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VM»ler FarnHy Library of Veterinary Medicine
C^nnmiftgs School of Veterinary Medicine at
Tufts University
200 Westboro Road
North Grafton. MA 01536
PARK KIDING.
v^?^
PAKK RIDING
WITH
SOME REMARKS ON THE ART OF
HORSEMANSHIP.
BY
J. RIMELL DUNBAR,
PROFESSOR OF HORSEMANSHIP,
LONDON :
SAUNDERS, OTLEY, & CO., CONDUIT ST.
1859.
! W ^ ' t
PREFACE.
The Author of the following pages begs the
Eeader, who may take the trouble to peruse
them, to understand that he is not a writer but a
rider, and he trusts that the critic who may think
the work of sufficient interest to demand even a
passing notice, will bear in mind that " none but
horsemen can give a clear and satisfactory account
of horsemanship," and therefore be indulgent to
the language in which the Author has clothed
the theory of the art, if the theory itself shall
appear free from objection.
The Reader, gallant or gentle, whichever he or
she may be, must not expect novelty, though the
Work if not novel, is at least an improved
method, without being opposed to all former
ones, of teaching a science which every one who
ventures on horseback professes to understand,
VI PREFACE.
whilst, in fact, very few indeed are masters of
the subject.
The Author begs to intimate his readiness to
explain more fully his method to any lady or
gentleman desirous of instruction, according to
his principles of teaching, on application to him
at the Riding House, Mr. Kice's, Motcombe
Street, Belgrave Square, and at Mr. Hethering-
ton's, 18, Connaught Terrace, Hyde Park.
Mr. Dunbar takes a limited number of Pupils.
Pupils to find their own Horses.
" A Treatise on the Art of Driving," by the
same Author, will shortly be ready for publica-
tion.
Riding House, Motcombe Street,
Belgrave Square.
*
CONTENTS,
Page
Park Riding . .
. 1
Grecian Seat ....
. 6
Stylish Riding . . .
. 15
To Trot . . . . .
To Canter . , . * .
. 21
. 22
To Start in a Canter
. ib.
To Change Hands with Bridle in the Canter
. 23
To arrange Habit or Hat iu the Canter
. 24
To Shake Hands with a Friend in the Canter
. ib.
To Caress your Horse in the Canter
, ib.
To Change leg of Horse in the Canter
. 25
To Circle and Figure oo in the Canter
. ib.
To Drop and Recover Reins in the Canter
. 26
To Passage in the Canter .
. ib.
To Alter the Stirrup in the Canter
. 27
To Jump in the Canter .
. ib.
To Stop from the Canter .
. ib.
Backing . . . .
. 28
Dismounting ....
. ib.
Position of Hands
. 30
Balance .....
. 40
Passaging .....
. 41
Vlll
CONTENTS.
Page
Hand-gallop
, 43
Park Horse
. 46
Lady's Side- Saddle (Measurement of a)
. 47
Remarks on the Art of Riding
. 48
The Art of Riding.— United Seat .
. 53
Mounting
. 58
Start .
. 60
Walk .
. ih.
Trot
. 61
Gallop .
. 63
Dropping . ^
Backing .
. 65
. 67
Leaping
. 68
The Stop .
. 70
Vices
. 71
Kicking
. 72
Rearing .
. 73
Shying .
. 74
Plunging
. 76
Running away .
. 77
Restiveness
. 79
Dismounting
. 82
To make a Horse stand Fire
. 83
A Horse difficult to Mount
. 84
Technical Terms .
. 85
Golden Rules
. 87
Jllugtration^^
PARK SCENE
To face Title.
LADY ON HORSEBACK
Page 1
THE GRECIAN SEAT .
. 6
LADY CANTERING .
. 15
STARTING IN THE CANTER
. 23
POSITION OF HANDS .
. 30
PASSAGING .
. 41
THE HAND- GALLOP
. 43
THE UNITED SEAT
.53
f
PARK RIDING,
KiDiNG on horseback had long held a high rank
amongst the recreations of the nobility and gentry
when it received the final impress of fashion from
the patronage of her most gracious Majesty the
Queen. Who that has seen can ever forget the
magnificence of that scene which Rotten Row
presented to the admiration of the world, at the
commencement of the present reign, when a
young and beloved Sovereign sought relaxation
from the cares of State in equestrian exercise in
Hyde Park, or who could have witnessed the
spectacle of that Royal Lady mounted on her
favourite horse, passing through lines of her loyal
J^ PARK RIDING.
subjects, without feeling that in the mighty but
youthful Sovereign of the greatest empire in the
world, they saw — as was said of her illustrious
predecessor Queen Elizabeth —
" Our gracious Queen
With grace and dignity rode through the host,
And proudly paced that gallant steed as though
He knew his saddle was a royal throne."
Through the countenance and support thus
graciously bestowed by her Majesty the Queen
on equestrian exercise, it soon became the fashion-
able out-of-door amusement of the nobility and
gentry, and in fact of all those whose circumstances
afforded the means and opportunity of enjoying
it. The Royal Family all receive instruction in
the art of horsemanship, and as the " Court
Circular" informs us, it appeared to be a favourite
recreation of the "fair rose of England," who
lately left the shores of her native country for the
steps of a foreign throne, which she is destined
some day to ascend with her royal husband.
His Royal Highness the Prince Royal of
PARK EIDING. 3
Sweden once wrote to the Baron de Oderhielm —
"Teach my son journeys among mountains or
mines; swimming and horsemanship are the ex-
ercises which call forth energy of soul."
All people are formed for riding; — "Put a
child on a stick, then on a pony ; they all ride,
only do it much more elegantly when taught."
Some people have a great desire to learn, but
discourage themselves by the apprehension of
greater difficulties than exist. It is the proper
duty of a master to be able to give confidence.
It is not to be wondered at that equestrian
exercise, having thus obtained such a high posi-
tion amongst the amusements of the court and
aristocracy of England, schools for teaching the
ai't of horsemanship to " a nobility and gentry
whose love of exercise, activity, courage, personal
endowments, and commanding fortunes would
qualify them to take the lead and witch the world
with noble horsemanship" — should have increased
in number. These schools are undoubtedly fully
equal to the task of teaching the rudiments of the
B 2
4 PAEK RIDING.
equestrian art to young beginners. The skill of
the master, and the fitness of the horse, are alike
necessary to enable the pupil to learn the prin-
ciples of the art of riding ; but the riding masters
of the present day, like their predecessors in times
long past, teach that style of riding which is
called in the schools The Menage, and insist that
it must ever remain to be the foundation of all
good riding. This for school riding is quite
correct.
In this work, it is the intention of the author
to carry instruction beyond the point at which
the schools leave oif; or, in other words, to
perfect the pupil by a course of lessons given in
the extensive area of Hyde Park or a common
road, rather than in the practice of the theory
tau2;ht on the circumscribed area of the ridino^
school. To do this with effect, the author
ventures to assert that all the skill and experience
of a perfect master of the art of riding are re-
quired. Many authors have written for the
schools, and no doubt the schools for dressing, im-
PARK RIDING. 0
proving, and bringing out the powers of the horse
are the best places, but little if anything has been
written for the Park. It must be remembered
that riding, as practised in the schools, and Park
riding are entirely different, although both are
equally good for their particular purpose.
What Xenophon said, in the introduction to his
celebrated Treatise on Horsemanship, the author
of this work desires to apply to this attempt of his
to extend the knowledge of the art of riding : —
"AS IT HAS HAPPENED THAT MUCH OF OUR
TIME HAS BEEN SPENT IN RIDING, AND WE
THINK THAT WE HAVE THEREBY ACQUIRED A
SKILL IN HORSEMANSHIP, WE ARE DESIROUS
OF INFORMING THE YOUNGER PART OF OUR
FRIENDS WHAT METHOD WE JUDGE THE MOST
PROPER FOR THEM TO USE IN THE MANAGE-
PARK RIDING,
THE GEECIAN SEAT.
For Park riding, we consider this elegant
attitude on horseback to be the most graceful,
comfortable, and easy which an equestrian can
practice, and when learned from the instructions
of a professed and experienced master exhibits
the perfection of the equestrian art. An author
on the Art of Riding has observed, ^' that it takes
out of balance that freedom and ease which are so
desirable in themselves and so universally ad-
mired, if effected by any person who is in the
habit of riding ; but with this difference, some
unite system with negligence and ease, others
negligence and ease without system. You find
no stiffness in the animal, nor do you find any in
the best horsemen." It is an attitude to be
obtained only by .considerable study and practice.
The most accomplished and elegant practitioner
f%
PARK RIDING. 7
of the Grecian Seat was the late gallant and
noble Marquis of Anglesey, and any one who
remembers his appearance as an equestrian can-
not easily forget the distinguished taste and style
of his riding. The distinctive feature of this seat
is that the horseman rides disunited while his
horse remains united. An unskilful rider should
never attempt to ride in the Grecian Seat, and to
even an accomplished equestrian a knowledge of
the operation of the hand on the horse's mouth is
absolutely necessary.
