EQUITATION
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
Equitation is divided into several branches: that of the promenade, that of the army, of the races, of polo, of the circus. The equestrian art consists in the practice of these different sorts of equitation, in teaching the principles accepted for their practice, and in training the horse for these different uses. The present work, however, will treat only of the equitation of the promenade.
This portion of the general art has, in its turn, three subdivisions. These are:
The usual or instinctive or "lateral" equitation.
The rational equitation, l'équitation raisonnée, based upon reasoned principles worked out by the masters of the art.
The scientific equitation, l'équitation savante, based upon the scientific study of animal motions, and involving a scientific system of gymnastics for the physical development of the horse, designed to adapt the animal to the controlled use to which it is put.
It is evident that, from antiquity to our own epoch, the usual or instinctive equitation has been
and is still the most practiced. In the infancy of the art of horsemanship, men taught themselves by instinct and habit, not yet having even the most elementary principles. Soon, however, from custom and from the practice of experienced riders, there arose certain theories and methods, which were taught to beginners.
Even in the earliest times riders had the idea of balance; but they applied it only to the seat of the man on the horse, and did not at all consider the balance of the horse under the weight of the man. This was assumed to be taken care of by the animal's own instincts.
When, later, this instinctive horsemanship had still further progressed, and there had been invented saddle, bridle, stirrups, and spurs, the experience of riders and teachers developed the principles which govern the use of these instruments. Such masters as Pignatelli, Gaspard, Saulnier, Pembroke, the Duke of Newcastle, Comte de la Guérinière, and others, worked out the theory of mounting and dismounting, of seat, of the lateral effect, of the bridle, of the use of the spurs, and of the pillars. In all this they considered, not only the improvement of the rider's seat, but also the collection or balance of the horse. Of this last, however, they had only a confused and elementary conception. They thought that the horse, when mounted and in action, would always find its proper balance for itself; and so they devised series of movements, which, executed by the horse at walk, trot, and gallop, should practice the animal in carrying itself with its load. There is, nevertheless, a vast difference between such purely instinctive training, and the rational equitation which understands the reasons for the horse's condition of equilibrium, and allows him to execute the various movements only while retaining this state. The early masters of equitation were ignorant of many facts of animal motion now known to science, and they had no clear idea of the animal mechanism involved. Ignoring the theory of levers, they controlled the horse by the lateral effect of the rider's hand and leg acting on the same side. It is, therefore, perfectly fair to call this kind of equitation, instinctive, usual, lateral. This lateral equitation can be practiced by the beginner by rule of thumb, without acquaintance with the principles or theories of any formulated method. But a learner makes faster progress and is in less danger of accident when he puts himself under a riding-master. The riding-master or the riding-school will provide a horse already trained, with all the needed apparatus. It is then not necessary for the pupil to train the animal; but only to learn to mount and dismount; to sit properly on the horse when standing, walking, trotting, or galloping, in a word, to make his seat; and to control the horse by the lateral effect at these different gaits, in any direction, without losing the correct position. When the pupil has acquired a sufficiently firm seat, he may practice jumping. This will test his progress, and will also show him what he has still to learn. My own long experience proves to me that the rider's seat is the foundation of his progress. Without seat, nothing can be learned. With seat, everything, simple or difficult, becomes possible. The cavalier can never have too much of this sine qua non. Indeed, he can never have enough.
CHAPTER II
MOUNT, DISMOUNT, AND VAULT
THE horse, being saddled and bridled, quiet, and trained to be mounted, is held by the man, who will mount on the left side.
First method: The rider, facing the saddle, in front of the stirrup, and holding the reins in his right hand, places this hand on the pommel of the saddle, while with the left he grasps a handful of hairs of the mane. Rising on the toes of his right foot, he places his left foot in the stirrup, and, after two preparatory swings of the body up and down, by bending and straightening the right knee, on the third, he raises himself upon his left stirrup, assisting himself by both legs and by the left hand. He is now standing erect in the left stirrup, facing toward the horse's right. The right hand, always holding the reins, is next placed upon the right panel of the saddle, the wrist bearing upon the upper part, the upper part of the body is inclined forward, and the right leg is passed over the horse's croup and the rear part of the saddle. Finally, the rider, still supporting his body by the right hand, comes easily down into the saddle, abandons both panel and mane, brings his right hand with the reins in front of him, and without looking or any help, places his right foot in the stirrup.
All other methods of mounting are variations of this, necessitated by peculiarities of either man or horse.
If the horse is tall and the man short, the latter can best reach the stirrup by standing with his left side close to the horse's shoulder, and facing to the rear. Some riders, on the other hand, prefer to face forward, their right side at the horse's left flank, and the right hand, which holds the reins, on the cantle of the saddle.
Still another method, if proportions of man and horse permit it, is to take the left reins in the left hand, which also grasps the mane, and the right reins in the right hand, which rests on the pommel. The rest of the action is like the first method. The advantage is that the rider always has the reins in both hands, and so is ready to control the horse in case of need.
In dismounting, the rider, after stopping his horse, takes all four reins in the right hand, placing this in front of the left and resting it upon the pommel. The left hand, now free, he carries above the left reins and grasps the mane. He then frees his right foot from its stirrup, and raises his weight on his left foot, steadying himself with his two hands. The body being now upright and clear of the saddle, the rider swings his right leg over the croup and brings it near the left. Next, he bends the left knee till the right foot reaches the ground, and takes his left foot from the stirrup, holding all the while to both saddle and mane. Last of all, he lets go the mane with his left hand, and at the same time drops the right reins, still keeping contact with the left, advances two steps to the horse's head, and grasps with the right hand near the bit, either all four reins or else a pair belonging to either the snaffle or the curb.
