New-York tribune., 1890-01-27
RIDING IN SADDLE.
MR.. ANDERsoN's PRACTICAL BOOK.

X.
The arrcarance of a fourth edition OF Mr' Ahuci
IONS Modern Hoiscmanshp' g. T. Putnam SUNS
may he taken To indicate not only an increase h uo
number of riders but also increased desire ior 'c
intelligent, and may even say a'.eh'',' S''"' VI
the art of horsemanshp. The growth OF rluins ~
fas as mere numbers Of riders IS concerned "' DC"
ON interesting feature Of life in our Eastern HCtle''
In the far West and the South rdihE Ha'
been matter Of course, often i'al'o'
nf necesstv but in the New York OF twenty years ago
there was only one riding school; and before te faA
was laid out. as a recent writer has rcnaIAed morse
men were seen as regularly, and IN about inc s"'Ie
number as in the opening chapters OF I" J. H.
James The change which has taken pace "l'H'i
tbe last decade has been fully pronounced IN inc
case of horseback riding in other outdoor sports
Nav yorl now has its Riding Club and possibly
half a dozen riding schools, and brooklyn ana We
believe Hoboken, maintain similar Institutions III
inviting weather Park bride path is overcrowueu
10 the great discomfort of elderly gentlemen
who ride with sad sincerity IN ooeulen'o u '"V
directions of their physicians.
II is commonly supposed that the Ango-manlac' ho
OF the short strrups, protruding elbows anu po"'
BODY is the typical Park rider on tle contrary
a very large proportion of our riding masters are
Gemans and they apt TO teach German Hiiild'N
seat The West Point seat is also occasionally Illus
trated in the Park and We sometimes see the easy
swinging motion and long stirrupN OF the western VI
Southern rider. As a matter OF lact' our -'7
maniac has very probably formed himself upon '"o
model of an English groom. Nevertheless our NUM-
ing mem who hold the riding schools hsh'N' anu
claim The way to learn to ride Is 10 rae may W
renindes that there is recognized difference between
hunting form" and :" park form' "he'ho' pan
form is as important as some OF our riuihs n'9
maintain is a question which we may IiioucSN' iOi
hear to consider. 1t is certain that the "lorm cA
,n,tod nj, tbe hridIe paths in Central Park Is often
dan,cssinp spectacle Only merciful PROVIDENCE
and the meekness of the mount shield 'le rarA iiuo
Of uncertain. tmOrous seat, and heaVy Helu'A d"U
That there has been an improvement III INC q"@iiH
of urban horsemanShp Is peNe'VN 'lod''
The "club" and the riding schools MAINTAIN
perhaps l2OO horses in constant use oufins
the winter and all this practice mas borne lru'-'o
say nothing of the devotion 10 crosscouhlrS Ilun-
either after hounds on paper trail ana INC ~"
which leads various young men to enroll 'Aeh''c''s
in mounted troops and essay severe course u
eisculine All this interest will be most beheh Al 20
the vonncer generation. many Of whom VIII be thed
N ride in childhood which obviously the best way
of learning hOrsemansup
ActpaI practice from boyhood up Will give sure
seat and an intelligent confidence rreN TO be iul"
acouired in later years at riding schools even 'no"
the riding school pedagogues may critose the form
of the rider taught by experience NeVerlhee>s' teo
will ALWAYS be a demand for intelligent. cathoc III
struction which must be supplied by schooi9 anu
which NAV be obtained IN some degree rom pr"'"'o
supplemented by books. Again, riders ooiHue"' VI
themselves will be o. shoulo be reaoN 1" i'"'" 49,
those of larccr experience. and for these T"So"'
thcre will be "A welcome for this new edluoh Vi
book which may be fairly called scientific SluuN VI
borseranship The literature Of the subject is
volnminous bnt the appearance Of fourth edition oi
Mr. Andersons work NAV be taken ~ "''
indication Of its special and practical useiuIheS' r
this edition the original work has peen ~
written and rearranged. Like al "tu' ~ -
divided into three parts, which deal WIN oruin'