Almost all horsemen, whatever be their parti-
cular style of riding, aim at obtaining a safe
and firm seat, thinking it to be the most im-
portant consideration and the perfection of horse-
manship, but it is in the hand that all excellence
lies. For a knowledge of the influence, power,
and importance of the hand in riding, we refer
the reader to the Chapter on " Hands," in a
subsequent division of this work, and recommend
the careful study of it to all those who desire to
ride with address.
8 PARK RIDING.
It is by the hand and the heel of a master that
a horse is dressed, and by the same means he
must be governed and guided by his rider. Ke-
member, you are always to be obeyed by your
horse, and to be perfect master of him — not he of
you. You should throw off all that has been
taught in the lessons of the schools, sit with
perfect confidence and ease, and feel yourself to
be complete master of your horse, and that his
duty is to obey you in everything; and never
forget that a well-broke horse has been taught
everything necessary to his usefulness and has no
preferences. Any one of the things he has been
taught to do he will readily do again at the
bidding of his rider.
If a horse be obedient to the hand, and con-
stantly on the alert to perform what is required
of him by his rider, he may be said to possess the
qualifications required to make a good Park
horse ; some horses, however well broke and free
from vice, are slow in obedience to the motions
of the hand. Such horses require the heel in aid
PARK RIDING. 9
of the hand, but the horseman who uses the heel
merely in aid should take care not to apply the
spur with such violence as to bear the character
of punishment. Disobedience in a horse, in
whichever way it may betray itself, unfits him
for Park riding, for not only may his disobedience
be attended with great inconvenience to the
rider, but it may lead to accidents by forcing you
into contact with other equestrians.
It will be observed that we have explained the
Grecian Seat to be that position on horseback
wherein the rider sits disunited, or at ease, but
keeps his horse united, or, in other words, under
perfect control. This applies equally to the
action of the gallop, the trot, or the walk, or in
passaging. You must commence by gathering
your horse -in hand, which brings him into an
attitude alike elegant and lofty, and in whatever
pace your horse may be advancing, and even
when he is standing still, the thing to be kept
constantly in view is your balance, which is that
position of the body which enables you to maintain
10 PARK RIDING.
your seat. Every change in the position of the
horse must be met by a corresponding change in
the position of the rider to make him maintain
his seat with elegance.
The seat is our next consideration. " A good
seat," says the Duke of Newcastle, " is of such
importance, that the regular movements of the
horse entirely depend upon it, which is preferable
to any other assistance, therefore let it not be de-
spised. Moreover," adds his Grace, " I dare ven-
ture to affirm, that he who does not sit genteelly
upon a horse, will never make a good horseman."
Perhaps the most perfect idea of a Park rider
that we can give, is an English gentleman sitting
in the Grrecian Seat on a well-broke Spanish
horse, which the noble author we have just
quoted calls the. king of horses. The Queen's
Ride, or Kotten Row, the most fashionable resort
of the votaries of the equestrian art, including
the high-born and wealthy nobility of the Court
of England, and the most distinguished and
splendid company in the world, is the best open
PARK RIDING. 11
school for practice. The ground is soft and well
kept ; there are trees for circling ; and the prohi-
bition against galloping or exercising horses, all
contribute to render it a charming spot for riding.
Park riding ranks as a first-class exercise for
health and cheerfulness. It is enjoyed in the
open air without fatigue. You are not in fear of
taking cold. You may enjoy an agreeable land-
scape in conversation with a friend, or in contem-
plation alone. (The heat of the horse's body is
beneficial to invalids, and with persons in health
it assists to keep them so.) The mind is always
occupied with sufficient exercise for the body, to
bear passing through the pure air. Riding ex-
pands the chest, and a lesson in riding is a lesson
in deportment — you may exert yourself as much
as you like.
Should you be out of health or spirits, Ride.
If you are in health, and wish to keep so. Ride.
If you desire to enjoy a landscape. Ride.
If you love conversation with a friend. Ride.
If you prefer quiet. Ride.
12 PAEK RIDING.
If you are fond of fresh air, Eide.
To expand your chest, Ride.
It is of the greatest use to an invalid to ride in
the morning air, and no matter how hot in mid-
day, there is always a breeze.
" To ride quiet is to ride well.
" Many ride well, but there are not many ele-
gant riders."
The Grecian Seat does not require that you
should ride according to the inflexible rules or
with the airs of the school, in a stiff, united posi-
tion, like an orderly dragoon, but with the ease
and elegance, grace and utility combined, which
distinguish the gentleman and well-instructed
equestrian.
It is proper that you should ride long in the
stirrups, with the toe pressing the iron. It gives
the appearance of length and height in the rider.
The boot should be thin and easy, to allow you
to feel the stirrup. The arms should be allowed
to hang low and easily by your side. The reins
to be held in left hand with the strength recom-
PARK RIDING. 1 5
mended by Chifney, in his Genius Genuine,
which he says should be done " as if you held a
silken rein as fine as a hair, and that you were
afraid of breaking it." The horse's head should
be in a line with his body, and the rider should
not move from the waist, but from the hips easily
and without stiffness. The rider should sit back
in the saddle — not lean back. His head should
be slightly advanced, and carried easy but firm.
You will find it difficult to rise from your seat
without bending your body forward.
Gentlemen may ride at a hand-gallop, as it is
a gentleman's pace, and corresponds with the
canter of the ladies. The hand-gallop is the only
gallop permitted in the Park. A gentleman rid-
ing in Rotten Row must always bear in mind
that etiquette requires he should approach a lady
on the oiF or right side. When riding in com-
pany with her, he should always ride on her
right side, holding the reins of his own bridle and
his whip in his right hand, that he may always
remain prepared to render with his left hand any
14 PARK RIDING.
assistance she may require, and he should never
ride between ladies riding together, or pass a lady
too quickly, or too near, for fear of alarming her
horse. He should invariably ride on the right
side of the lady.
It is always considered to be the height of bad
taste and imprudence, if not something worse, for
a gentleman to ride at a gallop past a lady on
horseback, or to pass on her left side. Always
keep to the left side when meeting objects of any
description. When overtaking and passing them,
keep to the right. When in a difficulty in passing
an object, the gentleman always leads.
PARK RIDING. 15
STYLISH EIDING.
From the title we have chosen for this division
of our work, the reader may discover our inten-
tion to confine it to that branch of riding, prac-
ticed by gentlewomen, thoroughly instructed in
the equestrian art, in which we see displayed
those inimitable beauties that have carried horse-
manship to the highest pitch of perfection; and
although we feel bound to admit that perfection
in the art of riding, as in every other art, is the
limit to which improvement can be carried, we
trust we shall be excused for maintaining that
perfection itself may be rendered more pleasing
and agreeable by the aid of style, and where
style is required, in how infinitely greater a de-
gree do we sometimes find it in the female than
the other sex. An accomplished horsewoman
rides with elegance, propriety, and a good grace.
16' PARK RIDING.
united to a noble boldness, beautiful yet modest,
which never fails to command attention and ex-
cite admiration.
For a confirmation of this opinion, we would
beg to refer the reader to the Queen's Ride, or
generally known in Hyde Park as Rotten Row,
the most magnificent school for open air practice
in the world, and the most commodious for the
parade of riding, where may be seen the realiza-
tion of the poetical picture of a perfect horse-
woman:— "A lady riding her palfrey, even as
some beautiful waterfowl pressing onward with the
tide, seeming in the eye of fancy, by the concord
of its motion with the undulation of the water, to
be a portion of the stream on the surface of which
it floats, there is such a beautiful harmony of
motion betwen the rider and horse."
As mounting forms a necessary prelude to the
exercise of riding, we shall commence with a few
observations on that part of our subject. We will
assume that a lady having selected a horse for
her own use, before she purchased him, took an
PARK RIDING. 17
opinion, as to his qualities and ability to suit her,
from a competent judge, and that he was found in
all respects what a lady's horse should be — well-
broke. No lady should ever attempt to ride a horse
which does not in every particular answer this
description.
Mounting gracefully is mounting well. Before
you proceed to mount, you should be able at
a glance to see whether your groom has attended
to all the appointments of bridle and saddle.
Approach your horse with good temper, resolu-
tion, firmness, and confidence, without evincing
any fear ; speak to and caress him by patting his
head and neck, and make him understand that
you are mistress of him. Horses all like cleanli-
ness— clean gloves, perfumes, &c.
Having caressed him and made him acquainted
with you, proceed t6 mount. In this action a
lady has an opportunity of blending the most
perfect ease with style and elegance.
Having approached your horse with your habit
in the left hand, take with the right hand the
18 PARK RIDING.
reins from the groom; place the right hand^
holding the reins and whip, on the crutch ; raise
the left foot from the ground into the hands of
the attendant, which he extends to receive it;
your left hand placed on his right shoulder, rise
with him at the moment your knee becomes
straightened. If a gentleman is about to accom-
pany you, he should hold the horse's head by the
headstall, with his left hand, whilst you are in the
act of mounting, and be ready to assist you with
his right hand. As soon as the lady feels herself
seated in the saddle, she should proceed to arrange
her habit, the gentleman assisting her to the stirrup.
Place the right leg in the crutch, and by a slight
pressure of the other leg, and a gentle yielding of
the bridle-hand, intimate to the horse your wish
to go on, which should commence in a walk. A
well-broke horse will not move until desired,
which is done by the rider's slightly throwing her
body a little forward ; make your horse, by proper
hold of his head, step 1, 2, 3, 4, as to a march.
