stepping on the ground again with his right leg, in case the colt is unsteady, he is totally disengaged. At the end of the next days lesson, if this point be gained, the black rein, with which the colt was tied, should have one end of it buckled to the off side eye of the snaffle, and the other end tied in a knot to the near side eye. This forms a plain snaffle bridle — the long 194 EIDER SEATED AT HIS EASE ON THE COLT. rein or reins should be put on as before. Let the rider, when going to mount, put the near side of the black rein quite home into his left hand. Having also taken hold of the mane with that hand in the manner before recom- mended, and holding the stirrup with his right hand, he should afterwards stand some little time upon his poize on that stirrup. If all is quiet, he may then venture to put his leg across gently. When in his seat — the off side rein should be put into his hand by the man on the offside, after he has given him the stirrup ; into which his foot should be put, in the easy manner before described ; without, upon any account, stooping his head down to look for it.* This last observation may seem too trifling to mention, but it is of the utmost con- sequence that it should be attended to. For, besides the ungracefulness of a man's stooping to look for his stirrup, supposing that the colt gives a sudden plunge at this time — the man's back is naturally lowered a little when he stoops his head down ; and the plunge, when he is in that position, might throw him off in an instant. When the man has got both feet in the stirrups, let him sit there quietly for an instant.— If the horse is totally undisturbed by it, the man, or men, who stand before it, should lead it forwards for a few steps as before, and then stop it there. The man, who held the stirrup * See page 170. CAUTIOUS, AND INSENSIBLE PROGRESS. 195 should have a switch in his hand, which he may either give to the rider at the time, or reserve for the pur- pose of tapping the ground with, to make the colt advance. After the horse has walked these few steps, the rider should get down again as quietly and as slowly as he got up. For this purpose, the man on the off side should approach the colt again very gently, and watch the time when the rider places his right hand on the pommel of the saddle, as an old, easy, plain saddle should be put on at first. At this period he must take hold of the stirrup leather near the iron, with his right hand — his left hand should then be slipped up the leather as soon as he perceives the rider going to put his leg over. He should bear his whole weight upon it, as mentioned before, for a counterpoize. This insensible progress should be carefully attended to, whether the colt seems to require it or not. For the springs of a colt are sometimes made so suddenly, (even when every thing seems to be going on as quietly as pos- sible) that the rider cannot be too much upon his guard. When it does happen, he must call to his aid all his pre- sence of mind. In the old French schools, the riding master's expression to his scholar upon those occasions, was, " Monsieur, soy qz present." At the instant- — sitting tight naturally suggests itself, which is the only thing to be avoided. Instead of this, if a man can but keep every 196 ALTERATION OF REINS IN THE PROGRESS. limb almost as loose as if he were fast asleep ; those limbs will naturally continue to drop in the place where they were, before the plunge happened. The legs will drop, the elbows will drop, the body will drop. In the other case, when one part is stiffened, the stiffness of the others would follow of course. The knees would slip up by the jerk towards the pommel of the saddle, owing to the convexity of the horse's body — the legs would, of course, get forwards towards the horse's shoulders — the stirrups would, in consequence, be slackened (unless his toes were very much stretched out to avoid it,) and his elbows would quit his sides, and probably fly up as wings to help him from his seat. All this would happen in one second of time, as I have frequently seen. The horse having been worked in hand the next day as usual, the same caution should be observed. The rider being then easily in his seat ; let the man, who holds the stirrup, take another switch in his hand, besides that which he is to give the rider. Let two black reins be previously put on, each of them passing through the eyes of the snaffle, and buckled to the half ring at the headstall. The other ends should be tied together of a convenient length for the rider to be able to hold them separately in each hand. They should neither be so long as to catch to his saddle flaps, nor so short, as for PROGRESS CONTINUED INSENSIBLY. 197 his hands, when separated, to catch the middle part when they feel the mouth piece. The man before the horse must now lead it forwards with the long rein as before, towards the wall to the right. He should for that purpose step rather sideways . If the colt is inclined to stop, after having gone two or three steps (from recol- lecting the orders which had been communicated to it for that purpose the preceding days) let the man who held the stirrup strike the ground with his switch. He should follow the colt quietly for that purpose. Having arrived at the wall, it should be led for a few steps only, or through the two corners if possible, as slowly as it can walk. Having done this, let it stop there, and be caressed. At the next lesson it should be led about half way down the next line, and from thence into the middle of the house ; where it should be stopped in any attitude convenient to itself, and not inconvenient for the rider to get off its back. No precision should ever be at- tempted at first : — whoever tries it, will find that more harm is done by the attempt, than can compensate for any good that may be expected from the progress. The colt must begin by doing ill, before it can be expected to do well. The next days lesson should be the same ; only that a little more may be attempted than the day before, if all is quiet ; but by no means otherwise. In a a 198 TURNING WITHOUT THE HELP OF THE WALL. this case — the colt being led through the two corners on a walk — if the rider finds it inclined to trot a little, let the man who holds the rope-rein turn his back to the colt, and run along the house with it large. The man who held the stirrup, or more properly the master, should then take a long whip in his hand, and follow the colt ; striking the ground if required, in order to keep it forwards. I say the master — for the greatest judgment is required in doing this. Indeed, (as Sir Sidney Medows used frequently to say, and as I have since known by experience,) " there is more art in following, than there is in riding." Having now brought the colt to go large round the house — the rider may, on quitting the circular end, attempt to turn it to the opposite wall, the master stand- ing on the outside of the circle, ready to strike, either the wall or the ground for that purpose, in the manner that is mentioned when working in hand." Having suc- ceeded in turning once or twice, for a few days — the next insensible progress is that of riding in circles on the trot and gallop. At this period, if two men are running along with the colt with long reins ; the man, holding the near side rein, may venture to take that rein off. If only one man is running along with it, he may venture to slip the near side end of it from the * See page 36. USE OF THE LONG REIN IN CIRCLES. 199 cheek of the snaffle. This will give him the full length of the long rein to help the rider with in the longe. The latter having both reins up to the headstall, should only endeavour to raise the horse's head as high as he can, and to make it trot out quite straight. The master's long rein will help to bend it a little, every time the horse happens to feel it ; and this is sufficient plie just at first. It is also of great service in the longe, in pre- venting the horse from hitting the rider's leg against the board by any sudden exertion. — Another great use of the long rein is that of being able to bring the horse forwards by it, in case of a sudden stop of its own accord, or in case of its rising suddenly when inclined to plunge. The man's position, in the circle which he must describe when going in the longe, must be so far before the horse, as to let the rein be slack in its progress, yet for him tti be able to let the colt immediately feel it pull forwards, whenever it attempts to rise of its own accord. The same thing should be done when going large — for the reins of the rider, being both of them placed up to the headstall, it is not in his power to prevent the colt from rearing by holding them ever so low. The only way, therefore, in which this can be done, is by the horse's perceiving itself to be always pulled down again, by the long reins before it. The business of the man who follows with the whip, should be that of striking the 200 UNION OF AIDS TO THE RIDER. ground at that moment. The colt then finds itself dis- appointed two ways, when endeavouring to stop and rear — first, by being pulled down again by the rein before it ; and next, by being driven on by the whip behind it. With these aids, the rider has nothing to do, but to sit loose enough, and help with his switch to keep the colt in progress, till he chooses to stop it. The greatest care should be taken never to let it stop of its own accord. But when I say this, the utmost judgment is also required in keeping it forwards. For, at this time, two or three men must be exactly in their places, and in perfect union with the rider in their different operations. It must be considered, that a colt has not been used to have so many persons about it at a time, and that it likes to stare about, and not mind its work, just as much as a child does ; and is often more on the watch to play tricks. It must also be made to comprehend its lesson, as a child must ; and if the men are in confusion, or in wrong places, and do not comprehend what they are about, the colt cannot; and the consequences will probably follow, which were observed in a former chapter. When all is quiet after a few lessons in this way, the rope rein may be left off, and a black rein be slipped through the off side eye of the snaffle, with both ends re- turned into the hands of the man who stands before the ALTERATION OF AIDS IN THE PROGRESS. 