The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1884-02-21
On Horseback,

| the same form; that each man has
| seat peculiar to himself, and that that
seat is his best for any purpose, wheth-
err he be a cross-country or road rider.
| The riders aim should be to make him.
| self part of the animal he bestrides
| by conforming to his movements, and
thereby assist in maintaining the nat
ural equilibrium of his body. AnTthing
| approaching eXaggeration should be
avoided. For example, rising to trot is
a good thing if properly done, in fact
| one cannot ride very far or very fast
without it; but why it is carried to the
| ridiculous extreme that it sometimes is
| is difficult to understand, unless those
who adopt it act upon the principle that
If a little rise is good thing a good
| deal is better. This lofty. style, sup
posed to be English, is much carica-
tured in this country by the doubtful
class of young men known as ''dudes, y
who, not being properly ballasted, are
ready to rise to anything that will make
| them cons, ,icuous. In riding after this
method the would be horseman, seated
on the cantle of his saddle, with knees
nearly, on a level with the pommel,
| springs into the air with each second
impulse of the gait with spasmodic
effort, to return again in due season
with a bump that would cause rafting
| in his ''brain box,'' if there were any
thing there to rattle. This style of
rider has been aptly described as
"walking- beam on horseback, between
whom and the saddle peeps of the dis
tant landscape come transiently at tan
talizing intervals
The saddle has much to do with de-
termining what position one, shall as
I sumo on horseback, hence the import
ance of having it properly constructed
and adjusted. Surprising the saddle to
be one that will allow you to sit in
natural, easy position, then shake your
self down into it, place your thighs in
| the position which gives you the tirmest
hold on your horses sides, and adjust
your stirrups to that length. Bear in
mind that the seat on horseback is
maintained by balance and friction,
and you must combine the two in such
a way, as not to make the effort fatiguing
| if YOU would sit securely and well.
| Willis as much of the thigh is to be
brought in contact with the saddle as
! possible, the leg below the knee should
be altogether out of contact and free to
move as the rider finds necessary.
| Learn to balance the upper part of the
body on the hips, in the varying move
| ments of the horse without disturbing
the position of the thighs or depending
in the slightest degree on the reins. It
is well to PRACTISE on some old horse
that can't be spoiled. using. a snaffie
until you feel quite at home in the
saddle and can handle the reins with
delicacy. If your stirrups are too short
or too far forward you will find your
self Juggling at the reinswheneyer your
horse makes au unexpectedmovemen
These defects should be corrected, for
a rough handling of the bit soon spoils
the horses mouth, and once he becomes
a puller there is an end of all pleasure
in riding him.
Very few horses can be ridden salts
factorily without curb bit, and this
requires more delicate handling still
than the snaffle. A very good way to
hold the reins in riding the trained
horse is to pass the little finger of the
left hand between the curb reins and
the middle finger between the snaffie
reins, the ends passing up over the
thumb when the hand is closed While
| training the horse, carry the curb reins
in the left hand and the snaffie reins in
the right, divided by the width of the
hand. Teach your horse to turn from
| the pressure of the curb rein against his
neck, accompanying it at first with the
customary pull of the snaffle on the
side toward whiehyou wish to. turn.
| Collect your horse before reaching the
| point where you wish to turn, and
apply the left leg in turning to the
| right and the right leg in turning to
the left. Teach your horse to walk
rapidly; it is a gait that always "tells"
and can be continued long time with
out fatigue. ..The walk is the gallop
of always say the Arabs, and there is
much truth in the saying. A good way
to teach horse to take quick, long
step at this gait is TO touch him with the
lett spur, after he has become aecus-
toned to it, just after he lifts his right
fore foot, and with the right spur when
he lifts his left fore foot. This will
make him pick up his hind feet quickly
and reach well forward before he plants
them. .a1 .ir
Finally, give the boys chance to be-
come fearless riders. Youth is the time
when physical habits are formed, and
when one has beenaccustomedt to use the
saddle from boyhood. equestrianism is
part of his nature. and he never feels
more at home than when, on horseback.
The hope of the saddle horse is in the
rising generation. If thepractice is de-
alayed until we are forced into it as a
cure for dyspepsia or consumption, and
the saddle comes to be regarded as a
sort of hospital-the last resort of a de-
scaying raee-it will certainly not fill its
proper place in our social economy If
the boys would ride more there would
be less consumption and dyspepsia to
cure. This, is q pleasant prophylactic,
for the boy takes to the horse instinct
lively. The taste has been handed down
to him from a horse-loEing ancestry.
he will have some hobby, and why not
let him learn to ride honestlYP Give
him every chance to acquire the manly
art of equitation. He will be a harder
and Drawer man, and will have one ac.
cOmplishment which will nrove a iov