Take your reins in hand as you would a letter
PARK RIDING. 19
from a salver, handed you by a servant, holding
them in your hand nearly open, that by closing
the hand you may shorten them two or three
inches; allow your arm to drop gracefully by
your side, to work past your waist, then with a
fine hand, quiet and light to preserve the appui,
the curb rein in left or bridle hand, and the snaffle
rein held loosely at the end of the rein in right
hand, down by the saddle, with the whip, which
in stylish riding should be held point upwards.
The proper length of the stirrup " is when the
upper edge of the bottom bar of the iron reaches
one finger's breadth below the ankle bone." It is
by an easy play of the ankle and instep, that the
stirrup is retained and position fireserved. The
position of the right leg being governed by the
crutch, which is a lady's chief dependence, re-
quires no direction. The rider's head should be
slightly advanced, and be held free, firm, and
easy ; her shoulders thrown back, chest advanced;
the upper part of the arm should hang perpendi-
cularly from the shoulder, and the lower part
c 2
20 PARK RIDING.
held at right angles, or a little lower, with the
upper, the elbow should be slightly closed to the
hip, but without stiffness, to work by the side.
You then feel the motions of the horse, and if
he steps as to music, he is going right. Ladies
possessing an ear for music sooner learn to ride.
" A horse will always inform his rider when he
has his proper bearing in the mouth, by playing
pleasantly and steadily with his bit, and by the
white spray from his mouth."
The lighter the appui can be made the better,
that lightness can be ascertained by tying the
reins to an India rubber band: hold the hand
through the band on the pummel of the saddle,
and you will fedl the fineness of the mouth. The
head should be held easy and natural ; the chest
forward by throwing back the shoulders; the
elbow close to side without pressing it, but to
work by it as if the arm were suspended by a
wire ; the thumb uppermost, the nails turned to-
wards the rider. Sit back in the saddle (but do
not lean back) with head slightly advanced, look-
PAEK RIDING. 21
ing between the horse's ears ; the bust should be
thrown out ; no dependence should be placed on
the stirrup. A lady should always know when
her horse is going right, or false, without looking.
Ladies generally manage their horses better than
gentlemen; their light hands, greater patience
and good temper, give them a superiority over
gentlemen.
To trot.
Ladies about to trot, must not in rising twist
their bodies nor rise to the left side. Keep the
right shoulder back and raise your body in a line
with the horse's ears. A lady should not press
the horse's side, but should preserve that easy
position which she would do sitting in a chair,
without either pressing the legs of it, or extend-
ing her own leg from it. Keep your hands low
as it allows you to bend, and prevents your horse
from forcing your hand, which might pull you on
his head. The weight of the body is brought
down in the saddle when a lady sits square, with
22 PARK RIDING.
her shoulders back ; she is then firmly seated on
her horse, and able to accompany him in all his
actions as to music.
A lady ought to ride as she dances, that is to
riay with ease to herself and delight to observers.
She should eschew the stiffness or inflexibility of
a master's rules, for the more easy and graceful
step which is natural to herself.
To Canter.
The following rules ought to be well studied
and remembered by every lady, that she may be
able to use them when required. It shows confi-
dence in her own skill to be able to practice them,
and the proper employment of them is a sign of
an accomplished horsewoman.
To start m a canter.
It is one of the perfections in horsemanship to
start well. To commence in a canter, which
affords a lady all the elegant dehght of the gallop,
you must slightly raise your bridle hand, use your
PARK RIDING. 23
heel as an aid, and start when the right foot of
the horse is forward. Pull the inner rein to
position the outer leg. You must constrain him
to raise his forelegs together, which commences
the action. Start by will all at once ; your right
hip and shoulder forward. When off, drop your
arm gracefully by your side, let it work so, and
allgw your fingers play to keep the horse's mouth
fresh. Do not bend from the waist, but from the
hip. Fall back into your seat with ease, that is
the disunited seat, keeping your horse always
united.
To change hands with bridle in the canter.
Place the right hand over the left. The thumb
of the right hand to take the place of the left
little finger. Always keep the same pressure in
the mouth with the reins, in union with the
horse's action, the arm always working by the
side. The end of the reins to be brought over
the forefinger, and under the thumb, so that you
may shorten or lengthen them when required.
24 ..PARK RIDING.
To arrange habit or hat in the canter.
Stand upright in stirrup with the reins in right
hand, hold the left crutch, and with the left hand
pull the habit forward. Be careftil when you are
about to arrange your hat, to change the whip
from the hand before you raise it, that you may
avoid frightening your horse.
To shake hands icith a friend in the canter.
Change the whip from the right hand to the
left, leaving the right hand free to present to
your friend.
To caress your horse in the canter.
Change your whip from right to left hand, and
without losing your balance, lean forward to reach
your horse's ears and head, pat his neck and speak
to him, or lean backwards without losing your
balance, or sideways to allow you to see your
horse's shoes. Do not bend from waist but hip,
keeping your hands low to allow your body to
bend.
PARK RIDING. ZO
To change leg of horse in the canter.
Make a kind of half stop, throw your body
back to overbalance the horse in the over when
the action is about to commence, and reverse the
leg you commenced with. Change reins to right
hand, use the whip instead of heel ; give an incli-
nation of the body forward, by advancing the left
shoulder and hip, the inner hand a little lower
than the other. A change is no more than alter-
ing the hand to which you were going, or the
foot with which you were leading.
To circle and figure go in the canter.
Lead across in going to the right with the
right leg ; at the turn change the horse's leg to
left; when going to the left, lead across with
the left leg, and at the turn change the horse's
leg to right, and so continue this alternate move-
ment at each corner ; attend to your balance,
watch the horse's ears, and change altogether
with him.
26 PARK RIDING.
To drop and recomr reins in the canter.
Keep the arms down and drop the reins ; to
recover them again, take them up with the right
hand, draw them into the bridle hand through
the fingers to the proper length. A lady ought
to be able to do this without looking.
To passage in the canter.
Use your horse to perform this action, which is
crossing from one side of a road to the other by a
side movement of the horse displaying one of the
greatest beauties of horsemanship, for to passage
well is a test of great skill in the art. When you
passage from right to left, use your whip on the
right side, when from left to right, use your heel;
the horse will always look upon the ground he is
passing over. Draw the right rein a little out with
the right hand, to allow you to use both hands,
the inner hand the lowest, the other about twelve
inches higher. Mind your balance, bend shoulder
and hip in the way the horse is passaging, and
look on the ground he goes over.
PARK RIDING. 27
To alter the stirrup in the canter.
Change your whip into the left hand, pull the
stirrup leather which is on the right side of saddle
with the last three fingers of right hand, keeping
the forefinger upon the tongue of the buckle, to
place it where agreeable, then change hands again
with whip.
To jump in the canter.
Sit close to the saddle well back, but not lean-
ing back off your balance ; da not pull your horse
but rather give him his head ; the crutch must be
your dependence in rising, your leg when landing.
Do not allow any of your weight to rest or bear
on the stirrup.
To stop from the canter.
To do this well, is another perfection in rid-
ing; throw yourself back at the moment the
horse's forelegs are coming to the ground, at the
end of the cadence, press the horse's side with
your leg, the reins drawn to the body, the
28 PARK RIDING.
haunches of the horse to be pressed forward so as
to bear on the bit. Some equestrians stop in
twice, which is called the double arret.
When a lady wishes her horse to back, she
must draw the reins towards her body ; immedi-
ately he obeys, yield to him by giving the reins
every time you pull, keep him straight by the leg
and whip.
Dismounting.
The lady disengages her habit from the saddle
. and her foot from the stirrup, and moving her leg
out of the crutch, sits sideways on her saddle.
Put the whip into the left hand point downwards.
Give both hands with a slight inclination of the
body forward, to the gentleman in attendance,
and quitting the saddle, alight on the toe or ball
of foot to break the shock, the groom standing at
the horse's head. A lady may alight gracefully
and easily, by giving her right hand (the left
PARK RIDING. 29
holding the habit) into the gentleman's right
hand, his left hand supporting the lady's right
elbow as she descends. Ey this method of alight-
ing, the habit is kept clear from the feet, and the
lady alights upon her toe or the ball of her foot.
30 PARK RIDING.
POSITION OF HANDS.
The human hand, as has been observed by Sir
Charles Bell, " is so beautifully formed, it has so
fine a sensibility, that sensibility governs its
motions so correctly, every effort of the will is
answered so instantly, as if the hand itself were
the seat of that will, its actions are so powerful,
so free, and yet so delicate." And this power of
the hand, when properly exerted in the manage-
ment of a horse, meets with such an immediate
response, that it may be said of a well-broke
horse, that he is always prepared to execute
whatever the mind of his rider requires him to
do. The intention of the rider is expressed by
the motion of his hand on the reins, which acting
on the bit transmit it to the horse's mouth (which
is the medium of communication between him
and his rider), and should command immediate
obedience.
