The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1882-12-07
How tn Ride.

Horseback riding is a curious art.
aHd you cannot master it in one lesson.
Regular lessons of an hour each, three
times week, for three months, is the
usual course required to make really
good rider. To make the horse per-
form fancy steps, leap hedges, and that
sort Of thing, requires from one to two
years study in good school and much
out-of-door-practice. Like learning to
dance, it consists in the art of holding
and carrying the body gracefully and
naturally. Very few boys and girls in
this country ever learn to walk natur-
ally and gracefully without instruction,
and to dance and ride one must 90 to
school. Walking, dancing, and riding
are parts of a good education. They
give health and pleasant manners, bat
Of the three, riding is the most useful
in giving courage, strength, manners.
and good health.
The body is the house we live in. It
is pretty good house, and should not
only be neatly clothed, but be carried in
a correct and natural manner. No one
thinks of wearing torn clothes or living
in tumble-down house, and why
should we not stand and. walk, or sit
and ride. in natural or graceful man.
nerp We are 50 made that if we do
things in the right way we shall always
find it the easiest way also. and that
will enable us to be natural and grace
full at the same time.
The art of riding teaches all this, and
once learned, is wonderfully easy, and
becomes as much second nature as
walking. Il consists of two things: A
good seat and guiding the horse. By a
good scat is meant a secure position on
the herse. For boy it means to put
both legs over the horse. with the upper
part Of the leg bent slightly forward,
the lower part hanging down, with the
foot in the stirrup and the heel slightly
lower than the toes. Sit erect, with the
body free to sway in every direction on
the hips. For girl, the right leg is
thrown over the horn Of Che saddle, and
the left hangs down like a boys. Her
body is really on pivot. through the
hips. and must freely bend forward or
backward, CT On either side, without
moving ia the saddle.
The horse, as was remarked, has four
fsst and brain. Riding consists net
snty IA good seat, BUT the art Of
osaehing the horse to give up his will
and to Do, not what he wishes, bat what
yen wish. So Jou must come TO an
understan ding with the horse-learn
his way Of thinking and his language
Left to himself, he might go the wrong
way, OF stand ssi11 and go nowhere in
particular. It might be very pleasant
for him, bat this Is not what we want
So IN the school you are taught all the
words Of command: to start, to halt. to
trot or gAl1op, to change step, and to
ge to the right or loft. To tell it all
would fill book, and we can only now
observe, in a general way, how horse
is managed. It is done both by voice
and by motions of the hand and body.
For instance, the word is given to start
or stop, but the riders body must be
moved slightly on the hips to help the
horse. To turn to the right or left, the
reins are turned very slightly, the body
is bent in the opposite direction to that
you wish to take, and the horse's side
is touched gently with the foot. Boys
use either foot, but girls use only the
right with a riding-whip. This is the
merest hint of what is meant by learn
ing to ride, but it is enough to show
WQdL Is QOu0 IN The T1UlDG-SCQOOl. i ne
horse has a mind of his own, and,
though he surrenders his will to the
rider, he yet watches where he is going
and always has his wits about him. He
viii not willingly fall or stumble. He
will not step on you should you fall on
the ground, nor can you drive him
against wall or down a steep bank. a
steam-engine has no mind, and will run
into ditch or into the river just as
| readily as on the rails.
The moment you get on his back you
observe that the motion is very differ
ent from walking. AS he has four legs,
and as you sit between the two pair,
you are really at place between four
points Of support that are continually
moving. This you have always to re-
member, and 10 ride gracefully you
masL conform to every motion of your
horse. If you wish him to turn sharply
to the right and change his step, you
lean to the left. This throws your
weight on three of his legs, and leaves
the right fose-leg free, and, as it moves
more easily than any other, the horse
steps out with that foot first. But, to
give you all the details would only
weary You. The best way to learn is
to 60 to riding-school, or else to have a
! good teacher at home.-,St NifhoIas
| for October.