CHAPTER I.
MILITARY RIDING NOT FIT FOR COMMON RIDING.

	PAGE
Throughout Europe there is only one style of riding taught	2
That is the soldier’s one-handed style	2
Two hands should be used to the reins	5
A soldier’s horse must turn on the wrong rein	7
Common riders generally turn their horses on the wrong rein	9
Result of this with colts or restive horses	10
Indications are not aids	12

CHAPTER II.
HOLDING AND HANDLING THE REINS.

Reins at full length	14
The downward clutch	16
The Grecian mode of holding and handling the reins	18
The side clutch	20
The two reins crossed in one hand	21
A rein in each hand	23
Turn to the right, and left	26
The hunting hand	26
The rough-rider’s hand	27
Fixing the hands	28
Use of both bridles at once	30
Shortening the reins when held one in each hand, system of taught, and of untaught horsemen	30
Use of the whip	34
Horses swerve and turn only to the left	34
Fault in “the great untaught,” two-handed, English rider	35

CHAPTER III.
EFFECT OF INDICATIONS.

Retaining, urging, and guiding indications	36
To make a horse collect himself	37
Canter, right turn, right pass	38
Left shoulder in	38
Bearing on the mouth	39
The horse must be made to collect himself in turning	42
And should not be turned on one rein only	43
Lady’s canter	44
The quicker the pace, the greater degree of collection	44
French and English mistake in this	45
The shy horse	46
The restive horse	48
Truth may be paradoxical	49

CHAPTER IV.
MECHANICAL AID OF THE RIDER.

The rider cannot raise the falling horse	50
Harm is done by the attempt	51
The bearing-rein	54
Mechanical assistance of the jockey to his horse	56
Standing on the stirrups	58
Difference between the gallop and the leap	58
Steeple-chases and hurdle-races unfair on the horse	59
The rider should not attempt to lift his horse at a fence	61

CHAPTER V.
THE SEAT.

There is one direction which applies to all seats	65
Different seats for different styles of riding	65
The manÈge and the Eastern seats are the extremes	66
The long stirrup is necessary for cavalry to act in line	67
Medium length of stirrup for common riding	69

CHAPTER VI.
MOUNTING AND DISMOUNTING.

Directions to place a lady in her saddle	70
Directions to mount at a halt	71
To mount in movement	71
To dismount in movement	71
To vault on or over in movement	72
To vault on at a halt	72
Circus for practising these movements	72
To pick a whip from the ground	72
To face about in the saddle	73

CHAPTER VII.
THE BIT.

Place of the bit in the horse’s mouth	74
Principle of the bit	74
Action of the common bit	76
Action of the Chifney bit	77
The loose eye	77
The nose-band	77
The horse’s defence against the bit by the tongue	78
Effect of the porte against this defence	78
Defence of the horse by the lip	80
Defence by the teeth	80
Bar of the military and driving bit	81
Martingale	81
Danger does not result from power	84

CHAPTER VIII.
THE SADDLE AND SIDE-SADDLE.

A side-saddle should have no right hand pummel	86
The leaping-horn	86
Surcingle	88
Stirrup-leather	89
Stirrup-iron	90
Girthing	90
To avoid riding on the buckles of the girths	91

CHAPTER IX.
THE SHORT REIN.

The short rein should be used when one hand is occupied	93
Its use to a soldier	94
Its use with the restive horse	94
It should not be used in hunting, or in swimming a horse	95
Objection to it for common riding	95
Used by postilion	96
Short rein of the Eastern horseman	96

CHAPTER X.
COLT-BREAKING.

Colt-breaking is the best possible lesson for the rider	97
The head-stall	98
The snaffle	99
Longeing	101
Saddling	102
Mounting	102
Sermon to the colt-breaker	103
The noblest horse resists the most	103
The horse has a natural right to resist	103
The colt wants no suppling	105
He wants to be taught the meaning of your indications	105
And to be brought to obey them	110
The leaping-bar	110
Fetch and carry	113

CHAPTER XI.
THE HORSE AND HIS STABLE.

Condition depends on food, work, and warmth	115
So does the difference between the breeds of horses	116
The terseness of the Arab is the result of hard food	116
So is that of our thorough-bred horse	117
Different breeds result from different natural conditions	118
Crossing only necessary where natural conditions are against you	119
We do not attend enough to warmth	120
We should get fine winter coats by warmth, instead of singeing	120
No fear of cold from fine coats	121
The horse’s foot should be stopped with clay	121
The sore ridge	122
Stable breast-plate	124
The head-stall	125
Never physic, bleed, blister, or fire your horse	126
Food for condition	126
Rest for strains	126
Nature for wounds	126
Miles for shoeing	127
The horse should have water always by him	127
And should stand loose	128
No galloping on hard ground, either by master or man	128
He who cripples the horse kills him	128

---