Part 7

If the lady dismount without assistance, after the hand is carried from the off to the near crutch, she must turn round so as to be able to take, in her left hand, a lock of the horse's mane; by the aid of which, and by bearing her right hand on the crutch, she may alight without difficulty. In dismounting thus, without assistance, she must turn as she quits the saddle, so as to descend with her face towards the horse's side.

By whatever mode the lady dismounts, but especially if she do so without assistance, she should--to prevent any unpleasant shock on reaching the ground--bend her knees, suffer her body to be perfectly pliant, and alight on her toes, or the middle of her feet. She is neither to relinquish her hold, nor is the gentleman, or groom, if she make use of his ministry, to withdraw his hand, until she is perfectly safe on the ground.

In order to dismount with grace and facility, more practice is required than that of merely descending from the saddle after an exercise or a ride. It is advisable to mount and dismount, for some days, several times, successively, either before or after the ride;--commencing with the most simple modes, until a sufficient degree of confidence and experience is acquired to perform either of these operations in a proper manner, with the mere aid of the assistant's hand.

CONCLUDING REMARKS.

The lady should perform her first lessons with a snaffle bridle, holding the reins in both hands, and without a stirrup. When she has acquired some degree of practice in the balance, aids, and general government of the horse, she may use a bridle with double reins, and hold them in the left hand, managing them as we have directed in some of the preceding pages.

If the lady be but in her noviciate in the art, we strongly advise her not to place too much reliance on her own expertness, or to attempt too much at first; but, rather, to proceed steadily, and be satisfied with a gradual improvement; as it is utterly impossible to acquire perfection in the nicer operations of riding, before the minor difficulties are overcome.

The lady, in all cases, should recollect that her horse requires occasional haltings and relaxation. The time occupied in each lesson should be in proportion to the pace and animation in which it has been performed. If the exercise be varied and highly animated, the horse should rest to recruit himself at the expiration of twelve or fifteen minutes; when refreshed, by halting, he may be made to go through another of the same, or rather less duration, and then be put up for the day. It would be still better to make two halts in the same space of time;--the exercise taken in such a lesson being equal to three hours' moderate work. When the lessons are less animated, they may be made proportionally longer; but, it is always better, if the pupil err in this respect, to do so on the side of brevity, than, by making her lessons too long, to harass her horse.

WHITEHEAD AND COMP^Y. PRINTERS, 76, FLEET STREET, LONDON.

Transcriber's Note

The following typographical errors have been corrected.

29 diminutive poney changed to diminutive pony 47 dependance changed to dependence 75 inner rein is be changed to inner rein should be