Mounting and dismounting should be done deliberately, but correctly and without hesitation.
Vaulting is a gymnastic exercise which can be performed, not only with a horse specially trained and equipped for this purpose, but also with an ordinary saddle horse carrying saddle and bridle. When a specially trained animal is employed, it is kept at a canter, in a circle to the left, while the instructor, standing at the center of the ring, with a long manege whip, keeps the gait regular and cadenced.
The best horse for this exercise is a strong, well-rounded, and well-developed cob, of fifteen hands, of good temper and limbs, which has been trained both to hold a regular canter and to stop at the instructor's order. It should have on its back a strong surcingle, with two iron handles, directed forward, not back, and set eight inches below the top of the withers. This must be so firmly fastened in place that it cannot move even if the entire weight of the man bears on one side. The horse is reined from the cavesson with a snaffle to the surcingle.
The beginner is first practiced in springing from the ground when the horse is standing still. For this movement, the pupil stands behind the horse's left shoulder, his right hand grasping the left handle of the surcingle and his left a tuft of hair of the mane, the feet near together and the body straight. He then counts to himself, one, two, three, bending his knees sharply at each count. With the third count, he springs upward, helping himself with his hands, until he holds his body straight, supported on his arms. Then, keeping the left leg immobile, he swings the extended right leg over the croup and seats himself on the horse's back. Meanwhile, the right and left hands have shifted to the handles on their respective sides.
As soon as the pupil vaults easily to the back of the standing horse, he may execute the same movement with the horse walking and trotting.
To vault upon a horse at a canter, the pupil takes the right handle of the surcingle with his right hand, the nails below, and the left handle with the left hand, the nails up. He keeps the same cadence as the horse, the man's leg striding with the corresponding fore leg of the animal. As the horse plants its left foot, the man quickly advances his own right foot to a position near the left, and before the horse again lifts its left foot, the man bends slightly his knees, springs into the air, pulling himself by his left hand, and immediately passes his right leg over the haunches of his mount, shifting his left hand at the same instant to bring the nails below like the other. This movement needs decision, quickness of action, and energy on the part of the man, since he must be on the back of the horse before the latter's right fore foot returns to the ground after its stride. No time, therefore, can be lost.
When the rider is mounted and the horse continues its canter, the man should, for the sake of his future progress, learn to feel the jolt of the horse's motion, and to neutralize this by the relaxation of his muscles and the suppleness of his spine, all in the exact cadence of the step. For it is on this sense of cadence that everything else depends. "If the pupil has not that, he will begin his movement too early or too late, and thus render the maneuver most distressing to the spectator and nearly impossible for himself.
When the pupil has become accustomed to the canter cadence, he may be set to practicing the following progressive series of movements:
Seat the two legs to the left. |
These movements may be supplemented by others; but this series, well executed, is enough to give confidence and quickness to ordinary pupils. The added movements, even if very brilliant, will not be of great practical use.
When vaulting is taught with the horse saddled and bridled, the methods are the same except that the left hand grips a tuft of the mane instead of the handle of the surcingle.
The instructor will be successful if he makes vaulting a pleasure to the pupil; but not if he makes it hard work.
CHAPTER III
THE SEAT
The seat of the rider on the horse has been determined in its details by anatomy, by veterinary science, and by equestrian art. Anatomists have maintained, with reason, that the more nearly perfect the physical conformation of the man, the more easily will he seat himself correctly upon his mount, when the two are proportioned to one another. Veterinarians have approved the position, finding in it no cause for unsoundness, loss of health, or interference with movements, weight carrying, and regularity of gaits. Masters of equitation have fixed the details of the position and taught the theory of it in the light of its efficiency for controlling the horse by hands, legs, and weight, both standing still and in motion, at different gaits, and for neutralizing the shocks from the moving animal. Theory gives the idea of the position; but only practice brings the adhesion, contact, stability, suppleness, and confidence which constitute the state called seat.
Seat is the basis of equitation. By the seat the rider is in contact with his mount, communicates to the animal the confidence he has in it, and, on the other hand, is notified at once of the horse's disposition to obey or refuse. Only with a good seat is the rider able to use hands and legs, and to alter gait and direction by shifting accurately his weight. As we are all of us too ready to neglect those fundamental laws which control our lives, forgetting that if these laws of nature were suspended for even a quarter-second, life itself would cease, so as riders we tend to ignore the basal principles of inertia and weight as they affect action and seat. If the horse commit some fault, the result of our own improper disposition of the weight upon his back, we blame the horse. Yet the fault is ours; for the load which we put upon him is really very great when we consider carefully the muscular effort which the animal must put forth in executing our directions.
