The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1882-11-10
HOW TO RIDE.
,,rlss Barnard in ST Niohnl..

Charles Barnard In St Nicholas
Horseback riding is curious art, and you
can not master it in one lesson. Regular les
sons of an hour each, three times week for
three months, is the usual course required to
make a really good rider. To make the horse
perform 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 nat
urally and gracefully without instruction, and
to dance or ride one must go to school Walk
ing, dancing and riding are parts of good
education They give health and pleasant
manners, but 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 a natural and graceful manner?
We are so made that if we do things in the
right way we shall always find it the easiest
way also, and that it will enable us to be natu-
raj and graceful 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. 1t consists
of two things: a good seat and guiding the
horse. By good seat is meant secure po-
sition on a horse 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 di-
rection ON the hips. For girl, the right leg
is thrown over the horn of the saddle, and the
left hangs down like boys. Her body is
really on pivot, through the hips, and must
RELY bend forward or backward, or on either
side, without moving the saddle.
The horse, as was remarked, has four feet
and brain Riding consists not only in
good seat, but the art of teaching the horse to
give up his will and to do, not what he wishes,
but what you wish. So You must come to an
und~ standing with the horse-learn his way
OF thinking and his language. Left to himself,
he might go the wrong way, or stand still and
go nowhere in particular. 1t might be very
pleasant for him, but 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 gal
lop, to change step, and to go TO the right or
left To tell it all would fill a book and we
can only now observe, III a general way how a
horse is managed. 1t is done by voice and by
motion 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 horses side is
touched gently with the foot Boys use either
foot but girls use only their left foot, and
touch the horse on the right side with riding
whip. This is the merest hint of what is
meant by learning to ride, but it is enough to
show what is done in the riding-schOOl. The
horse has 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 will not willingly fall or STUN
BILE. 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 OBJ
serve that the motion is very different 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 con
tinually moving. This you have always to
remember and to ride gracefully you must
conform to every motion of your horse. Ii
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 fore-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 go to a riding school, or else
to have a good teacher at home.