201 horse. When the rider is going to mount, this rein may be held short on the offside, and the rein of the rider's bridle on the near side. Instead of the horse's being led by the rope rein all the time, it must now be led by the black rein thus doubled, till it has gone one turn round the house. If all then appears quiet — without the horse's rate being interrupted, let him hold the buckle end of the rein in his hand only, instead of both ends. The other end will consequently slip through the eye of the bridle, and fall on the ground. The man, taking no notice of this, should continue to run along with the colt, keeping at the same distance, as when he held it. Otherwise, as the colt has hitherto been led, it will, sometimes, with- out that aid, not understand that it is required to go forwards. For it must be recollected, that the hand of the rider, let it be ever so fine, pulls it the contrary way to what the long rein did. — For want of this being at- tended to, I have known a colt rear and plunge as soon as the long rein has been taken off, and the man quitted his place, that never attempted it before. The man, who followed with the whip, should also still continue to follow, if he is wanted. If not — while going on circles at either end of the house, he should stand on the outside with his arm extended, so as to help the rider in turn- ing, in the manner that has been mentioned in a former chapter. 202 SUBSTITUTE FOR THE RIDER WHEN REQUIRED. It cannot too often be repeated, that the rider should sit as loose as possible. For if the colt happens sud- denly to be inclined to stop, and attempts to rear, the man may touch it behind with the long whip, instead of striking the ground. In this case, the next thing which the colt (being disappointed in rising) may probably do, is to launch out. All this requires but little of the rider's attention, if he sits loose enough not to be embarrassed about his seat ; and consequently to be able to attend to nothing else, but keeping his horse forwards on the trot or gallop, as fast as it is inclined to go. I have myself witnessed a singular instance of a colt being on a sudden discontented with having a man on its back. This horse retained itself, and plunged so violently, as neither to mind the rein before it, nor the whip behind it. The man sat still as long as he retained his senses — the colt at last shook itself violently, and by that act, threw the rider. The same man was afterwards thrown off twice in that way, though perfectly aware of it. After this, a boy was put upon its back, who was a good rider, with all the helps that could be given him — but exactly the same thing happened. The colt was perfectly quiet both before and afterwards, so that there was no use in punishing it. The master's judgment was then required in finding a substitute for the rider. A sack was filled with clay, and slung on each side. It AIDS IN CROSSING THE HORSE. 203 was contrived to be tied so tight, that the colt never succeeded in getting rid of its burthen, and consequently never afterwards attempted it. When it has learnt to trot and gallop large and in circles — first to the right, and then to the left — without the assistance of the long rein at separate lessons, the rider may try if it will cross the house. For this pur- pose, one man should stand in the centre of the circle, and another man should stand facing the circular end, on the outside of it, near the wall on his right hand. The rider should bring his horse to an easy trot in the circle, and attempt to cross the house immediately from right to left. The two men, having each a long whip in their hand, should, for this purpose, accompany the horse on each side, more or less, according to their judgment at the time, either quietly or by striking the ground — in order to help the rider in his directions to the horse, to cross it exactly, so as to arrive at the oppo- site wall at that part, where, if a circle were made of the size of the breadth of the house, it would touch that wall and the end wall. This is a great help to the horse if properly done. For at this period, it cannot be sup- posed sufficiently to understand the reins of the rider, so as to obey them as exactly as he wishes, when deprived of the aid of the wall. This should just at first be the end of a lesson, by stopping the horse when it arrives at the opposite wall. 204 • ALTERATION OF THE REIN IF REQUISITE. When difficulty no longer occurs in doing it from right to left, the same thing should be done from left to right. The rider's body should always incline a little inwards. During the progress of this lesson, the placing of the reins may be altered, according as the horse may seem to require it, — but, in the beginning, the more simple the better ; as a colt cannot always comprehend the double reins just at first, and will be frequently apt to retain itself when they are placed so too soon. The colt should at first only go straight, with its head as high as possible. If it leans upon the bridle — the rider, making one hand help the other, should take hold of the reins as short as he can. Holding his hands very forward, and sitting very loose in his seat, he should saw it through and through the horse's mouth ; not by checks, but by sawing — pulling it through and through, as far as each cheek of the mouth piece will let it come. If more power is requisite, and the horse is still heavy in hand, and throws its head out too much at this period, the offside rein may be altered as follows.* It should be buckled to the saddle, and put from thence through the ring of the buckle and strap, which should be put to the headstall : — the rein, being brought from thence through the inside part of the eye of the snaffle, should be tied to the near side rein. * The reason why, the off side rein only should be altered, is that the horse has in general more difficulty on the o^side than on the near side. FAST DOWN THE LINES AND SLOW IN THE CORNERS. 205 A quick progressive motion, with the head very high, is at this period all that is required ; therefore the less restraint the better. Infinitely greater judgment is re- quired from the followers, in giving their aids so as to quicken the riders progress, and prevent the horse from stopping, than is wanted by the rider. These aids I have described — care should be taken to let the horse go fast down the line, and to take it up in the corners ; paying little attention just at first, as to whether it goes right or wrong. For the great thing to be obtained at that period is, a continued progressive motion, never to be stopped, but by the will of the rider. The younger the colt is, the shorter the reprise should be — for it must be recol- lected that young things are apt to be giddy. Colts are also soon out of wind, till they are used to their work. When a quick progressive motion can be obtained, the manner of riding it with the headzrc and croup out should follow the same, as when working in hand — for the rider should never attempt to practise any thing on the horse's back, which is not tolerably familiar to it to execute in hand. The great use of working in hand is, (as before observed) that the rider's work is advanced by it. For the horse, having previously practised the lesson in hand, only feels half the difficulty in learning it when mounted ; and the man feels less difficulty in making the horse obey him. — At the end of every day's lesson, Bb 206 RIDER'S POSITION IN REINING BACK. the colt should be put gently back by a few steps only at first. In doing this, the rider's body should be placed rather forwards ; but he ought by no means to lean upon his stirrups. He should sit most perfectly loose. If any difficulty occurs, so as to require help, another man may be called to his aid. This man, if it can be ventured, should strike the ground before the rider with a long whip, looking the horse full in the face. But this, like every thing else in following, must be done with the greatest care and judgment. [ 207 ] SECTION III. POSITION OF THE RIDER, SO AS TO ACCOMPANY THAT OF THE HORSE, WHEN GOING ON THE LINES OF ART, WITH ITS HEAD in AND CROUP out. When the horse can trot large with ease to itself on a straight line, to the right and to the left, and can bear the reins placed double, (if they are required to be so) the croup may be put out a little. The forward quick progressive motion should then be rather restrained, and the colt be brought insensibly into the same position, as in doing it in hand when tied. The man's position should also be altered a little, so as for his plie to accord with that of his horse. This should be the study of the rider — by feeling every spring of the horse under him so exactly ; and by bending his own body so precisely ; as to make it easier for the horse to accompany the rider's plie, than to go in any other method. For this purpose, his weight should be so placed, as for the horse to feel it the most on those parts, upon which it is going to spring. If the weight of the rider be properly placed, the spring of the horse will be increased by it for a short time ; that is to say, so long as the muscular power is exerted in propor- 208 the man s plie makes the horse's plie. tion to the weight which is added to it. If it be impro- perly placed, the horse's spring will not only be im- peded by it, but its plie will never be properly obtained : — for the parts which ought to work the least, will work the most, when going in circles especially : — the horse will also be in greater danger of falling, when the poize is improperly placed. It is equally requisite for the man to have his poize, as it is for the horse. I have seen an instance where the horse was supple, and where the man had not got his plie, of the man's falling off, by the horse's merely making a trip when longing on the lines of art, from which it recovered itself instantly. I shall now observe, how the position of his body should be, either when the horse is going in circles on the lines of art, or with head in and croup out along the walls. The method of working the horse in hand, in both these ways, has been mentioned before. Its body is required to be very much bent, in order to describe the four pistes in either case.* When going large with its head in and croup out, the general method is only to put one shoulder in, which the French call, " metre 1'epaule " en dedans." It was Sir Sidney's method, and I have always found it the most effectual to put both shoulders in; that is to say, " les epaules en dedans;" which is better described by calling the lesson — head * See pages 49, and 102. Plate i3. HOW THE HORSE SHOULD BE SET OFF. 209 in and croup out, which in fact it ought to be, nearly as much as in circles. It must be observed, that in going to the right for this purpose, the near-side legs of the horse are bent inwards, so as for those on the off-side to double over them, as before described. To accompany this, all the left side of the rider should be advanced, that is bent inwards, and all his right side kept back.* Therefore, from the first moment of his setting off, all his left side should be brought forwards. When his left arm (being lifted up and easily bent) is very much advanced, as it should be, without altering the length of the rein in that hand ; the horse will have all its head •on that side, as it ought to have. But previously to this, the left hand should help the right hand in pulling the off rein through it, so as to take very short hold of that rein. The right hand should be slipped forward for that purpose, more or less, according to the number of pullies the rein has to run through. + When the horse has advanced two steps from the middle of the house, (but not before) he should carry his hand from the horse with his knuckles up, and should then draw it back again, nearly as far as his hip, by which the horse's croup will be turned to the wall on his right hand. If it turns too short by this act — the right hand, being raised for the purpose, should be carried a little towards the * See the Plate. t See page I69. 