The rider, being mounted, should feel the saddle in contact with the coccyx and the two hip bones. These serve as a base, and bear the weight equally. They are the fixed point from which the upper part of the body moves to right or left, backward or forward, without ever ceasing contact, except when rising to the trot. The thighs, inclined at an angle of forty-five degrees, should be turned, without effort, so that their flat sides are against the saddle, which they press equally. If the flat sides of the thighs are not against the saddle, contact and adherence are lost. If they are placed thus with effort, the muscles are tense, and therefore cannot be flat. This not only prevents adherence, but, in addition, tires the muscles so that they cannot act when most needed. (Frontispiece.) The thighs are sloped forty-five degrees, because in that position they grip most forcibly. They are held evenly against the sides of the horse, since otherwise the adhesion is unequal and the seat not steady, the rider having disturbed it by his own fault. The knees should be kept free from all stiffness, so that the full length of the femoral muscles may be in close and permanent contact with the horse's sides, and the knees themselves, when necessary, may grip the saddle strongly and quickly. They should not, however, press constantly and strongly, lest as in the case of the thighs, the muscles become too fatigued to act when called upon.
Such is the first part of the position of the seat, the immovable part, the foundation of all the rest. Two remaining portions of the rider's body are movable, the trunk above the hips and the legs below the knee.
THE POSITION OF THE TRUNK
THE loins should be braced, but free from stiffness. Otherwise, they will communicate their rigidity to the entire upper part of the body, which will in consequence be less ready to respond to unexpected movements of the horse. The rest of the trunk, also, should be upright, easy, and free. It must be flexible, else it cannot be handled as a free mass, swinging forward and backward and from side to side without affecting the seat. It must be upright for the sake of the balance.
The shoulders should be kept down, else the breathing will not be free, and the rider will tend to round his back, draw in his waist, and so throw his spine off the perpendicular. But if the shoulders are forced too far back, they will hollow out and impede the free action of the arms.
The arms, likewise, should be kept free, so that their movements may be entirely independent of those of the body. Moreover, if the arms be stiff, this stiffness will extend to the hands, which hold the reins, and diminish their "intelligence." The elbows should fall into an easy, natural position at the sides. "If they are kept too close to the body, the position appears uncomfortable, and the wrists cannot be raised or lowered without displacing the arms and moving the upper part of the body.
The head should be carried erect, easy, and free from the shoulders. The head is itself heavy, and being at the upper end of the spine and farthest from the point of support, any change in its position affects markedly the balance of both rider and horse. "I do not, however, mean to suggest any such position as that of the soldier on parade, neck immovable and eyes straight ahead. What I mean is that the rider's head should move to the right or left, freely, but without any stooping, the eyes looking far ahead, since one cannot see distant objects without noticing intermediate ones also. The head in its movements should be upright, and should turn without carrying the shoulders with it.
The forearms should make a right angle at the elbow, but only as an intermediate position to be altered either way as different effects are desired. The two wrists should be kept at the same height, the fingers facing one another and the thumbs up. If one wrist is carried higher or lower than the other, the corresponding rein will have more or less effect on the horse's mouth. The two wrists should be separated about six inches, the usual thickness of a horse's neck. If the reins are held farther apart, they will, in proportion to their separation, act more upon the bit itself and less upon the bars of the mouth, and so be less felt. If, however, the reins of the snaffle are held nearer together, they will exercise a pressure on the lips, which is efficient if not too long continued. I do not mention here bridle bits, curb chains, and other instruments of torture, long ago discarded by sound equestrian art.
The wrist joints should be kept pliable, so as not to communicate stiffness to the arms and neck. Stiff wrists, moreover, prevent the rider from feeling the horse's mouth. The thumbs should be kept up, since in this position the two hands are most uniform and readiest to affect the mouth of the horse, either when resistance is to be followed by yielding or when the rider slackens the reins. Moreover, when the thumbs are up, they press somewhat more firmly upon the reins, so that these are less likely to slip. Finally, if the fingers are turned up, the elbows will be stiff and too close to the body. But if they are turned down, the elbows will stick out.
The bridle is, after all, the most important means of controlling the horse. The hand manages the bit by way of the reins. The bit, by its contact, governs the mouth. The mouth communicates with the neck. The neck guides the front limbs. Therefore, must the hands be kept in place, and the reins be of equal length. For if the reins slip in the fingers, control of the front hand is, for the instant, lost. For many reasons, then, it becomes important to keep the thumbs upon the reins.
THE POSITION OF THE LOWER LEG
THE leg below the knee should fall naturally. If ankle or calf is stiff, the knee joint also will stiffen, the knees will tend to get up on the saddle, and the leg will not work freely in managing the horse. The upper part of the calf should press the saddle lightly. If it presses too strongly, fatigue results. Moreover, the rider cannot carry the legs backward without opening the knees, and thus he loses one of the essentials of a good seat. Yet, on the other hand, if the calf does not touch the saddle at all, then the leg must be too far out at the side, too far forward, or too far back. In the first two cases, the legs will be too far from the body of the horse to produce any effect. In the last case, the effect will be permanent, and so destroy itself.
In riding without stirrups, the foot should fall freely, lest the fixing of the ankle joint stiffen the rest of the leg. When stirrups are used, the foot may either be kept well home, or only the ball inserted. In either case, the rider must be able to use the lower leg, without stiffness, in managing the horse.
It is often said that the heels ought always to be lower than the toes. This, however, seems to be nothing more than an ancient prejudice of cavalrymen, who see nothing but general appearance and cling to dear old routine. If only the knees do not come up too high on the saddle, and the feet are not too much turned out so as to spur the horse unwittingly, one may wear his stirrups as he likes. In fact, one need not use stirrups at all. Only one must remember, that although in riding-school and park, a third of the foot in the stirrup is sufficient, hunting and racing on the flat and riding across country and charging the enemy, all require the whole foot there. The former position gives more freedom for working the legs; but no one ceases to be a good horseman by putting his feet a little more forward or back, provided always that the seat is not disturbed and the legs are free to manage the mount.