CO
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PARK RIDING. 31
" In horsemanship the hand is everything, and
you can never attain perfection in the art of
riding, without a careful study of its use, power,
and effect, in the government of your horse. It
should be firm, quiet, and light. A fine mouth,
which means a sensibility in the animal to the
slightest motion of the reins and bit, is a distin-
guishing quality of a well dressed horse. When
the mouth is obedient to the hand, you should
hold your horse so slight in hand as to be able to
work him simply by slackening or tightening the
reins. The elevation or lowering of the bridle
operates so powerfully on the horse's mouth, that
either, though only varied to the extent of an
eighth of an inch, perceptibly acts on it and pro-
duces the effect of exciting or quieting him.
" The hand must be firm yet delicate, and should
never surprise the horse's mouth by any sudden
change from tight to slack, or from slack to
tight." This correspondence of action between
the hand of the rider and the mouth of his horse,
is only found in a weU-broke horse.
32 PARK RIDING.
The slightest movement of the hand ought to
command hnmediate obedience, but where your
horse shows disinclination or hesitation to obey,
you must bring in the heel to the aid of the
hand. "The strongest aid is that of puncture
with the spur ; the next in degree is applying the
calf of the leg; pressing with the knee is the
third ; and leaning upon the stirrups is the last
and least. They must be accompanied and keep
pace with the hand, for it is in the just correspon-
dence between hand and heel in which the truth
and delicacy of the art consists ; without this
agreement there is no riding, nor can anything be
done."
" If you give the aids of leg sharply, without
sufficiently collecting the reins, the horse will
spring forward, the hand will not be ready to re-
ceive the action, the body will sway back, and
this disorder must continue till the reins are suf-
ficiently collected and adjusted. On the other
hand, if you collect the reins too short, and the
hand is too confining, you may request with the
PARK RIDING. So
legs but prevent with the hands, and thus you
would baffle and confuse the horse. The whip
and other aids must never be contradictory to the
intention expressed by the hands."
So much depends on the hand in riding, that
all the different masters who have written on it
agree in opinion, that it is the hand which makes
the horseman. The Duke of Newcastle says : —
" It is not a good bridle that breaks the horse,
for if they were made tractable by means of this
piece of iron put into their mouths, the bit-makers
would be the best horsemen in the world, but it
is in lessons well applied to the nature, spirit, and
strength of every horse, that the great and subtle
science of horsemanship consists; that science
can manage a horse with only a bit of wood in
his mouth, and it is not the bridle but the art of
the master that renders the horse tractable."
A good horseman should have a light hand.
When he rides with both reins, he should hold
them quite smooth through his forefingers, a
rein between each finger ; the snaffle-rein upper-
D
84 PARK RIDING.
most, and the superfluous part over the first
finger, and kept in that position by the pressure
of the thumb. The bridle hand is the left hand,
and guides the horse better than any other helps.
The left rein pressed against the neck, turns
the horse to the right ; pressure of the right rein
turns him to the left ; and therefore by both reins
being held in the bridle-hand you can make your
horse do all you require. It is said that the
quality of the hand is the best criterion to prove
tlie horseman, " so the principal study is seat and
hand to make good riders."
The advantage of a light hand is, that you can
keep the horse's mouth sensible, active, and fresh.
It is a sign of a good horseman to hold your
horse so light in hand, as to be able to work him
by merely slackening or stiffening the hand ; the
moment the horse answers the motion of your
hand lower it.
The hand, says a clever writer, is the excellence
of horsemanship, and is the most important study
for the pupil.
PARK RIDING. 35
^'^ In vicious restiveness the hand is your whole
security, it baffles every intention of the horse to
foil the rider; by a judicious use of the powers
of the hand you outwit every effort of the horse^
and subdue him."
The hand raises the forehand, lightens the
mouth, supports the position, directs the time,
action, &c. ; in short, everything that is desire-
able or brilliant must result principally from the
hand, and first the hand being connected with the
reins, the reins to the bit, the bit operating on the
bars in the horse's mouth, the curb operating on
the lip, you cannot move the hand nor scarce a
fino;er but the mouth is more or less affected
thereby according to circumstances. This in
called the correspondence.
Unskilful hands make bad mouths ; your hands
should correspond with the appui by making it
light. A vicious horse, by a skilful management
of your hand, is deprived of half his powers.
Were it not for the hands, the horse would soon
conquer the rider. In all violent contentions, by
d2
36 PARK RIDING.
twisting and turning your horse with the hands
you outwit and so bother him, that he loses his
power ; hke as the helm of a vessel directs her
course, so ought the hand of a horseman to guide
and manage his horse, and it ought to be his
whole and sole dependance on horseback.
A rider who has not a good hand can never
know how to give help and aids to his horse.
Always keej) a light and smooth appui, which is
the most valuable part of a horse, and requiring
more judgment to keep than any other part of
horsemanship. It requires great nicety to pre-
serve the just appui, to keep the head firm, the
fingers braced, by which the head becomes serene
or mild ; by moving the figures you can shake the
reins, and playing with the snaffle you always get
the horse's head up ; by playing with the finger,
and giving a sharp pull or snatch upwards, you will
break the horse from forcing his head down — the
hand only severe when required. It must be
soft, pliant, gentle, and encouraging. When the
mouth is obedient to the hand, it is astonishing
PARK RIDING. 37
the power of the hand over the horse. You can
animate, enliven, soothe, chastise, correct, and
punish, all with delicacy ; and by the trembling
of the fingers you can excite the horse, or quiet
him. If the hand cannot foil the endeavours of
the horse, he will beat you, and be encouraged to
repeat his tricks whenever he pleases.
To slack or ease the hand, is to slacken the
bridle. To drop the hand, is to give the horse
his head. The curb keeps his head down. The
snaffle keeps it up. To keep a horse in hand, is
to feel his mouth when likely to be frightened.
Adams says: "Horse's mouths, like musical
instruments, when wrongly or roughly handled,
are soon put out of tune, and require the masterly
touches of a professor to put them to rights.
Hence, ladies' horses whose mouths are made
light, and which, if they have not sufficient skill
to keep them so, and wish to ride safely and plea-
santly, should have them occasionally ridden by
a master, not to suppose their grooms equal to
that business."
38 PARK EIDING-
You must never allow the ascendancy of the
hand to be transferred to the mouth. If a horse
hangs on the bit in hand, he is said by horsemen
to be making use of his fifth leg.
The hand directs the reins, the reins operate
upon the branches of the bit, the branches upon
the mouthpiece and the curb, the mouthpiece
operates upon the bars, and the curb upon the
chin of the horse. The horse works by will of
rider and in union with the hand. The fingers
are sufficient to position the hand, in a well-broke
horse. You should work altogether like a piece
of machinery. It is true, that the hand and the
heels are all that is required to make a perfect
horse, but there are other things required to
make him perfectly obedient to the hand and
heels. A horse must be wrought upon more by
proper and frequent lessons, than by the heels,
that he may know and even thi7i1c upon what he
ought to do, and we have the authority of the
philosopher Des Cartes for saying that horses do
think.
PARK RIDING. 39
When dressing a horse or riding united, the
bridle hand must be held about three inches
from the waist, on a level with the elbow, if the
horse's head is well placed.
" A good hand is not only the offspring of a
firm and good seat, but owing likewise to the
proportions and harmony of all the other aids."
" A pure horseman can easily be distinguished
by the lightness of his hands."
40 PARK RIDING,
BALANCE,
Kide by balance more than any pressure. The
balance is preserved by the rider's body keeping
time and adapting itself to the motions of the
horse's legs. It is the keystone of the rider's
security, and without it neither ease or elegance
can be gained.
Do not assist yourself in preserving your
balance by pulling the reins, but be prepared to
change with every action of the horse, and bend
with him whichever way he goes. In turning or
circling, bear back rather than forward. Should
you find your balance disturbed, endeavour to
regain it before you think of anything else. A
complete balance can be attained by the muscles
of the thighs ; it consists of a foreknowledge of
any given motion of the horse that would throw
the body out of position.
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PARK RIDING. 41
PASSAGING.
The passage is the key which opens to us all
the justness of the art of riding, and in its con-
ception no less than its execution, exhibits the
highest skill in horsemanship.
The action is performed either in walking,
trotting, or galloping, but perhaps the fittest of
these paces for displaying the beauty of the move-
ment is the gallop. Y^ou must commence by the
action raised before and lowered behind, the time
slower ; the forehand must be raised, the shoul-
ders out, croup in, that is, the neck bends a little.
The leg or whip is always to assist the hand in
putting the croup forward, while you stay the
shoulders. When both are right, let them pro-
ceed together, turn the body a little inward. If
you find your balance disturbed stretch down
your inward leg, by bracing the muscles strong,
and press the inner part close to the saddle. First
walk the horse the passage, keep both hands firm
42 PARK RIDING.
and steady, and the more the horse is united the
better. From perfecting yourself with both hands
in this lesson, proceed to work with one hand.
The true position of the horse in the passage is
nearly the same as in the united gallop, action
and time excepted.
The horse always looks upon the ground he is
passing over. Draw from bridle hand the rein
with right hand sufficiently out to raise the rein,
when going to the left. The inner hand is always
to be lowest, the outer hand to be about twelve
inches higher or raised, to balance the horse.
The whip must be used to direct the shoulders,
and the heel the croup.
The action in passage is grand, and as regular
as the beats of a clock.
