tag="{http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml}a">Bending the Neck to Right and Left

49 Moving the Croup with the Heel and Whip 53 Guiding Bridlewise (Turning to the Right) 56 The Canter 65 Ordinary Pirouette 71 Going on “Deux Pistes” 72 The Passage 73 Backing 76 Reins in Hand 77 Act of changing Reins 77 Leading with the Right Fore-foot 80 Leading with the Left Fore-foot 82 Ready to Mount 94 “One, Two, Three” 95 Placing the Foot in the Stirrup 96 Position in Saddle 97 A Square and Proper Seat 103 Method of holding the Reins in both Hands 111 Approaching a Fence 119 A Water Jump 121 Rising to the Leap 127 Coming Down 129 Parts and “Points” 136 The sort of Horse to Buy 146 The sort of Horse not to Buy 149

---

HORSEMANSHIP FOR WOMEN.

PART I.
AMATEUR HORSE-TRAINING.

“My dear,” said my wife, “you don’t mean to say you have bought that horse?”

“Why, yes, indeed,” replied I; “and very cheap, too. And why not?”

“You will never get your money back,” said she, “no matter how cheap you have bought him. Don’t keep him. Send him back before it is too late.”

It was a sultry July morning, and my wife stood on the farm-house porch, in provokingly fresh attire, while I held my new acquisition by the bridle in the scorching sun; and just recovering as I was from illness, this conversation struck me as really anything but tonic in its character. However, bracing myself up, I replied, “But I don’t want to get my money back; I intend to train him for my own use under the saddle.”

“Oh, you can never do anything with that great horse. Why, he is the awkwardest brute I ever saw. Just look at him now!”

In fact, his appearance was anything but beautiful at that moment. His Roman nose, carried a long way forward and a little on one side, gave him somewhat the air of a camel; his coat showed no recent acquaintance with the brush; and as he stood there sleepily in the sun, with one hind-leg hitched up, he did not present at all a picture to charm a lady’s eye. Nevertheless, he was, in fact, a reasonably well-made horse, a full black, fifteen and three-quarter hands high, sound, kind, and seven years old.

“He’s just horrid,” said my wife.

“Oh, that’s nothing,” said I; “that’s only a bad habit he has. We will soon cure him of such slovenly tricks. Just see what good points he has. His legs are a little long, to be sure, but they are broad, and have excellent hoofs; his breast is narrow, but then it is deep; and that large nostril was not given him for nothing. You will see he will run like a race-horse.”

“If you once get him started you can never stop him,” said my wife. “You know how he pulls, and how nervous he is. He will go till he drops. You are not strong enough to ride such a horse.”

“Oh, nonsense,” said I; “you can see that there is no