I have described a rider's position on horseback minutely and at length. It will take a beginner five years of practice to master it satisfactorily. For, in the first place, to secure perfect adhesion, the muscles of the thighs must acquire a certain shape. But while one is attending to the position of the head or the arms, the thighs get out of place and have to be readjusted. Moreover, nothing except long practice will enable one to grip forcibly with the thighs, without communicating the least contraction to the legs or to the upper portion of the body, which must always remain entirely independent of any action of other muscles.
It seems easy, does it not? Well, then, sit on a chair and try to bring the legs and the upper part of the body backward simultaneously. It is not so easy as it looks. But on horseback one has to remember everything at once, and to do everything at the same time. My readers will understand now, that I, like all practiced teachers, am but an open book from which a pupil gets information at any moment. But, after all, the pupil himself is his own best teacher, if only he will practice long and constantly.
I was, myself, never permitted stirrups from four years of age till ten. During this time I used to accompany my father on hunting parties; and if I happened to fall, he would always count, "One less," referring to the seven falls which by tradition precede the acquisition of a seat.
Yes, to acquire a good seat, one must learn to ride without stirrups! But to ride without stirrups, and especially to trot, before all the muscles have been relaxed by riding at a walk and progressively, is surely a wrong practice. Because, if the rider contracts his limbs to resist the movements of the horse, he at once makes the muscles too set to assume the shape necessary for perfect adhesion. Must one, then, walk a horse for months and years? It would, indeed, be the best method, though rather impracticable in view of the probable expense.
I, therefore, advise the beginner to use stirrups, so as to fall as few times as possible and thus save his parents' feelings. Let it be, nevertheless, the first object to become, as soon as possible, fully able to sit upon a saddle, without stirrups, at all paces.
What, then, should be the ordinary practice? For the first winter, ride at the school, without stirrups, but always in the presence of the instructor. Learn for yourself all you possibly can, until you have gained a certain degree of stability of seat; and do not neglect to practice during the summer.
For the second winter, organize a class of ten or a dozen young people of about the same age and advancement boys only, no girls. Put the class under a teacher, who, remembering his own early training, will work with enthusiasm. Have lessons three times a week for six months.
Here is a programme for such a class: Walking without stirrups. Calisthenic exercises. Stopping and walking. Individual turn. Successive semiturn. Successive turn. Trotting, Calisthenics, etc., as above, while trotting. Walking. Individual halfturn. Individual turn, stopping, and starting again to a trot. Galloping. Calisthenic exercises, etc., as in walking and trotting. Stopping and starting to the gallop. This whole programme is to be gone through, first with stirrups, and then a second time without.
The time has not yet come for learning to manage the horse. This will come later. At the end of the second year, the young pupil ought to be able to perform all these movements easily, without stirrups. Circular movements have been included in the programme, since the pupil should be made accustomed to all directions and to producing all kinds of movements.
Let the pupil also bear in mind that just as to become a good sailor one must not be afraid of seasickness, so to become a good rider one must not be afraid of the rough movements of the horse. Once accustomed to these, one learns in due time to counteract them. But if one tries from the start to repress these sudden jerks, he never becomes used to them, and his contractive efforts will, sooner or later, be turned into stiffness.
Now this condition of stiffness is precisely what the learner ought to avoid from the very outset. But for the beginner the greatest difficulty of all is to put the proper amount of contraction into the muscles of the thighs, so as to obtain adhesion, and yet at the same time to prevent this contractive force, which belongs to the immovable portion of the seat, from interfering with the suppleness of the two other, movable, parts of the body. This difficulty is best met by the following calisthenic flexions :
- Movements of the head: down, up, left, right.
- Of the arms: up, down, forward, back, rotation at the shoulder.
- Of the spine: backward, forward, left, right.
- Of the lower legs: forward and backward, with turning of the toes inward from both positions.
- Of the ankles: toes in, out, up, down.
- Of the thighs: knees high, and knees down, but always with contact between the saddle and the base of the spine.
These exercises, executed at walk, trot, and gallop, will enable the beginner to move, freely, legs, head, arms, and body, while at the same time keeping the seat firm.
But the adhesion of the thigh muscles must be produced and maintained, solely by the pliancy and flexibility of these muscles, and not at all by their permanent contraction. Such contraction should be but momentary, never spreading to other parts of the body, which must always remain unaffected by any effort of the thighs.
Moreover, the trunk and head should be able to move forward or backward of the perpendicular, and to the left and right, without in the least displacing the weight from its base, and without any effect whatever upon the contact, adhesion, or other element of the seat. So, too, should the lower leg be able to swing backward from its position and forward again, without any tendency to advance too far, and without any disturbance of any other member.
In short, both the upper and the lower parts of the rider's body must be trained to work freely on their respective joints, separately or together, in any direction, yet without affecting in any wise the immovable seat.
For the seat is the focus of all equestrian feeling. By way of the seat, the rider senses the coming movements of the horse. By means of the seat, with other aids, he controls or prevents these. Furthermore, it often happens that a fidgety animal will submit unresistingly to a rider whose seat is firm, while another rider, unsteady of seat, will manage it only with difficulty. The creature seems to be affected one way or the other, according as it can or cannot shift the rider's weight.