210 how to go large prom the circles. wall, with the nails upwards. More or less exertion of the right hand, either the one way or the other, according to circumstances, is all that is required in circles. The left rein should never be used in circles, but when the progress is dangerously fast — when false — and in the stop. When going head in and croup out along the walls, the left hand may be used a little, so as just to prevent the horse from turning. When coming to that lesson without stopping from the lesson on circles, the right hand should be carried with the nails up towards the horse's neck, in order to shew that it is meant to go large. This should be continued more or less, according as it is required for the horse's croup to be kept more or less in or out. The position of the man's body — advancing all his left side, keeping back all his right side, and leaning upon his right stirrup, is very material. This, and the use of the right hand, held a little toxuards the wall with the nails up — or with the zuhole arm more or less extended towards the centre with the knuckles up — should do the whole. As the offside of the horse is to be kept back, so should the man's right leg be kept very far back to accompany it ; and nearly his whole weight should be leant upon that side. His head should be kept to the right, as his horses should, and both man and horse should look very much inwards. As the horse's head is not meant to be kept high in this lesson, the man's RIDER'S POSITION AND AIDS. 211 body may be kept rather more forward (except at par- ticular times) than in any other lesson.* His aids should chiefly be given with his left leg. This, being advanced as before mentioned, should be kept loose for that pur- pose. The switch in his right hand may occasionally be used — but it should be seldom done — for the horse may be disturbed by it, and go false immediately, which fault * In order to shew the effect of the position of both the man and the horse, let us suppose the rider to be already made, and the horse required to be suppled — and then consider what happens. The horse's head is pulled round to the right ; and the croup is stopped by the wall : so that the hind parts are pulled round also. The right side of the man has the whole of his° weight pressed against the horse's off side, so as to restrain that part. Thus, its body is held concavely, while the two ends are bent inwards. In this position, the horse is to be worked, so as to bend with the greatest effect from the head to the tail. In order to shew this more clearly, let us suppose that I wanted to bend the long whip in my hands, with the greatest power short of breaking it; how should I hold it for that purpose ? I think, I should take hold of the thong very near the keeper with my right hand; and leaning upon the ground on my right knee, and holding the handle of the whip in my left hand, I should put the middle of the whip to my left knee, and pull each end of the whip inwards towards my body, till the part of the crop towards the keeper was so much bent, as nearly to break it. In order to adopt the simile, we must suppose the keeper which is pulled at, to be the rein towards the horse's bit — the end of the crop toward the keeper to be the horse's shoulders which are required to be bent the most — the middle of the crop which is pressed against the knee, to be the body of the horse, which is leaned against by the man's thigh, by the pressure of his weight against the stirrup; and that part toward the handle, which is held in his left hand, to be the haunches, which are required to be exerted the least. 212 use of this lesson being accurately DONE. often takes the rider a great deal of time to correct after- wards. The voice is the best aid, although it should not be continually given. The horse should be permitted to go easily from the trot to the gallop, and vice versa according to its incli- nation provided it goes right. This is the most useful lesson that can be practised both for the rider and for the horse. By permitting the horse to go from the one to the other, it is the least constrained ; and nothing conduces more to improve the seat of the rider — for he should be able to feel accurately under him, when the horse goes true or false. In the trot — this must be deter- mined by the working of the shoulders ; and his rein should either be pulled or given, according as he finds the horse ready to set off in a true, or a false gallop. For if this work be not done accurately, the horse's shoulders will only be stiffened, and the horse will be bent to the left, instead of being bent to the right — so that nothing proves more effectually the truth of the work, and the accuracy of the rider in feeling which shoulder works most, than permitting the horse to go from the one to the other, as mentioned above. For as in the gallop to the right, when the impulse is given by the near legs, and the poize of the body is in consequence thrown on the near side, so as for the ^shoulders to work the most: — so in the trot — when the gallop to the HORSE TO BE FELT accurately UNDER THE RIDER. 213 right is intended to be immediately produced by it— the poize of the horse's body and impulse should be placed across, upon the near leg before and on the off leg behind. The off shoulder will then work the most, and be the most at liberty to lead. For, if the contrary happens — notwithstanding the horse is so much bent to the right, the near legs will lead, when the gallop com- mences. This is easily seen by use, and should be as nicely felt by the rider, — for those legs, which receive the greatest share of the weight upon them, will hit the heaviest blow upon the ground. In the same manner, a man wishing to alter his rate of running, so as to hop first upon one leg and then upon the other, if he wishes his right leg to lead in that kind of gallop, will hop the hardest on the left leg. I have expatiated the more upon this, in order to shew the necessity there is, that the rider should pay the utmost attention to it. On the nicety of his feeling this action of the horse under him, almost all the art of riding depends ; for this lesson is the foundation of all the others ; and that by which a horse (if it be ever so well dressed) should generally be begun, so as for the shoulders to be properly suppled ; by which the fore parts are afterwards more easily raised. But, even the false action of a colt, however necessary to be strictly attended to afterwards, should not be regarded so much c c 214 OPINION OF OTHERS ABOUT THIS LESSON. at first, as the main point is to get the colt to advance ; and if the rider understands how to feel the colt pro- perly under him, it will soon go right again for its own ease. Therefore, it must either be suffered to go on wrong for a short time, just at first, or not, according to circumstances.* Horses are generally so much more supple, by nature, to the left than to the right, that they do not require to be worked in this lesson, so much to the left hand ; nor is it requisite for the croup to be kept so much out to the left, as to the right hand — for, in general, the rider will find much less difficulty in making the horse bend to the left hand, when it is able to cross the house steadily for that purpose. The late Earl of Pembroke says,+ " this lesson of the epaule en dedans, is a very touchstone " in horsemanship, both for man and horse. Neither " one nor the other can be dressed to any degree with- " out a consummate knowledge of it ; but it must not " on any account be practised in the field in exercises, " or in evolutions." This certainly can never be prac- tised in a body ; but, I cannot help thinking, that it might frequently be practised to great advantage, by a few single horsemen at a time, following one another, head in and croup out, on a piece of plain ground ; * See page 45 for this, and page 38 for the aids which the rider may recfuire when the horse is longing. + See his Treatise, page 41. IT CAN BE PRACTISED BY MORE THAN ONE AT A TIME. 215 taking advantage of a hedge for that purpose, and one corner to turn in. My reason for thinking so is, that I have now and then, in some measure, suppled a horse by riding it in this way about my own farm, with a bit and bridoon on, without ever taking it into a riding house, as it was occasionally rid by others. By the method just mentioned — a horse, with a tole- rable disposition towards it, will in a few months get supple enough to take its right leg in setting off in a gal- lop, and stop on its haunches, at places where it has been used to stop ; at which time it can easily be reined back a step or two. If the horse offers to gallop false, when more than one are doing it at a time, no interruption need take place ; for the rider can always turn, so as to place himself the last of his companions. It must also be considered, that when going head in and croup out to the right ; if done properly with both shoulders in, which requires the greatest art, the horse doubles its legs to the left every step it takes ; so that on this account also, it is not required to be done so much to the left. In exercising out of doors — when the horse is tolerably perfect in this lesson, it might also soon be made to turn at the corner, and come down the middle of the field in full gallop, and to stop on its haunches immediately at some given place. After it has recovered its breath — it might, by use, be made to set off again directly on a 216 MODE OF DOING THIS LESSON OUT OF DOORS. gallop. — When tolerably perfect thus far — by taking rather more room in the turn, two or three horses might be made to gallop down the middle of the field, so as to keep the line, and to stop at the same instant. When able to do this easily, a long demi-volte might be attempted, for which the horses would thus be prepared ; and one after the other might make the demi-volte; holding haunches, and join the same line again, with the horse's croup to the wall, after the last man had past the other way, if only three or four were at work at a time. — When continued in this way on the trot to the right, with the croup to the wall — the near leg doubles over the off leg — and the off leg has already doubled over the near leg, in going head in and croup out. The horse of a dragoon, wants but little more than what has been already mentioned. Many other methods, besides these, might be suggested, which could easily be taken advan- tage of out of doors, if the foundation of this science were but known; and many days, even in the winter, might be usefully employed for these purposes — for but a little should be done at a time. The Earl of Pembroke says, " that* in good weather, it is full as well, and more " pleasant, to work out of doors: and indeed doing so " frequently prevents local routines, which horses are " sometimes particularly apt to take in shut schools, if * See his Treatise, page 5. MODE OF MOUNTING WITHOUT HELP. 217 " great care is not taken." He goes on by saying. " In tJ shut schools, work may be more exactly done, perhaps, " and the ground there is best. Both are good at proper " seasons, and either will do very well, if the riding- '■' master is good." As riding with the bit and bridoon out of doors has been mentioned — it may not perhaps be improper in this place to describe the manner of holding them when mounting; as well as the method of using, in the most expeditious way, either the one or the other. In going to mount, the rider should take hold of the curb bridle, as was mentioned before,* while the bridoon reins are lying on the horse's neck, nearest to the pommel of the saddle. Having taken the mane and the curb reins in his left hand, let him place the left rein of the bridoon over them, and pinch them all together. After this — when there is no one to hold his horse, when his foot is put into the stirrup — let him make the left hand help the right, till he brings the right hand rein of the bridoon of such a length, as to be able to make the horse gently feel both reins of the bridoon, when that hand is brought to the cantel of the saddle on the off side, to aid his spring from the ground. When this is properly done — the horse may be held firmly in the rider's hands, if he chooses to wait a little, before he * See page 162. 