" The four legs of the horse may be compared
to the four strings of a musical instrument ; if the
four cords do not correspond, it is impossible
there should be any music."
The justness of the aids of the body depends
upon the seat of the rider.
PARK RIDING. 43
THE HAND-GALLOP
Which, as we have before stated, is the only
gallop allowed in Rotten Row or the Queen's
Ride, is union and animation rather than speed,
and is the most elegant and agreeable of all paces.
To commence in a hand-gallop, you must con-
strain your horse to raise his forelegs together,
which commences the action. The horse advances
by the will of his rider slightly throwing his body
forward. If you wish your horse to commence a
hand-gallop with the right leg, that leg must be
advanced, if w^ith the left leg, then that leg ad-
vanced. The rider's hip and shoulders forward to
the side you wish to go, your inner heel to press
the horse's side. If you desire that your horse
should lead off with his right foot, and he should
strike off with his left, check him into a walk, and
oblige him to recommence with right leg by
44 PARK EIDING,
means of near rein. When you change, the
whole must be performed smoothly and evenly, at
one and the same moment, so that at the finish of
the cadence, your body, hands, thigh, and leg
are reversed, for the horse to commence his next
cadence with the contrary leg. When you intend
to turn to the left, turn a little to the right, in
order to make a compass and turn with more
freedom and grace, and vice versa. Whichever
way you turn your horse, he will lead off with
that side leg as in changes in canter.
It may be taken as a general rule, that which-
ever side the horse leads with, the rider's thigh on
that side must be rather more turned in towards
the saddle. This brings the hip on that side
more forward, and consequently turns the other
thigh a little outward, and the hip back. In
changing, always hold your horse with exactness
and delicacy, and sit steady and even on him ; as
soon as he has changed, let him go whatever pace
you like.
PARK RIDING. 45
In the hand-gallop the nose of the horse is
directed to the ground, the rider's face the same.
Start hy will all at once.
You ought to know Avhen a horse goes false
without looking ; when you want him to perform
to the utmost, use both hands ; two can do more
than one. Use the right hand for the bridoon ;
when you change for the left, throw all the super-
fluous rein of bridoon over to the left, so that the
reins are straight from horse's mouth to neck on
the left side, and quit them with the right hand.
In changing, hold the whip in the contrary hand
to which the horse is going. In the hand-gallop,
as in the trot, the horse leads with foot either
right or left, by which the leading side is a little
more advanced than the other.
To adjust the reins do not remove the left
hand ; only open the fingers of that hand so that
you can slip the reins up or doAvn, while your
right hand supports the horse so as to allow you
to feel every cadence he makes.
46 PARK RIDING.
PAEK HOKSE.
A Park horse should be of middling size, full
of spirit and action, with good feet and legs, and
shoulders very easy and supple. He cannot
possess too much breeding and courage; he
should be quiet, safe, and steady, and well taught
to stand, walk, trot, gallop, passage, back, and
stop, and should not be under five years old, and
with long mane and tail. Length and breeding
are very essential ; thin mane and tail with good
motion and well raised neck. He should carry
his head on a level with his body, and possess
elegancy and brilliancy of action, and be ridden
with the greatest ease and exactness, making him
display the most elegant attitudes, and to be able
to move forward, backward, or sideways. His
mouth should be sensible and tender, light and
loyal — it ought to be a fine fresh mouth.
PARK RIDING.
47
MEASUEEMENT OF A LADY'S SIDE-
SADDLE.
Side-saddles are made in general too short;
they ought to be sufficiently long to allow the
branch of the crutch to come immediately under
the bend of the knee, which gives a lady double
the purchase in the crutch, and allows her to ride
with greater ease, security, and confidence.
Measurement for a Side-saddle.
For a Lady — 5 feet high
^Z ni.
» 6 „
8
17 in. long.
18
19
19i
20
20i
21
5
5
5
•^ 53 '-' 33
5 „ 10 „
6 „ .
Ladies should ride with double rein bridle and
headstall martingal.
The saddle should be well stuffed so as to allow
the finger room between the pommel and withers
and the tree behind, and should not press the
back more in one part than another.
48 PARK RIDING.
REMAEKS ON THE ART OF RIDING.
He who thinks that the art of riding merely
consists in maintaining a seat on the back of a
horse, and requires no instruction, labours under
a delusion that stands between him and the
reasonable enjoyment which riding is capable of
affording to the properly instructed equestrian.
Equitation is the art of teaching a horse thai
knowledge which fits him for man's use and
pleasure and renders him obedient to the will of
his rider.
This instruction is not conveyed by means of
the language of man, but is taught the horse by
repeated lessons composed of certain motions of
the hand (and the aids of the heel) acting on the
reins, which are attached to the bit in the horse's
mouth ; each motion or movement of the hand
having its particular signification which, when
PARK RIDING. 49
properly imprinted on the mind of the horse he
readily understands and obeys. Such is the
docility of a well-broke horse that he will remain
constantly on the alert to obey his rider's will as
expressed by these means; and it is indisputable
that a person ignorant of the science by which a
horse is brought under control and rendered
obedient to man's will can never use his powers
with advantage to himself or his horse. The
horse has been taught to perform certain actions
by particular motions of the rider's hand and heel,
and ignorance of these motions or signs, brings a
rider into constant antagonism to his horse and
destroys all the pleasure to be derived from riding.
For example, if I wish my horse to execute the
passage, or side movement, and I make that
motion of the hand which he interprets to be the
sign of my wish to gallop, he will go into a gallop ;
and when I pull him for obeying my will as
expressed by the sign I gave him, how is he to
know what I really wish him to do? or how
am I to communicate to him my wish to passage
£
50 PARK RIDING.
if I do not know the sign which expresses that
action ?
It is self-evident, therefore, that a horseman must
possess a thorough knowledge of all the means he
should employ to indicate his will to his horse,
and remember to employ them in the manner
the horse has been taught to understand them.
Without this there can be no accord between the
will of the rider and the obedience of his horse,
and a horseman will ride with all the disadvan-
tage or difficulty that a person would experience
who attempted to play a difficult piece of music
before he had learned his gamut. To attempt to
govern the actions of a horse by signs or motions
of the hand which he has not been taught to
understand, is much the same as ordering a
person to do some act in a language he does not
understand or speak.
In these pages, the author's aim has been to
.show that a perfect knowledge of horsemanship is
absolutely necessary to the' enjoyment to be
derived from the exercise of ridino^. He wishes
PARK RIDING. 51
to impress on his reader that in riding, as in
dancing or any other accomplishment, the pupil
must first be taught the rudiments of the art
before he venture on the practice of it. A self-
taught rider can seldom get on horseback without
at once showing as great an ignorance of the art of
riding, as one who should attempt dancing without
having ever been taught to dance. The author's
theory is the result of what he has gathered from
the first masters in England, from long experience
of the various methods in vogue throughout the
Continent of Europe during several years, and by
a careful examination into everything which has
been written of the art by ancient as well us
modern authors. On these he has brought to
bear his own practical knowledge, and has endea-
voured to deduce rules and principles which he
trusts may embody all that may be required for
attaining elegance and perfection in riding.
In order to the thorough enjoyment of eques-
trian exercise, both rider and horse require
E 2
52 PARK RIDING.
instruction: the rider how to direct and command,
the horse what to do and how to do it. This
knowledge is not inherent in man or horse ; they
must each be taught, and without proper teach-
ing, perfection cannot be attained.
PARK RIDING. 53
THE AET OF RIDING.
THE UNITED SEAT
This position was considered by all the old
masters to be the one which offered the rider the
greatest security, in dressing and breaking a
horse. It is still taught in the schools and the
cavalry, and means sitting upright upon the fork
or twist, the toe raised and the heel lowered as
much as possible, leaving your dependence in the
preservation of your seat and balance to rest upon
the action of the muscles of the thighs. It may
be described as the medium position from which
all others proceed, and in which the rider sits
when the horse works straight. Pupils should be
taught to ride without stirrups — more by their
balance than by the pressure of their legs. The
54 PARK RIDING.
legs should only be used as an assistance to the
balance. When a rider can see his foot, he is
sitting wrong, because the knee ought to prevent
the foot being seen in the united seat.
To ride united you must sit on the fork or
twist, the thigh from fork to knee maintaining a
firm hold by the action of the muscles and pre-
serving your balance, and the leg and foot being
reserved only as aids. The strength of the thigh
is most exerted when turned inwards, and kept
smooth to the saddle. The knee straight down
and kept back. The body must preserve an
upright position, but the back a little hollow and
shoulders inclining backwards. The chest should
be kept open and the head in some degree
advanced. The rider's face should point directly
between the horse's ears as he moves.
Avoid the appearance of sitting stiffly, and
endeavour to sit free and easy ; stiffness or
formality detracts from ease and comfort. You
will find that the closer you press the muscles of
the thigh the more you will lift yourself out of
PARK RIDING. 55
your saddle, and when riding in the united seat
this is quite proper ; but in passaging, or when
your horse plunges, it nuist be avoided. You
must be well skilled in the use of all your aids,
that you may employ them as often and as effec-
tually as the occasion for their use arises.