Some horsemen are of the opinion that this moral effect passes from horse to rider; some that it travels from rider to horse. I myself think that both are right. For consider any horse, standing still, mounted by a rider having the most perfect seat, but who moves neither hands nor legs. Where, then, is this moral effect? But let the animal once start to move, then he must immediately be sensible of the rider's quality. The rider who has a correct seat will not permit his mount to proceed according to its own fancy, but will constrain it, confidently, unhesitatingly, by rational and positive means. On the other hand, the rider whose seat is not firm will sometimes surprise his horse and sometimes let it go. His control will be strained, hesitating; and the horse will feel this.
Moreover, in spite of inconsistencies in certain systems, I cannot but believe—and the longer I study, the better I am convinced—that the seat is much improved by training horses for one's self. For after all, it matters little what the origin or the quality of the particular system adopted, so long as the rider takes and gives with hands and legs, and thus learns to move his members without disturbing his seat. Whenever, by constant practice, this habit has become fixed, then the rider will maintain his seat without ever thinking of it at all. But in that case, he will, obviously, communicate his own confidence to his horse, while at the same time he forestalls easily any untoward movement, rearing, bucking, arching the back, shaking the head, kicking, and the rest.
But how can a rider do all this without self-confidence; and how shall he be self-confident without a steady seat? The indifferent rider, who lets his horse go as he will, who hangs on by the
reins, who grips the animal's sides with the calves of his legs, has no use for seat. But whoever wishes to ride at the regular paces with grace and comfort, can never have too strong a seat. So long as the horse walks, mere contact is sufficient. Riding outside the school, and rising at the trot, necessitates contact of the knees, since at each step contact of the thighs is lost. The very fast trot demands a close seat. For the trot au rassembler, commonly called "passage," grip is essential—since I do not know one horseman who can trot au rassembler with a rising seat. The gallop also requires a close seat; while for the counter-moves and for jumping, grip is indispensable during the action, and should be in proportion to the violence of the shock.
Here, in fine, is what I advise the student at the riding-school: Give great weight to all the principles here set forth. Never miss a single lesson; for the riding-master has his amour-propre and will be the more interested in your progress if you try to show him by your regular attendance that you really desire to become a good horseman. Finally, do not imagine that you have understood everything. Make sure for yourself and be convinced.
Such, then, are the means which the reasoned equitation offers toward obtaining a proper seat. The military schools still employ jumpers in the pillars. These are useful enough for suppling recruits, who have to be taught in the shortest possible time to stay in the saddle, no matter by what means. They are not applicable to civilians of every age; neither do they always produce fearlessness.
CHAPTER IV
THE WOMAN RIDER
FOR the many women nowadays who ride across saddle, all principles and methods are precisely the same as for men. This discussion, therefore, concerns only those who use the side-saddle.
A horse to be ridden by a woman should accord completely in color, conformation, temper, regularity of gaits, and safety, with the age, build, temperament, social position, and equestrian skill of the rider. It must, at the very least, be well broken, trained to the side-saddle, and wonted to every object commonly met in city or country. It should, in addition, possess two special qualities. The first is that it should go forward freely, without needing continually to be urged, and yet, at the same time, be restrained and directed without too much exertion on the rider's part. The second is that it should be absolutely surefooted at all three gaits. A horse with a long, free, easy walk is preferable. One with any tendency to rear is quite out of the question.
It is by the correct simplicity of her dress, the firmness of hat and hair, that the horsewoman will make possible both her comfort and that elegance which, for the woman rider, takes the place of beauty.
TO MOUNT
A horse to be ridden by a woman must have been trained to stand absolutely quiet to be mounted, without the need of any second assistant.The rider stands at the left of the animal, facing forward. The right hand, resting on the second pommel of the saddle, holds the reins at the correct length for
feeling the horse's mouth. The single assistant faces the rider, his right foot in front of his left, his body leaning forward and his left hand extended to receive the woman's left foot, while his right hand is either at her waist or just below her left shoulder. The rider's left hand rests on the right shoulder of the assistant.
Thereupon, one or other of them counts — one, two, three; and at the last count the assistant lifts with his extended right leg, bringing forward the left foot beside the right, and supports the woman's weight. She, on her side, taking this support, raises herself, and pivoting sidewise, seats herself on the saddle, both knees to the left. She then removes her hand from the saddle fork, while at the same time the assistant, taking her right boot in his left hand, aids her in passing her right knee over this second fork. When the right foot is in place, he takes her left boot by the heel, turns forward the stirrup, and helps to set the foot in place. In the meantime the rider is adjusting her reins, holding them either with one hand or both. Last of all, the assistant helps with the complexities of elastics and straps, and hands the rider her whip.
All this must be done deliberately and precisely, without either abruptness or hesitation. If the rider's left boot is armed with a spur, she must warn her assistant.
Young pupils in the riding-schools commonly mount from a block. This is a mistake at the beginning, though well enough later, after they have learned to mount from the ground. The fault is that of the riding-master who neglects his duty as a teacher. Boys of fourteen should be taught to assist a lady in mounting; and I do not hesitate to say that this knowledge is an essential part of good breeding.
Some masters advocate giving the right foot rather than the left, as more secure. I have tried out both ways, and find that it makes little difference. The main points are practice, and the skill and strength of the assistant, who must lift the rider without jolt, and with no thrust toward the rear, since this might tear her hand from the saddle fork, or even send her over backwards. The assistant does not toss the rider, but lifts her steadily, in exact time with the straightening of her knee, as if his hands were a step.