218 RIDING WITH BIT AND BRIDOON OUT OF DOORS. throws his leg over. When seated — the left hand should againhelp the right hand inadjusting the length of the bri- doon rein. The man is then ready to set his horse off, the moment he has found his stirrup. Sometimes, in order to shorten this process, let the bridoon only be taken hold of in this way ; not touching the curb reins till after the man is mounted. He will then be equally safe on his horse, having the entire use of one bridle, and being ready to take hold of the other when mounted. Having both bridles in his hand — the manner of sawing the bridoon, in order to lighten the horse's mouth, when required, should be the same as described in sawing the running snaffle in the riding-house.* In shortening the bridoon for this purpose, the curb bridle is slackened of course. When this last is to be used again — the rider, pinching with the finger and thumb of his right hand, that part of the curb rein where they are sewed together, the left hand should be slipped down in order to shorten them. This of course instantly lengthens the bridoon ; as that rein should accompany the left hand when put forwards for that purpose. In the same manner the curb rein should accompany the left hand, when each hand helps the other, and both are put forwards in order to shorten the bridoon again, when the curb rein is meant to be slack- ened. This should be frequently practised, and will * See page 20-4- RIDING WITH BIT AND BRIDOON OUT OF DOORS. 219 then be done very quickly, although the description of it may seem long. Till this method is known, the croup cannot be put out with any effect by these bridles ; as much is to be done by the bridoon — and occasional assist- ance may be gained by the use of the off rein of the curb bridle in aid of it. It is also very useful to be able to saw the bridoon in backing or in stopping a horse.* * In common riding, the off rein of the bridoon may either be held in the right hand, or occasionally put over the curb bridle reins in the left hand between the thumb and fore finger. In this method, it is more easily taken hold of by the right hand, than when the off side rein is put between the fingers immediately over and touching the off side curb rein. The latter is the best way to hold them in hunting ; where the delicacy of the mouth is not so much consulted, and where a firm appuie is frequently wanted, in order to prevent the rider's legs from getting too forwards, in the irregular action of the horse, in leaps, and in confined places, where it may happen to be requisite to take a spring, or where a spring may be taken contrary to the rider's intention. The right hand can also occasionally take hold of ir, or let it go, without the interference of the left hand, as well as when put between the finger and thumb in the other way. It is also most out of the way, when close to the curb rein, and is sawed with more power when the eagerness of a hunter may require it to be done with force, when the bars are benumbed with pulling at the curb bridle. A running bridoon is very pleasant in common riding, but should by no means be used in hunting, as it is too severe where the aids must be irregular.* But the severest bridles of all — and those which I have made use of, when no curb bridle would stop a horse in hunting, are two crinkled snaffles, tied each of them in a knot, of a proper length, so as for either to be used occasionally. One of these should be a plain snaffle, and the other a running snaffle with the offside * See Plate IV. No. 4- 220 AIDS TO THE RIDER IN GROSSING THE HOUSE. To return to my subject — when the horse has gone for a certain time with its head in and croup out to the right, let one man stand in the centre of the circle with a long whip, and another at the wall on the outside of the circle, with a long whip also ; and let the rider with the aid of these two men attempt to cross the house, so as to come to the same place, where I mentioned he should arrive when working in hand." The man in the centre should then accompany the rider on the o^side, and the man at the wall should accompany him on the near side. Each should do more or less by running along with the horse and striking the ground either on the one side, or on the other, as occasion may require ; but in doing this, (as in most other lessons where following is concerned) there is more art than in riding. If this be properly done, it is a great help to the rider, who should at first finish the lesson by stopping his horse rein put through the ring of a buckle-and-strap on the off side ; and the near side rein either in the same manner, or only through the eye of the bridoon up to the headstall. When the rider understands how to saw either the one or the other of these bridles properly, as occasion may require, he will find it the easiest to his hand of any. He will also find that the same horse will champ the mouth-piece in these two bridles, whose mouth was apt to be deadened in the curb-and-snaffle bridle ; at least I found it so, when I used it in hunting for some years, to a horse which no curb bridle would stop. But in recommending what I have practised, I should add, that it requires some nicety in the use of the two bridles together. * See page 11 3. RIDER'S POSITION IN STOPPING HIS HORSE. 221 when arrived at the wall ; and by degrees continue along that wall rather straighter to the left than to the right. His horse should be much more worked to the right in this lesson, than to the left, for the reasons before assigned. As in working in hand, it has been before observed, that (both in circles, and along the walls) when the horse is going with its head in and croup out, the stop should be the reverse of the progress ;* so should it be when the horse is mounted. It has just been mentioned, that in going to the right, the near side rein should never be used, except to prevent the horse from turning, or to impede its progress when going too fast — it must con- sequently be made use of when the horse is to be stopped. The rider must then be very careful by no means to alter his position, by pulling his left rein so far towards himself, as for his right shoulder to be advanced instead of his left. On this account, when the left rein is pulled for that purpose, his left hand must be held up towards the horse s ears, and towards the wall. By pulling the near side rein in this way, without giving the other, and at the same time throwing his body easily back, he will find himself able to bring his horse's head to the wall for the stop, without any alteration of his own position. When he sets off again — he should bend his body for- wards a little, so as to be able to take hold of his off rein * See page 67. Dd 222 METHOD OF TROTTING DOWN THE MIDDLE. very short in turning his horse, when the croup is put out again ; in the same manner as he did when setting off at first. When the horse has for a little time gone in this manner with the rider on its back, large and in circles ; let him try to come down the middle, and stop at the pillar without holding haunches. For this purpose, the master should stand in the centre of the circle at the circular end, with a long whip in his hand ; and after the rider has gone a few circles, the master should step back a little from the centre, towards the window at the end ; and when the rider comes to the wall, and endeavours to turn a half circle, so as to come down the middle, the master should strike the boards with his whip, back-handed, to aid him. — After that, [if necessary) in order to make the horse come straight down the middle, he should accompany the rider on the near side, striking the ground with his whip as he runs along with him. This should be done as fast as the horse is inclined to do it, either on the trot or gallop. The rider should only carry its shoulders on the turn ; by which I mean, that its croup should still be kept out in the turn, and the horse come nearly straight down the middle. The master's whip, if properly managed, will at this time help the rider very much in doing this. If the gallop be false, the rider may make the horse do it RIDER'S POSITION" IN STOPPING THE HORSE. 223 once more ; and if possible on the trot. — When the stop is made, which should be immediately from the trot or gallop, precision should not be attended to just at first, for it cannot be expected. But, in order that the horse may by degrees make the stop as it ought to be — the utmost pains at this time should be taken by the rider, to drop into his seat as loosely as possible. By doing this, not only his own seat will be secured, but the horse's back will by degrees bend more and more, so as to receive him in the hollowest part. For this purpose, for reasons before mentioned, the legs should be easily dropped, and the arms should be dropped ; and the body should also be easily thrown back. He is then bien au fond de la selle* when the saddle is of such a shape as to permit him to be so.-f * See page 24- + See page 20. [ 224 ] SECTION IV. METHOD OF MAKING A LONG DEMI-VOLTE, SO AS TO BRING THE HORSE'S CROUP TO THE WALL. MODE OF WORKING IN THAT ACTION, AS ALSO WITH THE HEAD in AND CROUP OUt, without the help of the walls, head to the wall. — quart de volte, square — going en chevalant from right to left, and vice VERSA PESADE — PASSADES VOLTES. When the horse can turn with ease to itself with its croup out, and come straight down the middle on the trot or gallop — the rider, with the help of the master, should endeavour by degrees to make it hold haunches a little in doing it, and go sideways to the same wall from whence it came, instead of coming down the middle. This is by no means difficult to be done, as horses have much less difficulty in putting their croup in, than in putting their croup out. It must of course be done rather slower — and the horse is prepared by it for what should be attempted to be done next ; which is that of making a long demi-volte, so as to put the croup to the wall. Having been previously worked in hand in that lesson, till it can be done with ease to itself — the demi-volte should next be attempted, which will bring the horse back to the same wall ; and the lesson should RIDER'S POSITION IN THE DEMI-VOLTE. 