The calf of the leg will prevent your being
thrown over your horse's head, by the action of
kicking, and the muscles of the thigh will prevent
your falling off when the horse rears. If you are
riding on a horse of which you have no previous
knowledge, you must always remain prepared for
every emergency; and any vice or irregularity
which the horse may display must be smartly
followed by the proper corrections. Your weight
will always keep you in the saddle, with-
out requiring from you any exertion of strength.
Take care that you understand every indica-
tion that your horse gives of impending mischief,
for if you mistake an intention to rear for an in-
tention to kick, your preparation for resistance
will not avail you. If you sit prepared for a
56 PARK RIDING.
liorse*s rearing, and instead of rearing he stumbles
or kicks, you will be in a position which makes it
the easier to be thrown over his head ; and, on
the other hand, if you are prepared against his
kicking, and he should rear, you will be in danger
of falling off behind.
These and other vices when exhibited by a
horse, cannot be cured by resorting to rigorous
severity. If severe punishment be the only means
by which you think you can subdue and cure him,
endeavour to preserve your temper, and remember
before you resort at all to punishment, to ascer-
tain that the horse's restiveness does not proceed
from some disorder in the arrangement of the
saddle or bridle, or other removable cause. If his
misconduct has not arisen from any such cause,
and is owing to his restiveness, then it is well to
chastise him. If he submits, let your chastise-
ment be followed by a soothing manner, patting
his neck and talking to him.
A horse has three senses, hearing, seeing, and
feeling, on which you can work, and he may by
proper instruction be made the most obedient of
PARK RIDING. 57
all animals to man's will. An old writer has ob-
served that the mind of a horse may be compared
to the bloom on fruit, once corrupted, it is de-
stroyed for ever ; but, as the Duke of Newcastle
so justly remarked, " You must not expect more
understanding from a horse than from a man,
since the horse is dressed in the same manner that
children are taught to read, although horses do
not form their reasoning from A, B, C, whence
he has at least this advantage that he never errs
as men do." Another noble author* has said,
that horses " are very seldom vicious by nature.
Patience and science are never-failing means to
reclaim . a wicked horse. Horses are by degrees
made obedient through the hope of recompense
and the fear of punishment. It requires a good
head and good heart. The coolest and best
natured riders will always succeed best, but if
you see a man beating any animal, you will
always find the man in the wrong, the animal in
the right."
* Lord Pembroke.
58 PARK RIDING.
The disqualifying properties of a horse are his
vices, against which you should always be pre-
pared. Those vices and the remedies which we
recommend to be employed in the correction and
cure of them are given in a subsequent chapter,
under the head of " Vices."
Mounting.
As mounting is the commencement of eques-
trian exercise, to do it well and gracefully should
be the aim of every horseman, for when done
awkwardly and without address, it raises the pre-
sumption that the rider has been imperfectly in-
structed in the art of riding. To mount well,
study and constant practice are required.
Approach your horse a little before the near
shoulder with your whip in the left hand, take
the reins from the groom with your right hand
very short, let them slip smoothly through the
fingers into the left hand to the proper length,
the back of your hand towards the horse's head ;
with your left hand take a lock of the mane (the
PARK RIDING. .)9
whip remaining in your left hand), and your left
breast presented towards the horse ; place your
left foot in the stirrup, take a spring from the
ball of the right foot, your left knee pressed
against the saddle gives leverage, and holding by
the cantle or back part of the saddle, throw your
right leg over the horse, and fall into your seat,
taking care not to touch the horse's side with
your toe, place your right foot in the stirrup
Avithout looking. Change your whip from the
left to the right hand, and be careful not to allow
your horse to go on until desired. In the act of
mounting your dependence must not be placed so
much on the hold you have taken of the horse's
mane, as on the spring of right foot. The right
hand moves from the cantle to the pommel of the
saddle. As soon as the right foot is placed in the
stirrup, which should be done without the help of
eye or hand, the right knee closes the saddle and
the seat is taken, and you require no force or
strength to keep you in it — your weight will do
that.
60 PARK RIDING.
To Start
Indicate to the horse your wish to proceed, by-
pressing his side with the calf of your leg gently
forward, easing the bridle hand at the same
moment, and you will feel the action of 1, 2, 3, 4.
Let your body work with it as to a march in
music. Do not allow your horse to amble, which
is the action in which the two legs of a horse on
the same side move together.
The four paces of a horse are, walking,
trotting, galloping, and passaging. He can move
four different ways — advance, right, left, and
back.
The Walk,
The horse's feet mark 1, 2, .3, 4, and follow
each other in quick succession; he should not per-
form without the permission and assistance of the
rider. You must not at starting support the
horse's head too high, or he will not be able to
PARK RIDING. 61
put out his foot. If you desire your horse to
continue in the walk, you must take care not to
quicken his pace, or he will break time and go
into the trot. The hand should be so carried,
that the rider may delicately but distinctly feel,
by the operation of the horse's mouth on the
reins, every beat of his action. You must keep
him slightly animated.
A pupil should ride for practice in circles, large
at first, to give the seat and balance, and by de-
grees contract the circle, and he should com-
mence by walking his horse until he has leariled
by bending his body about the saddle and other
motions of the body to get the balance, and to
know his springs and stops, and be made to feel
how difficult it is to his horse to unseat him
against his will. He should ride without any de-
pendence upon the stirrups.
The Trot
Has always been considered by the best mas-
ters as the only true principle by which either
62 PARK RIDING.
ladies or gentlemen can attain a secure and
graceful seat on horseback. Never trot until you
are quite easy in the walk, and then only on very
easy horses at first. In the trot as in the more
accelerated action of the gallop, the horse leads
with one foot, either right or left, by which the
leading side is a little more advanced than the
other. Let the horse use you in the trot by
bearing a little forward. The rise and return of
the body are to be smooth, and as regular as the
beat of his feet.
The rider's breast, as before observed, should
be in some measure advanced, pointing directly
between the horse's ears as he moves for-
ward. The lighter the appui can be made the
better, but the rider's hands must correspond
with it.
If through inattention you lose your time you
get bumped on the saddle, till you fall into it
again. This is called rising in the stirrups ; it is
to be remembered that no great stress or depend-
ence is to be placed upon them — your legs ought
TARK RIDING. 63
not to move unless as aids. The body must draw
no assistance in maintaing the balance from the
bridle. The horse ought to hold his head and
play with the bit. The length to ride is when
the seat bumps or comes in contact with the
saddle, and the rider should rise from it only a
very little.
A bold determined trot is that action in which
the horse steps high ; some horses, like foxes, trot
without bending their joints. Action in the
mouth means when the horse champs his bit, you
may see it by the white foam, and it is a sign of
vigour, courage, and health.
The Gallop.
In this action the horse advances by reaches
and leaps, which he performs by lifting the fore-
legs very nearly at the same moment, and when
they return to the ground, he lifts both his hind
legs at once and advances, and it is the motion
by which a horse attains his greatest speed. (In
Park riding, where the concourse of equestrians,
64 PARK lilDING.
during the fashionable hours, is very great, it is
expressly forbidden — a rule which we will take
the liberty of informing gentlemen they should
always keep in mind, as it is so often the source
of serious accidents.)
IP ARK RIDING, 65
DEOPPING.
Although we might place this amongst Vices^
it may be said to be rather a defect proceeding
from natural causes, for, as it has been observed,
an upright shoulder is a mark of a stumbling
horse.
Do not whip or correct a horse after he drops,
or has made a false step, nor for anything after it
is over. Horses frequently make false steps
through the carelessness of the rider. Some
people become negligent and appear to sleep on
horseback, and then when the horse drops, or
steps false, they blame him and not themselves.
A horse never drops if he can help it, and there-
fore when he does, it is not his fault. If he does
this often, part with him. (Horses with bad habits
are never fit to carry ladies.)
You may not be always united or holding your
66 PARK RIDING.
horse as if he had to do something. As you are
to ride with ease, freedom, and comfort, you can
always assist your horse to recover his balance by
being quiet. A horse should be pulled into his
balance after he steps false. If the rider is quick,
the horse seldom falls ; it is only when out of his
balance. When a horse not used to dropping,
drops, alight and have his feet examined — he may
have picked up something in his foot, or his shoes
may not fit. In every case of lameness, the
cause of which is not apparent, it is advisable to
have the shoes taken off. Servants should be
very careful about the horse's feet.
FARK RIDINGo 67
BACKING,
^' To make a horse back when desired, draw
your reins steadily towards your body, and yiekl
to him when he obeys, his croup to be kept in a
proper direction by the heels. You must close
your legs, brace your muscles, keep on yielding
to him, use both hands — a practised rider will
find one sufficient — mind your balance, look
between his ears. Backing is a kind of invitation,
it wants a little management. Pupils should
learn to do it without stirrups,"
P 2
68 PAKK RIDING.
LEAPING.
Adams says — " a person should sit close as to
carry a shilling under each thigh, just above the
knee, and under each foot, and one under the
seat." Keep your hands low ; as the horse rises,
preserve your perpendicular position ; be sure
you keep the back in and the head firm.
Were the body to hang back as the horse rises
before, the weight of it would hang on his mouth
and prevent his leaping.
Horses mostly take their jumps better by them-
selves than with any assistance.
Slip your seat vmder you, let your body go
freely back, keep your hands down, legs close,
aiid body back, till the horse's hind legs come to
the ground.