A horsewoman can, however, mount by herself, by lengthening her stirrup, and then, when seated, adjusting it again. She can also mount by aid of a stone, tree, fence, or other elevation. For all these, however, she must be assured of the temper and docility of her horse. I recommend all young riders to learn to mount alone. It is good practice, and often very useful both in hunting-field and on promenade.
TO DISMOUNT
To dismount, the rider stops her horse, takes all four reins in the right hand, removes her foot from the stirrup, raises her right knee from the saddle, and passes her right leg over to the left side, pivoting on the seat. Her right hand, still holding the reins, now rests on the second pommel. The assistant, standing at the horse's left haunch, takes her left hand in his right, and aids her also with his own left, as she slips to the ground, still helped by her right hand on the second fork. An agile woman can dismount thus without assistance.
Dismounting, like mounting, should be done decisively, but without abruptness.
It is at the act of mounting that the horse first feels the ability of the rider, her confidence, and her skill. Baucher and Fillis always trained their horses before letting them be mounted by their women pupils. I myself often let mine begin with horses that have been merely broken; and I have always been successful.
THE HORSEWOMAN'S POSITION
THE woman rider, mounted, should carry her head straight and free, turning it easily in any direction without affecting the body.
The eyes look straight to the front between the horse's ears, and always in the direction in which the animal is going.
The body above the waist is erect and mobile. Below the waist, it is firm, but without being stiff.
The shoulders are well back and on the same line.
The arms fall naturally, the forearms are bent, and the elbows are held close to the body, but not stiffly.
The wrists are on the level of the elbows, and six inches apart.
Both hands hold the reins, the fingers firmly closed, the nails toward each other, and the thumbs extended along the reins.
The end of the rider's spine is perpendicular to the spine of the horse, and exactly in the middle of the saddle. This contact carries the weight, not only of the upper portion of the body, but also of the thighs and even of the legs below the knees. By the bearing of the end of the spine on the saddle, and by the contact of the inside of the right knee with the second fork and of the inside of the left thigh and knee with the saddle, the horsewoman balances the body and neutralizes the shock of the moving horse.
The right foot falls naturally on the saddle, the toe forward and somewhat down, the outside of the calf against the panel.
The left foot feels the stirrup, but does not lean on it. The toe turns a little inward, just enough to prevent the left calf from pressing against the saddle, since this would tend to pull the entire body round to the left.
Further details of the woman rider's position may be found in my book, The Horsewoman, D. Appleton and Company, New York. This which I have here set forth is the accepted posture. It is easily acquired if the pupil begins young and practices certain calisthenic exercises on horseback. To have a good seat is to be able to retain this position, under all conditions, with the horse in motion. No woman, young or adult, can acquire such seat merely by reading any book. She needs in addition, the help of a teacher, one, moreover, of long experience.
The principles of the reasoned and of the scientific equitation are the same for women as for men, the woman rider's whip taking the place of the man's right leg.
CHAPTER V
THE AIDS
THE best procedure for the beginner would, no doubt, be to master all the details of seat, position, and the manipulation of the reins, while the horse is standing still. Few pupils, however, are at all willing to undertake any such patient labor. Young or adult, they want, not merely to walk, but to trot, before they have any idea what is to be done, either to direct or to control their mounts. My own experience is, therefore, that it is really better, on the whole, to let the beginner do, within reason, a good deal as he likes.
In the usual or lateral equitation, the rider possesses two aids or means of controlling the horse. These are the hands holding the reins and the calves of the legs, or in the case of the rider on a side-saddle, the left leg and the whip.
The effects of the hands are three:
- By pulling straight back on the reins, the rider signals the horse to diminish the speed of its forward motion or to stop it completely.
- By raising the hand vertically, the rider lifts the horse's head. The horse, in consequence, raises its front hand, and therefore, its front legs.
- By drawing more strongly on either rein, the
horse's head is pulled to that side, and it tends to turn in that direction.
The rider's legs, on the other hand, have only one effect:
- When both are pressed against the horse's flanks, they determine the action of its hind legs, since, to avoid the pressure, it advances the whole body. Either leg used alone pushes the horse to the opposite side.
If, then, the horse is standing still, the pressure of both the rider's legs starts it walking forward. If the horse is in motion, pressure with the right leg, accompanied by an increased pull on the right rein, turns the animal to the right, and vice versa. Such use of rein and leg on the same side constitutes the right or left lateral effect. The rein gives the direction to the front hand. The leg gives the impulse to the hind hand, which thereupon pushes forward in the direction indicated.
It is, however, most important always to bear in mind that such effect of hand and legs is always by means of an added pull on one rein and an added pressure of one leg, never by the diminished contact of rein or leg on the other side. The principle is that the effect of one rein or one leg, without the usual contact on the other side, will not alter the direction of the animal's forward motion, but will pivot him on the fixed spot. If, then, the horse is advancing, held to a straight line by, let us call it, two degrees of contact of reins and legs, and it is desired to turn him to the right, the left hand and the left leg still maintain their two degrees of pressure, while at the same time, the right hand and the right leg increase theirs from two degrees to three and from three degrees to four. But as soon as the horse has made the required change of direction, right leg and right rein return to their former two degrees of effect, and give once more the straight line forward.