225 be finished when the horse is arrived at the wall. In order to do this, it should be held quite straight, justbefore it is going to quit the wall,* and be turned in the same manner as when making the demi-volte in hand, in work- ing with its head to the wall tied to the right. 4- By this I mean, that it should hold haunches a little in the turn; which the horse at this period will easily do, if the rider turns the nails of his left hand up, and putting it close to the horse's left ear, checks it a little, by holding his left hand upwards, and bringing it across towards his right hand ; which is the same aid, as the horse received before, from the man who held the stick. He should pull the rein in his right hand, more or less, according as he requires the croup to be more or less kept in. No alteration whatsoever should take place in his seat ; his body should be gently thrown back at the time, in order for the horse to do it on its haunches, without retaining itself. When the aid is given by the left hand, it should be accompanied by the left leg if required ; but not otherwise. The voice is the best direction, and the man should sit as still as possible, with his poize as before. In proportion as the haunches are begun to be worked, so should the man's body be thrown further back upon them. For this reason — in putting the horse's croup to * See No. 2. Plate XIII. + See page 122. 226 RIDERS AIDS IN THE DEMI-VOLTE. the wall, (the lesson at which we are now arrived,) the man's body must be thrown rather further back than in the preceding lesson : — but his poize should be kept the same; namely, with his left arm, and the whole of his left side advanced, and all the right side kept so Jar back, as for his weight to be as much as possible on his right side, and leaning on his right stirrup. For as the horse is still bent to the right — the left leg is at liberty, as before, to give the aid, if required, when that of the left hand is not sufficient. The aids with the hands are the same as when the horse was worked in hand in this lesson. The master may follow with a long whip just at first; or afterwards, if requisite, at times, in the same place as when holding the long rein. The rider's left rein, being carried across the horse's neck, should be slackened a little, if the horse holds haunches too much. The right rein should be held rather lower, and steadier than the left, with the nails up and the elbow in; pulling or giving a little as occa- sion may require — for all the right side should be as firm as possible. The right hand may also be required to be sometimes held for a short time with the knuckles up, and the elbow out, in aid of the left hand, when the haunches are held rather too much, but this is seldom requisite. The horse now goes en chevalant to the right, with HEAD ifl AND CROUP Out WITHOUT THE HELP OP THE WALL. 227 its body bent to the right, and looking to the right. As the position of the horse is, so should be that of the rider, in order to be of a piece with his horse. He should therefore look to the right, with all his left side advanced, towards his right side." When the horse can bear to come with its croup to the wall till opposite to the pillar — the rider with the help of the master, may try to bring it from thence through the two corners, and finish opposite to the pillar on the other side of the house. But this should not be done till the horse can go with its head in and croup out with ease to itself; for that lesson is the foundation of this. Nothing shews the ease with which the horse is able to do it, more than by trying if it can be done without the help of the wall. This may either be done by its being put within a horse's length of the wall, on the same lines as will afterwards be shewn for the terre a terre ; or by the horse's quitting the wall, when just out of the circular end, and making as if it would turn to the other wall, without doing it, as at No. 5, Plate XIII. In order to * See Plate XIV. I have dwelt the more on this, as the reverse frequently happens, by the plie as well as the poize of both man and horse being the wrong way, when the horse is going en chevalant either to the right or to the left. See the Earl of Pembroke's observations on this subject, pages 59 and 41 ; and the countenance of both man and horse in making the demi-volte in Plate XXII. of the Duke of Newcastle's book. 228 FROM Croup TO THE WALL TO head TO THE WALL. do this — when in the centre of the house, it should be brought back again to the same wall, without its position being at all altered, as at No. 1 . The action is beautiful when this is done with ease to itself. It cannot be done exactly, till the horse is supple enough, and then only on the trot ; for the legs cannot so easily double in the gallop in stepping back, which it must do for a certain time.* When tolerably perfect in the lesson of head in and croup out, and in that of putting its croup to the wall — if the horse has already had its head put to the wall in hand, both to the right and to the left — after having stopped a little to breathe, when arrived at the wall in the last mentioned lesson from the demi-volte ; the rider may attempt to put its head to the wall. This should be done for a few steps only at first, either on its arrival at the wall, or on the opposite side. In the last case, it may be continued with its head to the wall through the circular end ; and the lesson finished there, if the horse is at first able to bear so much; as it is less constraint to go through the circular end, * The letters at No. I. and those on the other side of No. V. correspond with those between No. III. and II. all of which correspond with the posi- tion of the horse's feet in the plate, being all descriptive of their position at the different places in the action of head in and croup out. The letters of course indicate the legs as before, viz. a the off fore leg, b the off hind leg, c the near fore leg, and d the near hind leg. poize of the rider's body in the change. 229 than through the corners. When this is perfectly- familiar to it — the next attempt is to make it come immediately from the one to the other. For this pur- pose^— when the horse, after having made the demi- volte, arrives at that part of the wall opposite to the pillar ; the rider should immediately hold his left hand up very- high, and bring it towards his right hand, throwing his body very far back. — When brought to the wall till the horse is straight with it, — the rider's position must be in- stantaneously exactly reversed in every part; so that all, that was kept back before, must now be advanced, and vice versa. His seat must be directly contrary to what it was before — for all the right side must now be ad- vanced, and all the left side kept back — his right hand must be held high and his left hand low — in short, in every point exactly the reverse ; audit is all to be done in an instant- — for the horse under him should do it in an instant ; care being taken that the horse does not begin to change the plie, till it comes straight with the wall — after which, the off shoulder should be imme- diately put to it. For this purpose, the nails of the left hand should be held towards the right hand, in order to assist the horse in reversing every part of its body, which the poize of the rider should accompany, by sitting perfectly loose so as to feel it accurately under him. While the rider pulls the left rein for this purpose e e 230 poize of the horses body in the change. — the light rein is given of course by his right shoulder's advancing at the time without altering the rein in his hand. The manner in which the horse makes the change is thus. It has been mentioned that in the gallop to the right, the off legs lead, and the impulse is on the near legs. This is, of course, vice versa to the left. In the change — a bound is made upon the off legs, on their coming down in succession, when advanced to the wall and leading. The poize and plie of the horse's body is at that instant completely changed ; so as for the near legs to pass them in air — and to. lead ; the impulse being continued on the off legs. This change may either be made on the gallop, (that is to say in terre a terre,) or on the trot ; the plie and poize of the horse's body, accompanying it equally. For when the horse's croup is to the wall to the right, the impulse in the trot is on the near fore leg and the off hind leg. By a bound on these two legs when leading, the gallop to the right can be commenced at any time.* When the change is made on the trot, the impulse is immediately shifted to the other two legs across ; by which the gallop to the left might commence at any time. As the demi-volte was supposed to take place on the trot, from the action of head in and croup out, I have supposed the trot to be continued till the horse is * See page 60. change in the gallop by crossing the house. 231 arriving at the wall, and the change to be made on the gallop.* When the horse is supple enough to go once or twice round the house with its head to the wall, to the left — the same change may be made by a long demi- volte to the left — so as to put its head to the wall to the right. If the horse be inclined to retain itself, it should be worked fast, and the change should be made by crossing the house instead of from the demi-volte. In this case, its body should not be held quite so straight to the wall, as when coming with its croup to the wall in the demi- volte, so that the change may be made more in air by the haunches not being held quite so much. The house should be crossed from that part where the circle quits the wall, to that part where it joins it again ; and the change should be instantaneously made, as soon as it arrives at the wall ; and the gallop be continued as at No. IV. If the horse be inclined to make the change very much in air — this method of crossing the house will have a much better effect, than when done in the demi-volte ; but in process of work, either the one or the other may be required selon V allure du cheval. * See Plate XIII. No. III. and IV. where the gallop a c d b is changed for the gallop c a d b. This change is marked by a stroke at right angles to the lines. 