rdinc the thorough training Of saddle horses anu
+be nuroIv ornamental movements OF the " hchdH'
or tbe high school" All these dIvl~lohs VI ''0
general snojcct are excellently illustrated WIN III
stantonoous photographs. which have an lmmeua'o
practical value With the last. the hich 'clooi VI
horsemanship." We need not concern ourselves
In tbc schools the Bauchcr and Comte d'Aure syS
torns are drawn upon to greater or less degree but
we fancy that none Of riding masters nave 'he
COURAGE to insist upon the complete baa'hef 'NSo"'
which has been described as requiring -'o Ie'9ol'
In general we may say that only mouiheu anu
abbreviated form of the high school" is taught mere
ano oven at that the purely ornamental movements
like the Pcsade." the "Curvet.' the "Croupaue'
tbe "Bolotade' and the "Caprioe,' are ol NaIH
slight importance except now and then III the eAlDi
.ians ~ riding academies Better is the master ot a
bucking mustang than the merely decorative rIo'r VI
the high school, Mr.. Anderson ui'i,''N ''",
nart - nj. subject with few brief explanations ana
io takes main, 10 distinguish between that Whch Is
necessary in the training OF saddle horses and that
which NAV be neglected without dctTmcni'
II is the first part Of this book, " the primer OF
,ddnc- which seems to Of the greatest usefulness
although we do not underrate The value Of the
Kindly sensible advice 10 the training
of saddle horses which is contained in
the second part We wish that this advice might reach
stable-owners and grooms whose methods are almost
,n,,,rfabIv cnprical and often brutal The secret
of success in the management OF horses lies A a
Kindly enforced discipline. Through gentleness and
frmness the most irritable animal may be made per
fecty quiet and obedient." Yet every rdcr has
known of promising horses whose tempers, mouth, ana
action have been ruined or seriously impaired bs
Ignorant grooms or others whose main purpose ap-
pcared to be to provoke contest OF brute force ana
TO rule by means Of violence. Moreover, the Wouid
be riders who prod their horses with the spurs and
suddenly check them with the eins, and who ride nan
supporting themselves with the rcins may be com
mendcd to these chapters in Mr.. Anderson's book
The horse is q beautiful and delicate piece Of ntei
gent mechanism if the expression may be allo"ed
With patient. kindly training and intelligent dIrcip.
BY hand and heel this mechanism is tapable o per
fectly harmonious and effective action. Iut IN
happily, Oucncr see this action dcmordlItd bN
rider whose idea Of riding consists ID saddlc Dunip
ing with Wcighty hand the rcln>. or III ,cllo-
OF nervous gallois suddenly interrupted by a s"fe.
of vicious tugs at the horses mouth and subsequent
lamentations over hard bitted horses.
In his Primer of Riding" however, Mr. Anderson
puts the matter upon scientific basis. Ills cApiaIia
tons Of The control Of the horses action with hand
and heel are like demonstration in physics
h5 h dS> HS not neSe,ar eS ' mcaR pam Tie 70 pn 5S 5
any form Of lex aid which the crcIm tance3 require,
like the pressure Of the side Of the heel the Tdcr-
calf. I'll may be commended 10 the riders newly
graduated from the academic, who regard spurs an
essential part of their outfit despite certain painful
warnings to the contrary. A. Il matter Of course
Mr.. Anderson recommends the thin. ia, saddle known
rs the English pattern. which viii bring the rider
close a. possible t. the back Of the horse Ncvcrthc
less strong arguments in favor Of the military sad
die or the Whitman saddle may De made by MANY cy
pericnced riders. and it i, necessary to acknowledge
that comparatively few who in the habit Of riding
long distance, prefer the Engll~h saddle But We
need not reopen tritc discussion. and the subject
of the saddle NAV be left 10 individual preference
witt~i word Of cOnmcndatiOn for Mr.. AndeTson's ad
vice that the saddle should be made 10 III the rider