These effects are the same at trot and canter.
In the usual equitation, the rider remains upright in his saddle, except that the body inclines a little forward to cause the horse to advance, and inclines slightly backward for stopping and backing. In this sort of equitation, the horse is not maintained in any state of equilibrium, the location of its center of gravity is problematical, and therefore, the weight of the rider has little effect in governing its movements.
At the trot, the rider may either keep a close seat, or he may rise at each step, in what is called the English motion. But in either case, he has to sit close in order to use the pressure of his legs for changes of direction or of gait, or for other control. He can, indeed, turn his mount by the reins only, without using his legs; but the animal obeys only because it is willing. Without pressure of the legs, the rider cannot compel obedience.
As soon as the learner has acquired sufficient confidence and a firm seat, it is helpful exercise to practice jumping obstacles.
CHAPTER VI
THE GAITS
THE usual equitation regards the horse as an animated machine already adjusted to carrying the rider's weight at various gaits. Means of securing regularity of gait or of correcting irregularity belong to the rational equitation, and are quite outside the ordinary form.
The horse has three natural, or regular, gaits — the walk, the trot, and the run. He has, besides, two other irregular or artificial gaits, the amble and the single-foot, which are not natural to the animal, except where they are the result of special breeding or training.
The walk progresses by a succession of strides, in which the four limbs move two by two, diagonally. It is, therefore, said to be in "diagonal biped." In the fast walk, called by Newcastle, in French, le pas relevé, though the animal still keeps at all times three feet on the ground, the diagonal movement is no longer apparent.
The means for making a standing horse change to a walk are so various in the usual equitation, that it is not possible to touch upon any but the most commonly practiced, such as chirping with the tongue, the moderate use of the whip, advancing the bridle hand. Turning is brought about by the traction of one rein; stopping and backing, by pulling upon both.
If, when at the walk, the horse is urged to go faster, it breaks into the trot. The trot is like the walk, except that the diagonal action is more pronounced and more apparent, and that the feet are kept a shorter portion of the time on the ground. In trotting, the horse's spine at the haunches delivers a succession of shocks to the seat of the rider, who neutralizes them by rising from the saddle an instant before each blow. This device secures both comfort and exercise. Except for this, the conduct of the trot is the same as of the walk.
The fastest gait is the run. The action is a succession of leaps executed by the two sides of the body symmetrically, or, as it is called, in "lateral biped." A somewhat slower run is a gallop. A slower gallop is a canter.
If at the run, gallop, or canter the two legs on, let us say, the right side, gain more ground than the other two, the horse is said to run, gallop, or canter to the right, or, more simply, to lead to the right; and vice versa. But whenever a horse at run, gallop, or canter turns its course to either side, it has to lead with that side. Conversely, when the horse is urged to any of these gaits, and at the same time is compelled to turn to either side, it will, almost always, take the lead to the same side. Otherwise, these gaits are managed like the walk and trot. Of the irregular gaits, the amble, widely esteemed in the days of the instinctive equitation, is still favored by the Cossacks of the Ukraine and Crimea, the Arabs, certain American Indians, by Mexicans, and in our own Southern States. A few unskillful riders, also, even in the more sophisticated
parts of the world, still prefer the comfort of the amble to the exhilaration of the trot.
In the amble, the horse, instead of striding with two diagonal members, as in the trot, advances together the two limbs on the same side. There is, therefore, no play at the coupling, no trajectory, and the rider is pushed alternately from side to side, instead of being propelled upward as in the trot. So far as this gait is the result of training, it can be corrected, though with difficulty. But if it is hereditary, it can seldom be changed. I have myself had occasion, in the United States, to alter a good many amblers into trotters. My own method is by cavesson and breaking-strap, a tiresome device, but fairly quick and sure. The progression through the reasoned equitation is the best corrective; but this also is very tedious, since the work must be done, partly on foot, and partly mounted in place. Even then, if the horse is put to the trot and begins to amble, he must be stopped at once, lest he become confused and not understand what is asked of him.
The rack is between a walk and an amble. The four limbs advance by a lateral motion, slower than at the amble, faster and shorter than at the walk. But in order to do this, the muscles of neck, back, loins, and haunches have to be kept contracted, so that the entire vertebral column is held immobile. This is especially noticeable in the pelvic region and at the coupling. The hind hand receives no trajection as in the walk and trot. The rear limbs move below the croup without any lift-and-drop at each step. The sacral region remains rigid. The stride is short and quick.
The front legs are neither completely in lateral, nor yet completely in diagonal. Each reaches forward and returns supporting the load, a little in advance of the rear limb on the same side. But the return of the feet is quicker than at the walk, and their beat is about equally spaced. In other words, at the regular walk there are heard two beats in diagonal; at the amble, three beats in lateral; at the rack, four beats in lateral.
The rack was much favored in ancient times, when there were no roads, when horses were ridden without saddle or bridle, and the best gait was the one which needed least skill and balance on the rider's part. It is now obsolete.
Single-foot is almost never taken by instinct, unless the animal suffers from atrophy, weakness, or fatigue. Occasionally, however, it is hereditary. In the latter case, the correction of the fault is nearly impossible and never permanent. If the gait is the result of training, as it is sometimes in Brittany, Mexico, and the western parts of the United States, it is best cured by cavesson and longe.