232 QUART DE VOLTE — AND SQUARE. If the horse be perfectlv quiet in doing this, and not apt to retain itself — when supple enough to be able to bear it. a quart de volte may be attempted on the gallop, in one corner of the house, as at Plate XIV. No. I. For this purpose, the horse should be held nearly straight, after it has passed the corner, when going on the terre a terre with its head to the wall — it will otherwise be in an impossibility of turning ; or if it does turn at all, the croup will be foremost, instead of the shoulders. It should then be brought to the next wall, holding haunches a little on the volte, but straight for the change ; in order that the near legs may then be thrown forwards instead of the off legs, without the croup's being too much advanced. A square may also be attempted on the passage, so as for the corners only to be cut off; as at Ts'o. II. For this purpose, the horse should be held quite straight on the lines of the square, and the croup should be thrown out in the corners, by the right hand being pulled inwards instantaneously at these times, and kept so only for a moment. The knuckles of the right hand should be held up when the hand is pulled inwards, and the nails up when the hand is put towards the horse's neck again, (that is outwards) immediately after. In short, the hands do almost every thing in regard to directions at any CONCLUSION OF THE LESSON. 233 time — the legs and the body being kept as still, and as loose as possible ; with the poize on the one side or on the other, as occasion requires. The horse having been alreadv practised in being held tog-ether a little straighter down the line at the end of the lesson, when working with its head in and croup out in hand/'" may finish in the same manner with the rider on its back. The lesson mav either be finished in this way, or by the horse's croup being held a little straighter down the line of the wall, after making a de mi- volte either way. so as to put its croup to the wall > Both these methods prepare it for passaging do wn the middle. When the horse has got the poize of its body tolerably well in passaging; down the line of the wall, the rider mav attempt to make it come down the middle, in the same manner as when worked in hand. I For this pur- pose the two men. who held the reins at that time, might help him, bv going one on each side of him. with a switch in their hand, ready to tap the ground with, when required : or the man on his near side might strike the wall with a long whip, immediately after the rider has turned from the centre window, and accompany him either bv giving the aids on the near side, or behind the horse — but this requires the greatest judgment. Few horses can do more for the first vear with the rider on 1 See page 107. + See page 111, I See Vignette, page li-£. 234 horse going en chevalant. their back, than the lesson of head in and croup out, and croup to the wall on each hand. During the latter part of that time, if the horse is so far advanced, as to have had its head put to the wall in hand ; the rider may begin the practice of this and of the changes on the gallop at that period. If the horse be tolerably perfect in this also, in the course of six months more ; and can passage down the middle of the house quite straight — it is then ready to practice going from side to side of the house, by one step forwards, and one step sideways, either in the piaffe or in terre a terre, or by coming easily from the one to the other selon son allure. This is what the French call chevaler. For this purpose, when the horse has passaged quite straight, so as to be beyond the centre of the circular end, as at Plate XIV. No. Ill — let the horseman (in the position represented in the plate) make the horse feel the near side rein, by holding his left hand with the nails up across its neck. The aids should be given more or less either by one hand or the other, according as it is requisite for the shoulders or the haunches to be ad- vanced at the time. This motion of the left hand carries the shoulders. If the left heel is used at the same time, and that the haunches are too much advanced by it, the pulling of the off side rein stops the haunches. The rider should lean almost his whole weight on the right stirrup, the moment the horse steps to the right by the 'Plate -l.il- ACTION PROM SIDE TO SIDE WHICH IS clltValant. 235 aids which are given. When a man can sit in the proper position in making a clemi-volte, to the right or left,* his position and the aids are exactly the same, as when requiring the horse to go one step forwards , and one step sideways in the present instance. When the demi- volte is made, it has been mentioned that it may be done either by the legs doubling over each other in the trot, as at Plate XIII. No. II — or by the gallop, as at No. III. and the change at No. IV. As few horses can change in the gallop when going en chevalant for two or three times from one wall of the house to the other — this lesson must be done partly in terre a terre, and partly on the piaffe — I have therefore supposed the piaffe to take place as far as No. III. in Plate XIV. and the terre a terre to take place before the horse comes from thence to the right hand wall. When arrived at the wall on either side — if the horse cannot change imme- diately on the gallop ; the piaffe de ferme a ferme must take place for a moment, till the poize of the body is so completely reversed, as for the terre a terre to take place again to the left, till arrived at the left hand wall. This should be done at first by separate lessons — stopping at each wall. When after a certain time the horse appears to be ready to make the change instantaneously — the rider should feel accurately under him the moment in * See page 225. 236 poize of the rider en chevalant. which the impulse has ceased on the near side in the terre a terre to the right, and when the impulse com- mences on the off side at the next instant, when ready to go to the left : — at that instant he should change the whole of his own poize as before directed," and give the same aids, vice versa, from the right to the left hand wall. The change being then made again — the horse may be brought in the same manner by one more change to the right hand wall, and once again to the wall on the left hand — either in the piaffe, or in terre a terre; the rider allowing his horse to make the changes on the one or on the other, according to its own inclination. - — Some horses will do it immediately, and in the air, on the gallop ; but these are but few. — When arrived at the left hand wall, the horse should change again, till arrived in the middle of the house oppo- site to the pillar. The lesson may be ended there with apesadei- made quite straight, except that the head * See page 229. * As thepesade is'shewn in plate XV. that action requires no explanation. It is the foundation of all the rest of the airs which are merely mechanical, where a horse has a disposition for them; and are of little use. They are never to be done with accuracy, except by horses kept on purpose, which can only happen in a very large establishment. Where I have found a horse rise too frequently, I have sometimes touched it on the rump, on its coming down again, so as to produce a curvette:. — as the hind legs are quite even on the pesade, the fore legs in this case come down PASSADES BEGUN BY A GALLOP FROM A Standstill. 237 .should be a little bent to the right. This not only looks better, but by so doing, the body will keep its plie a little, although the legs follow exactly.* When a horse is sufficiently dressed to do this — having been allowed some time to take its breath again, it may be backed a few steps, in order to gain a little more ground, so as to set off in a gallop from a standstill, and to make a few passades in the breadth of the house. For this purpose — the horse, as soon as it has been reined back, should be placed a little sideways, towards that window on the left hand, which is opposite to the pillar. When it has been used easily to raise the fore parts in the pesade — it will not be difficult for it to spring up im- mediately after being stopped, and to advance the off hind leg by the spring of the fore parts ; so as to throw itself forwards with that leg leading. + The off fore leg is thrown forwards in air, so as to lead, when the foreparts come down in the manner described in page 8 5 . Having advanced en gallop releve to the wall — the same quite even from the pesade, and at the same instant, when the hind legs are in air. This is the only difference between that air and the terre a terre. In the latter, the legs are set down Jo llo wing each other ; in the former, they come down as it were upon the hop — comme un corbeau — from whence the name. A little more aid with the whip, and the voice, would produce a groupade or perhaps a ballotade : — more, than that, would produce a capriole: — for this is the gradation. These aids may be regularly seen in the prints of the Duke of Newcastle's folio edition. * See Plate XV. + See the ground plan of Plate XV. Ff 238 Passades the breadth of the house. gallop should be continued with its head to the wall through the two corners, and from thence till the horse arrives nearly opposite to the pillar, where it should be turned, holding haunches so as nearly to face it. From thence — leaving the pillar close on the rider's left hand — it may be made to gallop and turn, two or three times the breadth of the house (as shewn in the plate) — -fast on the straight line, and slower in the turns. This should be done in the action of head to the wall. The turns should be made almost within the horse's own length ; and the lesson may be finished by the horse being brought to the passage on the last turn ; so as to end by piaffing de Jerme a forme at the pillar. But before this can be done on the breadth of the house, it ought to be prac- tised on the length of the house, without the help of the walls, when the lesson may be finished by a passage down the middle — of which more hereafter. As I have not yet mentioned the manner in which the change should be made from the long demi-volte with- out the help of the walls, I shall now revert to Plate XIII. No. VI. and VII. The horse is there represented as going in terre a terre to the left ; in the action of croup to the wall, holding haunches gradually more and more, till arrived at No. VII.; where it is placed exactly at right angles to the wall, in the same manner as if it had been carried on to the corner of the house. At that instant /'/,//,■ JlJi. thai oil del Fublislici Ja/i*z.i.Sob',br S.JFrc Slichton scidp. CHANGE WITHOUT THE HELP OF THE WALL. 239 the impulse upon the o^legs a b, will be changed, as marked by the line across, so as for it to be put upon the near legs c d, as at No. VIII: by which the off legs will pass the others in air, and lead again, in the same manner as the near legs led ; as seen on the other side at No. IV. as before described.