reins with the little finger, the right rein, which passes over that finger, is always a little longer than the other, and requires to be shortened, if this be not attended to, the horse will be ridden chiefly upon the left rein, his head will be bent to the left, and he will not be looking the way he is going.

Holding the Curl and snaffle reins separated.—The curb being held as directed in the first described method, the snaffle rein is taken in the same manner, in the right hand, below the left; the principal bearing is brought upon this rein, which keeps the horse’s head steady, while with the left hand the horse’s mouth is kept alive, by a play on the bit, giving and taking, but, at the same time retaining a light bearing upon the horse’s mouth. This is an excellent method for holding the reins with a fiery, high actioned horse, not up to hand.

Adjusting the reins.—The rider should take hold of the loop end of the rein, and draw it through her hand until the proper bearing and tension has been obtained.

AIDS AND INDICATIONS.

All those motions of the body, the hand, the leg, and the whip, which either indicate the rider’s wishes, or in some degree assist the horse to perform them, are, in the art of riding denominated ‘aids;’ in their execution, a perfect combination, and the greatest uniformity, exactness, and delicacy are required.

The indications of the hand are of two sorts, guiding and retaining, those of the leg and whip, are also of two sorts, guiding and urging. The aids serve to put the horse in movement, to direct, and to stop him; they should not only decide the pace which the horse is to take, but also signify to him, the rate at which each pace is to be executed, and also determine his carriage during the performance of it. The power of these aids, and the degree of severity to be used, must be governed by circumstances, and the sensibility of the horse.

The hand, being placed holding the reins, as previously described, and the reins being drawn to that determined length, that the bracing of the muscles of the hand would rein the horse back, and the easing of them permit him to advance freely; if the hand be held steady, as the horse advances in a trot, the fingers will feel by the tightening and loosening of the reins, a slight sensation or tug, occasioned by the measure or cadence of every step, this sensation or tug, which is reciprocally felt in the horse’s mouth, by means of the correspondence between the hand and the mouth, is called the appui; and while this appui is preserved, the horse is in perfect obedience to the rider, the hand directing him with the greatest ease, so that the horse seems to work by the will of the rider, rather than by the compulsion of the hand.

When a horse is ridden on a snaffle, he only feels the direct pull more or less of the rider’s hand, with a curb-bit in his mouth the effect is different, and more powerful, on account of the lever which tightens the curb-chain on the horse’s jaw. A curb in a rough and uneven hand, becomes an instrument of extreme torture; the hand should always be firm, but delicate, the horse’s mouth should never be surprised, by any sudden transition of the bearing from tight to slack, or from slack to tight, every thing in horsemanship should be effected by degrees.

The rider should never rest her hand upon the pommel, as by doing so, she at once destroys the sympathy which ought to exist between the hand and the horse’s mouth.

Fineness of mouth, means a mouth that is perfectly trained, and responds to the determined action of a sensitive hand. The acquirement of the bearing upon the horse’s mouth, the turning the horse upon the proper rein, the power of collecting the horse, and retaining him on his proper balance, smoothness of indications, in the shortening of the reins, and the working together of the hand, leg, and whip, are the unseen, and unappreciated foundation, upon which good riding stands; these, and not strength, nor violence commands the animal, with these, the horse will rely on the hand, comply to it, and without force on the rider’s part, he will bend to the hand in every articulation. Without these, however unintentional on the rider’s part, she will be perpetually subjecting him to the severest torture, to defend himself against which, he will resist the hand, poke his nose, stiffen his neck, and every other part of his body; for the horse can endure no greater torture, than that resulting from an uneven hand.

The Leg and Whip.—The leg should hang straight from the knee, easy and steady, and be near to the horse’s sides; the pressure being increased as occasion required, but the size and substance of the flap of the saddle, in numerous cases, renders the pressure of the leg nugatory, therefore, as the whip is the chief additional aid a lady has to depend upon, its exact management ought to be reduced to a perfect science. Every movement and touch of the whip must be made for purpose and effect; it can be used on both sides of the horse, as the case may require; the lady will have no difficulty in using it, on the right, or off side of the horse: but to use the whip on the near side requires caution and address.

To strike the near forehand; the lady should raise the whip gently to an upright position, holding it with a firm grasp, she should then let the whip suddenly descend along the shoulder, and instantly remove it: she should be careful not to strike the horse on any part of the head except in cases of vice. To strike the near hind quarters, the lady must pass her right hand gently behind her waist, as far as the arm will reach, without distorting the body; and holding the whip between the two first fingers and thumb, strike the horse. This position is most excellent practice, by compelling the pupil to draw in her waist to its proper place: and until a lady can perform it easily, without disturbing the position and action of her bridle hand, she will fail in attaining a graceful and elegant carriage. The whip on the one side, pressed to the horse’s side, corresponds with the leg on the other, but except in moving straight-forward, they should not be applied opposite to each other; that the pressure of one, may not counteract the effect of the other; thus the one intended to communicate a forward impulse, should be applied further forward, to keep the horse up to hand, than that, which communicates an impulse to the horse to step side ways, which should be applied behind the girth.

The rider must always bear in mind, that every movement of the bridle, the leg, and of the whip, is felt, and responded to, by the sensitiveness of the horse; when she errs, the horse goes wrong, it is therefore indispensable that they should act in conjunction.

GUIDING.

The horse, previous to moving forward, should be made to collect himself, to arch his neck, and to stand evenly upon both his hind legs, for thereupon depends the balance of the horse’s body, his lightness in hand, and proper carriage.

To advance.—The lady should call the attention of the horse, by an increased bearing upon the reins, and at the same time should animate him, by closing the leg, and using the whip gently on the right flank; having communicated a sufficient impulse to the horse, to carry him forward, she should at the same moment, by turning up the back of her hand, ease the pressure upon the reins, and prevent him to move forward: but she should not slacken the reins,