The action in single-foot is a slow trot in front, and a fast walk behind. It is exactly the movement of a horse thoroughly tired out by a long journey, which is nevertheless being urged forward by its rider. Such an animal, again rested, will return to his normal walk and trot.
The irregular or artificial gaits may be the result of training or of heredity.
The amble is the same the world over, though called amble in England, but rack, pace, or fox-trot in the United States. The word does not matter, except that "pace," ambiguous in this sense, had better be kept to mean all the gaits of a horse, and not restricted to a particular one.
When a horse, already at a fast trot, is urged to move still more rapidly, so that action in diagonal
biped becomes impossible, he may change to the amble. For this, he stiffens the spine, and replaces the up-and-down motion of the trot by an oscillation from side to side in lateral biped. Fore and hind legs on the same side advance together; but the motion is so rapid that the animal appears to the eye to be running with the hind legs and
trotting with the front. Curiously, certain ambling horses have been, on the track, faster than the fastest trotters.
In the single-foot, the hind legs move at a fast walk, while the fore legs execute a slow trot. Both these irregular gaits can be cured by the reasoned equitation, or by the cavesson and breaking-strap.
CHAPTER VII
JUMPING
The first prerequisites in a horse that is to clear an obstacle properly are conformation, strength, and energy. Any horse, when free, will jump anything if frightened or pursued. But it has to be trained to jump at the rider's will and under his weight.
For this there are various methods, of which the following has proved by experience to be the best.
A bar of wood or a low hurdle is placed on the ground, and the horse, led by a man holding the
longe of the cavesson, and maintained always in a state of perfect calm and docility, is habituated to
passing this at a walk. When the animal has acquired confidence, the obstacle is raised progressively, the trainer following the horse and encouraging him by showing the long whip, not, however, striking, unless the horse actually refuses. Even in that case it is better not actually to strike, but only to swing the whip gently. Meanwhile, the man holding the longe must be careful not to hinder the horse from jumping, or to pull against it after it has passed the bar. As soon as the animal surmounts the barrier calmly, it should be recompensed by caresses or otherwise.
When the horse has learned to take the bar at a walk, it is practiced, progressively, at the gallop. Here, especially, is it essential not to excite the animal, nor to check it by the longe, either before or after the leap. For the horse in leaping has to develop a very great amount of muscular energy; and if the trainer hinders it in any way, or at any time asks too much of it, the horse fails to put forth sufficient energy, becomes disheartened, refuses, and tries to bolt.
After this training with the cavesson has proceeded far enough, the trainer mounts the horse, and proceeds once more with the same programme from the beginning.
From this point on, it must always be borne in mind that the horse clears the obstacle by its own act of will. Being trained to leap, it knows the right way to use its powers. The first essential for
the rider, therefore, is to let the horse alone, and not interfere with it by some wrong position in the saddle or some wrong effect of the reins. The important matter, then, is to gallop the horse straight at the obstacle, neither too fast nor too
slow; to feel the contact of the bit and yet permit freedom to the head and neck, not holding them too high or too low; and not to try to lift the horse's front hand, but, on the contrary, to push it forward during the entire movement by the pressure of the rider's legs upon the horse's flanks near the girths. Meanwhile the rider is to sit firm in his saddle, his body always perpendicular to the ground, his loins supple to neutralize the shock.
No other part of horsemanship has given rise to more theories than has jumping. For no two horses jump just alike, nor do any two men ride in precisely the same way. When, therefore, we consider
the different speeds, strides, and conformations of horses, with their differing energy, the special qualities of experience, seat, conformation, and tact of hand of riders, and the various conditions of ground, the excitement occasioned by the company, the variety in height, width, and stiffness of the obstacle to be passed, to say nothing of the temporary physical and moral dispositions of both rider and horse, it clearly becomes impossible to lay down any invariable rule that shall make every jump invariably like every other.
But after all is said, clearing an obstacle is largely a matter of confidence on the part of the rider.
A horse does not, of course, apprehend directly the rider's morale. But he does appreciate to the full the lack of confidence of a rider who, on coming to the jump, stiffens himself, shifts in his saddle, or pulls against his horse's mouth; and it is this lack of confidence, thus communicated to the horse, that causes the animal to hesitate, refuse, or bolt.
Successful training for the jump, in short, involves not only time and moderation, economy of physical and moral energy, attention to the animal's wind, a light weight increased progressively to the normal load to be carried, and frequent rests to avoid exhaustion. Not less essential are the trust of the horse in its own powers, its confidence in the rider, the confidence of the rider in his horse, and no undue interference with it.
NOTE ON FIGURES OF MANEGE
When the horse is performing well at walk, trot, and gallop, there is often much benefit, before taking up the jump, in practicing certain of the so-called figures of manege, such as the double, the change of direction, the circle and figure eight, the volte and half-volte. These are taken progressively, first at the walk, then at the trot, then at the gallop.
In these movements, at the present stage of the rider's progress, the horse is kept to the straight line by means of the "lateral effect." Properly, however, this should be accomplished by the "diagonal effect," with which the ordinary rider is assumed not to be acquainted, and which he should not attempt to use until he has passed through the progressive training that belongs to this branch of equitation. The details of these figures are, therefore, included in the chapters on the scientific equitation.
PART II
THE REASONED EQUITATION
THE TRAINING OF THE SADDLE HORSE BY THE AID OF PRINCIPLES BASED ON THE EXPERIENCE OF MASTERS OF THE ART OF RIDING