* With all this, the horse- man's body should accord just as instantaneously as when the change is made with the help of the wall at No. III. The change from right to left is of course vice versa. The pillar must be left close upon the right hand, when the change is from left to right, and vice versa the other way. In every lesson where no change is made, two persons can work at a time in a riding house of the size I have described, as well as one. When the lesson of head in and croup out, croup to the wall, or head to the wall, for instance, are practised as separate lessons — if one horse's rate be faster than the other which it follows ; the horse, that is first, should make a double. This leaves all the remainder of the house for the other to go through, before it comes up again ; so that they are no impedi- ment to each other. Two horses can also work abreast without the help of the wall, if they are tolerably perfect in going head in and croup out, and head to the wall separately, with the aid of * See page 229- 240 Passades d toute bride by two horses abreast. the wall. When in the middle of the house, and working close together, so as to keep the line — the horse that has the fastest rate of going should be put on the largest circles. It should go exactly at the same rate, when in the straight line ; and be advanced before the other on a quicker rate, when in circles, in proportion to the size of the circles in which they have to turn. When going terre a terre in the circles, as in the lesson of head to the wall — care should be taken that the haunches are not held so much, as to hinder the leading of the fore parts. In Plate XVI. No. I. I have shewn the position of each horse's feet, so as to keep the line in that action on the voltes, in the manner that Sir Sidney Medows and myself often practised it together, by making one or two entire voltes at one end of the riding house, without the help of the walls, and coming en passades a toute bride to the other end.* Having then made one or two voltes at that end, the lesson was finished by our keeping the line exactly on the passage down the middle ; and then, either piaffing de Jerme a ferme, or making a pesade, selon Valleur de nos chevaux. The line of direction is marked in which the two horses should go on the circles with one haunch in.\ The posi- * In order that the work may be seen more easily, an interval of the breadth of one horse is left between each — but they should be nearly close together. + a the offfore legof each horse is there seen touching this lineof direction. LINE OF DIRECTION OF EACH WITHIN THE VOLTE. 241 tion of the rider should be exactly the same, and the aids exactly the same for the voltes as mentioned for the demi-voltes. The plie of the horse should of course be the same* The rate of going should be fast on the straight line, and slower when arriving at the circlest If going to the right, as here represented, the rider should carry both hands a little out at this time, and with rather more appui than in the straight line. By doing this, the horse's rate will be rather more restrained; and the shoulders carried a little more out, so as for one haunch to be more or less in, in proportion to the size of the circle ;+ as the outside horse must be kept the straightest. The fore parts also will thus be able to embrace the largest circle — and by having only one haunch in, the horse's rate will not be so far restrained as to run any risk of becoming entier — that is, that the haunches will not be so far advanced, as for the fore parts to be almost in an impossibility of turning, on the circle which they are meant to describe. By the haunches being no more kept in than I have marked — the line of direction, which is given for each off fore leg to lead by, will be within the volte, that is between the horse and the centre of the circle. When quitting the * See page 226. + This is marked by dotted lines from the off leg before, to the near leg behind ; shewing that the off haunch is in more or less, according to the circle. 242 PUe of each horse. circle to go on the straight line again — the hands must be carried a little outwards, and the reins given imme- diately, with the aids of the calves of the legs, so as to make the horse go fast on the straight line, making the passade a toute bride; each man sitting as loosely, and as still as possible, and regulating his horse, so as to keep the line, and arrive together on the circles at the opposite end. The same aids should then be given, (in order to put each horse properly on the circles) as were before mentioned. This is not only very entertaining when done well, but whoever can do it, for a few times only, without his horse going false either before or behind, is no bad horseman ; however easy it may seem till it comes to be tried : nor can he do it, till his horse is tolerably suppled by the help of the walls, after its head has been put to them for some length of time. The Duke of Newcastle says,* " Nothing more strongly proves a horse to be " thoroughly dressed, than passades, since nothing can " make a horse perfect but the hands and the heels, and " he obeys both in passades. He flies the heel upon " straight lines, and obeys the hand in going slower " and turning." The use of its being done in this way, where more than two are to do it together, is very great for many reasons. It must be considered that the horse * Page 61. IN PROPORTION TO THE CIRCLE. 243 by its plie being properly kept, actually constitutes, in its progress, a portion of the circle in which it is going. The horse nearest the centre is the most bent, and forms an arch, which is able the better to resist the next horse if it presses. The next horse is less bent, and conse- quently inclined to go rather more from the centre ; and by its plie being kept the same way, although not quite so much, the least motion of the off rein across its neck, carries the shoulders still more outwards ; or the off rein being carried a little towards the centre, puts them more inwards if required, as observed in the demi-voltes* The plie of every horse, after that, is regularly decreased in proportion ; by which, the nearer the horse is to a straight line, the more tendency it has to fly off from the centre: — but it is easy enough to prevent this ; conse- quently, by the plie being thus regulated, every horse has less and less chance of crowding on the centre. Where this is done in a larger body with one hand only — if the knuckles of the left hand be held upwards, and the rein across the neck carried to the near side ; or if the nails be carried up, and the rein held across to the off side, it answers the same purpose ; with a little additional aid of the leg if requisite, in order to compensate for the want of the other hand. For an additional pressure on the off leg, put rather further back, forces the croup out, and * See page 225. 244 SAME plie OUT OF DOORS AS WITHIN THE HOUSE. puts the shoulders in ; and the spur made use of by the near leg, puts the haunches in. My reason for mentioning this is to shew the method in which quarts de voltes, demi-voltes, and voltes may be done by larger bodies out of doors, so as to have less chance of crowding on each other. For this purpose, I shall next point out a lesson which a dressed horse can do out of doors ; and what may also be practised as a lesson by two or more horsemen, whose horses are tolerably perfect in doing the lessons of head in and croup out, croup to the wall, and head to the wall within the house. \ ' flats if, "fr.7. \ ° \ ■ u ■ : c c .-' x. ■ :s\ ;r I/O ,' fc .' > :^.--.-->--"e.. .0 0,' /, 1'' ,', n,' .0 ifer : :i\: .y . ■■t"t [245] i .. - SECTION V. TWO LESSONS THAT CAN BE PRACTISED OUt of DOORS ; ONE FOR a drest HORSE, AND THE OTHER FOR ONE OR MORE HORSES TOGETHER, THAT ARE NOT QUITE SO WELL DREST. .Having now described every thing that constitutes a drest horse within the house, I shall point out as well as I can, a lesson for a drest horse out of the house, which has lately given me much entertainment when the weather has permitted. For this purpose, after the horse has been properly settled within the house, the scene of action must be changed to the lawn before my riding house, in the country. On this lawn, two trees happen to be placed about a hundred yards from each other, and are taken as centres for the circles which are meant to be described. As a preparation for this lesson, the horse being brought into the house is put back in hand down the middle, and brought forward again on the passage by two men,* for once or twice, to settle it for being mounted. In order to settle the rider also when mounted, it is made to go with the head in and croup out, for a circle * See Vignette, page 124, G £ 246 LESSON OUT OF DOORS FOR A DREST HORSE. or two at the circular end : and being brought from thence straighter on a full trot down the line of the house, the horse is stopped on its haunches at the open door- way, to make apesade (by way of obedience) on leaving it. After a stop for an instant, it sets off again on a trot clelie* for a certain distance -f till the gallop is ready to commence easily.;}; This gallop is continued, holding haunches a little, as being upon the turn, till arrived at the volte, which is to be made by the horse's holding haunches a little more, for one circle entire round the first tree. It proceeds from thence, half way over the same circle, in order to quit it nearly opposite to that part on which it. entered. The same gallop is continued from thence, till it arrives halfway between the two trees. Here, the horse being put quite straight — (in the same position as when arriving at the wall, after having crossed the house, )§ the change is instantaneously made * The Earl of Pembroke, in his quotation from M. Burgelat's Nouveay Newcastle, (Edit. 3-) concerning the three different kinds of trot, calls the trot delie, the supple trot. In page 63 he says, " I define the supple trot " to be that, in which the horse at every motion that he makes, bends and " plays all his joints, that is to say, those of his shoulders, his knees, " and feet." + See Plate No. II. the trot, a d crossed by c b. \ See the line across the track No. III. which marks the place where the gallop, by the off legs a Heading, commences from the trot. § See Plate XIII. No. III. and IV. LESSON OUT OF DOORS FOR A DREST HORSE. 247 on the gallop,* so as for the near legs to lead, in the same manner, for one circle entire, terre a terre to the left, round the next tree. Proceeding from thence half round again, the circle is quitted, so as to change again, from left to right, at the same place where the change was made from right to left.t Turning immediately to the right, at right angles to this figure of eight, a passade a toute bride is made for about a hundred yards, as described in the riding house.^ When returned again, on, or a little beyond the same place, half the ground is gone over again in the same manner. A demir volte being then made at the opposite end, the horse is put from the terre a terre to the passage as soon as opposite to the door of the house. Having proceeded for a certain time on the passage — the lesson is ended by the horse again making its obedience in a pesade. Notwithstanding the descrip- tion may seem long— the time in which this is performed, is no more than five minutes : — and what may seem rather more extraordinary — the horse, which is supple enough to be able to do it, is aged 2,5 years, and still in full vigour; for when a horse is once well drest, it gets .. -. • " * See the change by a stroke crossing the line of direction, shewing where a b closed on one side of it, so as to change for c d on the other. + See the stroke marked across the track. J See No. I. of this Plate. 