It is better to spur your horse before he turns
his head to a leap, than while he is about taking it.
PARK RIDING. 69
In leaping, your legs are to be applied to the
horse's sides with such firmness as to keep you
down to the saddle.
It is a good lesson to gain the balance.
70 PARK RIDING.
THE STOP.
What we have said at the beginning of the
chapter on Mounting, which is the commencement
of equestrian exercise, may be also applied to the
stop which is the finish of it.
The rider should be able to bring his horse to
a stop in any of his paces. The stop in the trot,
as in the walk, can be made instantaneously at
the will of the rider ; when the leading leg has
come to the ground, the hand and heel change
their accustomed uses. The hand stops the going
the heel directs it. The firmness of the hand
should be increased, close the calves of the legs
by throwing the body back, the reins drawn to
the body, the haunches of the horse pressed
forward by closing the leg, so as to be brought to
bear upon the bit.
For the stop in gallop we have given instruc-
tions at page 28.
PARK RIDING. 71
VICES,
*' Keep justice, judgment, and mercy always in
view."
The vices of a horse, against which the rider
should always stand prepared, are kicking, rear-
ing, shying, plunging, running away, and other
actions which come under the head of restiveness,
A horse addicted to either of them is unfit for
Park riding.
If a horse blows his nostrils he shows the sign
of good humour. The eye of a horse, as all
writers concur in saying, is generally an index of
his inclinations, whether passion, malice, health,
or indisposition ; and his ears which ought not to
be stationary are certain indicators of his passions.
He shows with equal clearness his sense of fear
by darting them forward, and his feeling of anger
rZ PARK RIDING.
by laying them back. Wherefore, by attention
to the motions of your horse's ears you can keep
yourself informed of all that is passing within
him.
When a horse works his ears the rider may feel
assured he is not intending mischief; but when
he fixes them in one position you may expect he
is prepared for an exhibition of some vice.
Kicking.
A horse addicted to this vice seldom rears.
The best way to treat him is to keep his head up,
sit forward to break the shock, hold the reins in
left hand, but draw the right rein out a few
inches with the right hand, so as to use both
hands, but to be able to let go the right hand
rein and employ the hand in assisting yourself or
correcting him.
Be careful to preserve your balance, whilst you
twist and turn him with both hands. There is
no danger to the rider if he avoids quarreling
with the horse, but in an open rupture the horse
PARK RIDING. 73
is sure to be the gainer. Some masters recom-
mend the whip to be applied on the shoulders of
a kicking horse, and behind to a horse which
rears. It is said that some horses disregard the
whip and notice the spur, while others disregard
the spur and notice the whip. They say he is a
hard horse that is insensible to whip or spur.
We recommend as a good remedy for this vice
to sit upon the shoulders of the horse and hold by
the thighs, as mentioned in the chapter on
United Seat to break the shock.
Bearing.
To check this vice the rider should keep his
hands low ; always give the horse his head ;
separate the reins, by drawing out the right rein a
few inches, so as to have the right hand to assist
you in holding the pommel ; turn and twist him
when his forefeet come to the ground ; preserve
your balance. Every part of your body must be
flexible and ready for action, and the weight of it
should rest as much as possible on the horse's
74 PARK RIDING.
shoulders, and as he descends recover your
position, and turn him sharply. If you perceive
any indication of his intention to rear, apply the
whip in two or three cuts behind the girths.
Horses seldom kick that rear. Do not correct
him whilst he is in the act of rearing or he may
fall backwards.
Shying.
The horse should be soothed and encouraged
rather than urged by correction. If a horse
shies or shows alarm at any object, instead of
passing it he turns from it. Turn him completely
round, the same as directed in restiveness, until
his head is the right way. It is of no use to pull
him towards an object he is afraid of. If pulled
to anything, his attention will be so taken up
that the chances are he runs into greater danger
the other side, and he may go from imaginary
into real danger. Never pull the rein on the side
the horse shies, but draw the head from the
object; it is better to walk than back upon
PARK RIDING. 75
anything or any place, if you can get the horse's
croup out.
It is a good way to encourage and coax a horse
to go up to the thing he shies at, to convince him
there is nothing to fear, but use great caution in
doing so, for the second time will be worse than
the first, and make him fear to approach it.
If you keep a horse's head from any object you
think he will shy at, he will soon become accus-
tomed to the thing — this requires great patience ;
with good management, the same as in most
matters in horsemanship, it can be effected by
degrees and with delicacy, at the same time with
resolution, preserving a good temper and judg-
ment. The voice greatly encourages a horse ; it
is necessary to work on his mind and then give
him time to reflect, for horses possess reflection.
The coolest and best-natured riders will, as
Lord Pembroke has observed, always succeed
best. You very seldom see cart horses shy.
They are accustomed to the voice. The ancients
managed their horses by the voice alone and so
76 PARK EIDING.
do now the people of some parts of Africa. It
has a wonderful influence over the horse.
The rider must look at the horse's head, not at
the object he shys at, or he may lose his balance.
If a horse shies at, or shows dislike to, any
other animal — as a goat, dog, sheep, or other
quadruped — take the object of his aversion into
the stable, when he is feeding, and show him
that he has nothing to fear from its presence.
Horses soon forgive bad usage. You can
always bribe a horse by giving him something to
eat; he is fond of carrots, apples, and other
vegetables.
Plunging,
A horse only makes six or eight plunges ; to
sit them, is to cure them. It takes three days.
Keep his head up, take firm hold with the legs to
preserve your balance. With your right hand
prevent yourself being thrown, by occasionally
holding the pommel of saddle, and sit forward,
as in United Seat, to break the shock of kicking.
Twist and turn him.
PARK RIDING. 77
mg Aicay.
In riding, as in everything else, it is better to
prevent accidents than to cure. When the rider
is carried off by his horse, if he preserves his self-
possession there is little danger of accident.
Immediately give him his head, and in a few
minutes he will be easily stopped by using the
curb. Do not lose your presence of mind, and
the only danger will be of your own making — be
cool and temperate. Some riders give a sudden
pull and stop the horse too quick, exposing them-
selves to the risk of going over his head. Be
careful to preserve your balance, always give the
horse his head, and endeavour to guide him, but
don't pull at first if in an awkward place ; he can
better take care of himself than you can take
care of him. Let him think you wish him
to go on, he will soon stop ; urge him forward if
the field is open before you. Some masters re-
sort to sawing the mouth, which is pulling each
rein alternately, and this will sometimes bring a
horse up in a few minutes ; and some reach the
78 PAKK RIDING.
headstall of bridle at the top of the head, which
acting as a gag, will sometimes stop him. You
must keep your seat at all hazards. If you try
to stop the horse you will very likely take his
attention off any object that presents danger, and
then he may run into it. We recommend the
rider to drop his hands, and pull every other
stride before the forelegs come to the ground,
and while they are off the ground the horse has
not half the power he possesses when they are
forward, for, as Adams says, " If a garter were
placed across your forehead, and a person behind
you had hold of the tAvo ends, held in a longitu-
dinal direction, if you stood quite upright, you
could not pull at his hand, nor endure the hand
to pull at you, without running or falling back-
w^ards, and this is the situation of a horse when
united. Again, when you feel the hand severe,
or expected to pull, you would guard against the
consequence by bending the body, or projecting
the head, and placing one foot behind. This is
the situation of the horse when disunited, or
PAEK RIDING. 79
(defending himself against the heaviness of the
hand."
Horses addicted to this vice show it in many
different ways. The way to cure it is holding the
reins in left hand, to divide them by the right
hand, drawing the right rein a little out. Should
the horse turn suddenly, it would be of no use to
prevent his turning that way ; you must turn
him completely round the way he turns, and
apply the whip on the weak side, until he arrives
at the same place from which he started ; if he
repeats the turn, pull him round two or three
times with much firmness. Follow the same
plan any other way in which he may show his
tricks — as turning a corner, or trying to turn into
a street or road, against the way you wish to go —
(and here again we must remind the reader at
the risk to ourselves of being guilty of repetition,
for which we have no excuse to offer, but that
we think good advice cannot be too often given),
to preserve his balance whilst turning, by bear-
80 PARK RIDING.
ing the body in centre of the circle in which the
horse turns. Should he stop, do not try to urge
him on, because his defences are stronger than
yours. Pull him back with all your strength. If
to oppose you he advances, force him sharply for-
ward. Should he turn to the right contrary to
your wish to turn him to the left, pull him round
to the right. Follow his inclinations every way,
and change as often as he ; keep his croup out.
Should he go to a wall, do not try to turn him
away from it, pull his head to the wall, keep his
croup out, it is always better for the horse to go
wdth his head towards anything than with his
heels. Adams says, " When I apply the wdiip
and spur two or three times sharply to restive
horses without effect, I desist, and try other
methods, for if whipping and spurring would sub-
due a horse, they need not be brought to me.
Some horses will die rather than submit to ^hip
and spur. If he stand still, let him stand still
until you wish him to move ; if he thinks you
wish him to stand still he will want to go on."
PARK RIDING. 81
Patience is the only means of dressing a horse.
*' If you let him master you, you have done with
him." If he submits, you must alight that
moment and caress him. If he does not yield,
you had better stay till next morning than spoil
him.
Pulling and twisting a horse about, is what
beats him, and when done with judgment and
skill, secures your safety.
That which can be done by persuasion should
never be done by force. It may be some conso-
lation to know, that a horse repeatedly defeated,
will give up the contest after three days' trial —
the first is the most violent, the last a very
feeble one.
82 PARK RIDING.
DISMOUNTING.
Put the whip into your left hand point down-
wards, steady yourself down the same as up, the
left hand holding the reins, the left side forward
about twelve inches from the saddle, slightly feel-
ing the horse's mouth, the right hand placed on
the pommel, the body kept erect, steady the body
with the cantle, as in mounting, the right hand
back upwards, take hold of the reins as the right
foot quits the stirrup, then place them in left
hand not too tight, take a lock of the mane with
the left hand, same as in mounting.
PARK RIDING. 8.'?
TO MAKE A HOKSE STAND FIRE.
The report of firearms inspires a horse with
great fear, and until he has become used to it, he
should not be ridden in the Parks as a perfectly
broke horse. " To overcome his fear, begin by
placing a pistol in his manger, let him hear the
sound of the lock repeated several times, then use
a few percussion caps to accustom him to the noise
of the explosions before using powder ; afterwards
let off a few small charges of powder, taking for the
time the moment of his feeding ; a horse will in
time become so familiarized to the report of a gun
as to show no fear at it, and a well-broke horse
will permit his rider to fire from his back without
stirring."
N.B. Horses intended for the use of ladies,
before they are fit for Park riding, must be
accustomed to the beat of drums, and other mili-
tary music.
g2
84 PARK RIDING.
A HORSE DIFFICULT TO MOUNT.
This, like dropping, more properly belongs to
faults than vices, with this diiference, however,
that unhke dropping, it may be cured easily.
" When a horse is difficult to mount, to what-
ever cause it may be owing, remember never to
beat him. Pat him quietly when you have ap-
proached him, stroke his head and mane, talk to
him, and while so doing clap the seat of saddle
with your hand. Keep your body still all the
while, place your foot in and out of the stirrup
two or three times without doing any more, to
encourage and make him familiar, and so remove
all fear from his mind when he is going to be
mounted. By little and by degress at last he
will let you mount him, then immediately get
down and remount several times. Do nothing
else with him at that time, and send him back to
the stable."
PARK RIDING. 85
A FEW TECHNICAL TERMS USED IN
HORSEMANSHIP.
" Action. When applied to the mouth, is the
agitation of the tongue and the mandible of a
horse, that by champing upon the bridle keeps his
mouth fresh.
" Appui, or stay upon the hand, is the reciprocal
sense between the horse's mouth and the bridle
hand, or the sense of the action of the bridle in
the horseman's hand. ♦
"Brilliant. A brisk, high-mettled, stately
horse is so called, as having a raised neck, a fine
motion, excellent haunches upon which he rises,
though ever so little put on.
"Chastisements, or corrections, are the severe
and rigorous effects of the aids, for when the aids
are given with severity, they become punish-
ments. The aids in horsemanship mean the
86 PARK RIDING.
motions of the body, hands, legs, and whip, by
which the rider indicates his wishes to the horse,
or assists him to perform them.
" Unite. A horse is said to unite or walk in
union, when in galloping the hind quarters follow
and keep time with the fore."
PARK RIDING. 87
GOLDEN KULES.
The following, which may be called golden
rules, are culled from the works of the great
masters who have written on the art of horse-
manship : —
I.
Never approach your horse in a passion, for
anger never thinks of consequences, and forces us
to do what we afterwards repent. — Xenophon.
II. *t
Always approach your horse sideways. — Idem.
III.
A good seat on horseback should be in unity
with the horse as one body.
IV.
In going over rough or bad ground keep your
body back and hand high.
V.
In jumping, always give the horse his head.
88 PARK RIDING.
VI.
In swimming a river, always take your feet out
of the stirrups.
VII.
In mounting do not touch the horse with your
toe, nor put your foot too far in the stirrup.
VIII.
The horse to stand still in mounting. The
man holding the horse must hold him by the
headstall, not the bit.
IX.
In horsemanship, the hand and leg should act
in correspondence with each other.
X.
Do not trot until you have learned to walk^
nor gallop until you can trot easy and well.
XI.
Bad hands make bad mouths.
XII.
Good hands make good mouths.
xiir.
To say a person has good hands, is, in riding, a
compliment.
. XIV.
The bridle hand is the left hand.
PARK RIDING. 89
XV.
The whip hand is the right hand.
XVI.
Finished riders mostly use the curb rein.
XVII.
The corrections made by the hand should be
given severely where necessary, by first yielding
the hand that the reins may become slack, then
giving them a smart or violent snatch in an up-
ward direction.
xviii.
Raising the rider's hands increases his power
over his horse, whilst raising the horse''s head
diminishes his power.
XIX.
When the horse carries his head up, the hand
must be as low as possible.
XX.
To punish a horse for stopping, make him go
backwards.
XXI.
All horses have their favourite side ; you must
attack him on his weak side and twist him.
XXII.
A horse that rears seldom kicks, and a kicking
horse seldom rears.
90 PARK RIDING.
XXIII.
Never contend with a horse upon that point
which he is prepared to resist.
XXIV.
All quarrels must be avoided between horse
and rider.
XXV.
If a horse is disorderly and turbulent, walk him
straight forward with his head in and croup out.
XXVI.
That which can be done by persuasion ought
never to be done by force.
XXVIl.
The corrections which reduce a horse to the
greatest obedience, and which dishearten him
least, are such as are not severe.
xxviii.
Should your horse ever get alarmed, speak to
him and you will quiet him if he is accustomed to
your voice.
XXIX.
Avoid all led horses.
XXX.
A lady ought never, if it can be avoided.
PARK RIDING. 91
chastise her horse ; let some one else undertake
the breaking him of any vice.
XXXI.
In going down hill, always give your horse his
head, and keep your hand ready to assist him
should he require it.
To the foregoing rules we think we can appro-
priately add the following Maxims, culled from
the same sources :— •
Have patience at first and continue patiently.
To pull one pound weight or more, 'tis said,
and true,
You then carry the horse, not the horse carry
you.
Nature has made horses obedient to man ; it is
the abuses of man that have made them not
obedient.
Neither horse or rider can do what he has
never been taught.
Three things in art — Easiness, readiness, and
perfectness ; art is said to imitate nature.
92 PARK RIDING.
As the horse is so must the rider be.
The business of riding is to display beauty, it
strengthens the body and improves the carriage.
Modest confidence is the golden rule to be
observed in this. (In riding, the horse and rider
should move like a wave of the sea.)
Your horse should feel your will by the motions
of your body.
Man and horse are to be of a piece.
If a horse is disobedient, get off his back and he
will immediately obey you. This shows his obe-
dience to man and not to brutes.
Should you get confiused between carriages,
trust to your horse to get you out, but see that
he takes you not too close to injure your leg.
To animate by the tongue has a wonderful
effect. If it could be written it is like K. L. K.
Soothing is quite the reverse from animating
and should be applied only to quieting a horse
by caressing, patting, and speaking.
Riding repays itself — the better you ride the
more you will enjoy it.
PARK RIDING. 93
Horses are said to obey the spur when they fly
from it.
All horsemen aeknowledo;e that to be^jin and
finish well displays the greatest skill in riding.
You must show great firmness with some horses
otherwise they will take advantage of you.
Nothing but practice can give the balance.
A heavy insensible hand cannot unite a horse.
If a man has lost his way in the dark, let him
leave the horse to himself and he will find the
way out.
The outward rein has the greatest power in the
turns.
The rider should have a pleasant feeling of the
horse's mouth.
The aids of the bit should be light, yielding to
the horse — they cannot be too light.
Do not be too hasty to correct your horse.
Four qualities must be comprised in a perfect
horse — strength, activity, courage, judgment.
Horses are fond of music and it much refreshes
them.
94 PAEK BIDING.
When you would stop your horse you must
bear upon the stirrups.
Speak always on approaching your horse.
Pat his neck on leaving him.
All horses like to go fast.
Choose a horse whose action is lofty and
brilliant, with courage and strength.
After working a horse in any spot, upon that
spot get off and encourage him with ease and
repose.
Whenever a horse goes well, flatter and coax
him, give him a little rest to keep him in that
temper, this will encourage him.
Trust to the weight of your body — it is the
reason why beginners are put to ride without
stirrups.
F. Shoberl, Printer, 51, Rupert Street, Haymarket. W.
NEW WORKS
PUBLISHED BY
MESSRS. SAUNDERS, OTLEY, cS^ Co.,
■CONDUIT STREET, HAXOVER SQUARE, LONDON.
Second Edition, in 2 vols, post 8vo, with Map and Index.
THE PRIVATE JOURNAL OP THE
MARQUESS OF HASTINGS.
(JOVERNOR-GENERAL AND COMMANDEK-IN-CHIEF IN INDIA.
Edited by his Daughter,
SOPHIA THE MARCHIONESS OF BUTE.
" We offer our thanks to Lady Bute for consenting to the pubhcation
■of this work. To be duly appreciated, it should be read in the spirit of
the dedication. From a situation as difficult as it was splendid, holding
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