248 LESSON FOR ONE OR MORE HORSES NOT SO WELL DREST. more and more supple, as long as it is capable of bearing the exertion. Having made my apology in my preface for introducing military riding with that of the manage, I hope now to be excused, for presuming to mention, a thought that occurs to me of a lesson that might be practised out of doors, by three or four horsemen meeting together ; either individual lovers of horsemanship, who might happen to have horses sufficiently dressed for the purpose — or by a few of those real lovers of the art, who are to be found in almost every regiment. If the science of horsemanship should ever be so far encouraged, as for a few men and their horses in a regiment, to be supple enough to do it, by their horses being able to go with their heads to the wall within the house with ease to themselves — three or four horsemen might come out of any part of the line where their duty might have placed them, without disturbing the rest of the regiment ; and proceed, at first, irregularly on a trot delie ; passing by each other, if re- quisite, as at No. IV. so as for the fastest horses to be placed on the left. Having gone forty or fifty yards, (by which time each man would feel his horse ready to take the gallop with the off legs) their rate of going should be so regulated, as for them all to arrive on the gallop at a given line (No. V.), about a hundred yards from the regiment at the same moment. From thence, LESSON FOR A FEW HORSES OUT OF DOORS. 249 without stopping, they might proceed to practise the same lesson that wasj ust now mentioned to have been done by my master and myself ivitfiito the house at No. I. What an opportunity would this be of shewing some of the best riders, as well as some of the most supple, and fleetest horses in the regiment ; and if ever the science should be so far advanced, as for a review to commence by this lesson, the duration of it, to each party that does it, would only be about five minutes : — nor would the exertion, for that short time, at all prevent those horses from going through any other manoeuvres equally well afterwards. It should only be done either to the right or to the left, as separate lessons — for changes on the gallop are not be expected ; especially with- out the help of the walls. The lesson might be finished by quitting the circle at No. VI. when their horses would be rather beyond the right of the regiment; and turning into the rear at No. VII. so as for each to stop at that part of the regiment near where he quitted it. Having staid there for a few minutes, so as for their horses to recover their wind ; they might then come forwards, and fill up the intervals from whence they began.* Those who could do it with precision would * I have before noticed the Duke of Newcastle's opinion of the use of passades. He directs them to be done with the bridle only; but I think they can hardly be done accurately as a lesson by a single horseman, 250 WHEELINGS, DONE SAME AS VOLTES. be an example to others, in the accuracy of wheeling, as well as in that of dressing, both in the passades and in circles. To use the words of the Comte Drummond de Melfort, ': Si ce n'etoit pas fronder le sentiment general des offi- " ciers," might not I presume, that by doing the wheel- ings in half squadrons accurately in this way, with both man and horse bending and looking to the pir'ot Jtank, in the same manner as the man looks to the centre within the house ; the wheelings might be done without crowding, by the bridle hand being only carried a little in or a little out ? Might not the quart de volte be done with both man and horse looking to the standing flank at the time they are doing it, in the same manner as they would do when halted?— When done by Sir Sidney Medows and myself, on supple horses, we kept within six inches of each other's knees without crowding ; as the most delicate aids carried the horse a trifle either the one way or the other. We were easily seated on our horses— being of one piece with them by all parts in- clining the same way.* For the same reason, the horses without the rider being allowed to touch the bridoon also, occasionally, with his right hand for a short time on the volts. To a drest horse it is by no means difficult ; and I have frequently practised it with my sword in hand, when the ground permitted it, for my own amusement, before the business of the volunteer regiment began, in which, as before mentioned, I serve as Major. * See page 227. ACCURACY OF WHEELING OUT OF DOORS. 251 were equally at ease in doubling their legs over, and perfectly secure in the poize of their bodies ; for their riders were properly poized also — and all were bent and looked the way they were going. If the science of horsemanship should ever be so far advanced as for the piaffe to be done steadily, and only at the moment required by the voice of the man, it would be a beautiful practice for half squadrons of good riders, on supple horses, to wheel by the pivot horse turning on its real centre,* instead of on the fore feet, by piaffing de Jerme ajerme, with a little inclination to the way it is to turn — the next horses on the piaffe, or passage^ (by which I mean advancing a little) the next on the passage, or terre a terre, so as to advance a little more ; — the next horses on the terre a terre, or the trot delie, % selon leurs alleurs — the next on the trot delie, or the gallop releve, according as they were nearer or farther from the standing flank ; — the next on the gallop releve, or in full gallop. § * See page 19. + See page 129- X See page 246. § It must be considered that what I have here mentioned is only meant for a certain number of men on drest horses, consisting, perhaps, of half a squadron — who could each regulate exactly the motion of their horses, while they looted all the time to the pivot flank : — how far this is practi- cable by a larger number on horses not so well dressed, nor so well know- ing the rate they are to go at without some fixed object to look at, I will, not venture to say. I only mention what appears to me to be the true 252 Importance of having the right poize. It is of infinite service for a horse to be able to gallop fast and slow, without changing the legs either before or behind, and to turn either on a small or a large circle, instantaneously and steadily at the will of the rider. I think I may presume to say3 that, when pursuing or pur- sued by an enemy, when galloping over rough and uneven ground — those men would be likely to succeed the best, whose bodies, as well as their horse's, are poized the best.* method of doing it. This should be deviated from as little as possible, in order for the man to be of one piece with his horse ; which he cannot be as long as his head, and perhaps his body aho, are inclined one way, and his horse is going the other. * A remarkable story occurs to my mind at this moment, of an English dragoon, ill poized on his horse, pursuing a French foot soldier who ap- peared to have but little chance of his life as soon as he could run no longer. This man perceived that the dragoon was so ill poized, that by a sudden stop he would infallibly be thrown. He therefore let him come up ro him, and suddenly fell down, with his sword at liberty to run the dragoon through as he was coming to the ground. The event was said to have answered hisexpectation. — I will suppose another possible case: — that a dragoon, upon a much faster horse, shall be pursuing an enemy ; but that his retreat would be cut off, if he did not return within a given time — what an advantage would it be, were he able, by use, to have his body and his horse's body poized in the manner it is on the smallest semicircle here de- scribed, t This demi-volte he might require his horse to make, by being used to it, exactly at the time when passing his enemy, after having struck his blow on his enemy's back, and the gallop might be continued in his retreat, without loss of time. I will suppose this to be required on a stiff t See Plate XVI. No. I. IMPORTANCE OF HAVING THE RIGHT POIZE. 253 The advantage must also be considered when they are to keep the line both in quick and slow time, and to turn on the gallop with the least loss of ground. On the other hand — the disadvantage has already been mentioned, both as to speed and security, in those horses, which, for want of being properly suppled, are liable to be fre- quently cross-legged. By this, not only their speed is decreased," but their own safety, as well as that of their riders, is often endangered. However, as perhaps I horse, and ask what would happen? Half the man's strength would be lost in pullingup his horse onarriving at his enemy ; and lucky would it be, if that could be done with one hand, when the horse had been very much pressed. The difference of the time and space in turning would also be very great. As to precision in the blow, that would be impossible. In the other case, if he sat still in beginning the pursuit, making a passade furieuse, and giving his horse all its head, (by which its mouth would be kept fine for the stop,) and having his stirrups of the length I have described; his attention would by no means be upon his horse — but rising easily on his stirrups, when advancing towards his enemy, in order for the blow to be struck, and sitting down loosely the moment after — his horse would be instantly brought on a slower gallop, and hold haunches, so as to describe the very small semi- circle on which it is to turn in retreating, and be able to increase its speed again without any interruption of time, by not having changed its legs either before or behind. * The trial has often been made of a horse to run against a man for a a hundred yards so many times on the same ground. That horse, ceteris paribus, would have the best chance, which could set offin a gallop from a stand-still and turn the truest in the smallest compass, so as to be able to gallop off fast again the moment it had turned. h h [ 254 ] may have said too much already relative to matters in which I may seem to have stepped out of my line — I shall take my leave, with hoping that no offence will be taken, where no offence is intended to be given. THE END Primed by W. Bulmer and Co. Cleveland-row, St James's. DIRECTIONS FOR THE BINDER. The Frontispiece, Plate I. to face page i. of the Preface. Plate II. to face page 1. of the Work itself. III. to face page 12. — - IV. 30. . v. 62. ■ VI. 63. VII. — 140. VIII. — 144. IX. 147. X. 149. XI. 159- XII. 164. XIII 209- XIV. 234. XV. 238. XVI. 245. ERRATA. In the running Title, p. 67, for positions read position. Page 101, for aprtiadarly read particularly. Page 179, running Title, should be— Bad effects of too short stirrups. QT When the Earl of Pembroke's work is quoted, the third Edition is meant.