The Young Lady's Equestrian Manual Part 5

LEAPING.

In riding-schools, ladies who never intend to hunt, are frequently taught to leap the bar. The practice is certainly beneficial; as it tends to confirm the seat, and enables the rider more effectually to preserve her balance, should she ever be mounted on an unsteady or vicious horse.

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Leaps are taken, either standing or _flying_, over a bar, which is so contrived as to fall, when touched by the horse's feet, if he do not clear it: it is placed at a short distance from the ground, at first; and raised, by degrees, as the rider improves. The standing leap, which is practised first, the horse takes from the halt, close to the bar. The flying leap is taken from any pace, and is easier than the standing leap, although the latter is considered the safer of the two to begin with; as, from the steadiness with which it is made by a trained horse, the master or a.s.sistant can aid the pupil at the slightest appearance of danger.

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The position of the rider is to be governed in this, as in all other cases, by the action of the horse. No weight is to be borne on the stirrup; for, in fact, pressure on the stirrup will tend to raise the body, rather than keep it close to the saddle. The legs--particularly the right one--must be pressed closely against the saddle, and the reins yielded to the horse, so that the rider can just distinguish a slight correspondence between her own hand and the horse's mouth. The animations thus produced, and the invitation thus given, will make the horse rise. As his fore quarters ascend, the lady is to advance forward; the back being bent inward, and the head kept upright and steady. A moment before the horse's hind legs quit the ground, the body should be inclined backward; the rider taking care not to bear heavily on the reins, lest the horse force her hand, and pull her forward on his neck, or over his head, as he descends. When the leap is cleared, the rider should bring the horse together, if at all disunited, and resume her usual position.

In the flying leap, the seat is to be preserved as in the standing leap; except, that it is needless, and, indeed, unwise, to advance the body as the horse rises: because, in the flying leap, the horse's position, especially in a low leap, is more horizontal than when he rises at the bar from a halt; and there is great danger of the rider being thrown, if she lean forward, in case the horse suddenly check himself and refuse the leap; which circ.u.mstance occasionally happens. The waist should be brought forward, and the body suffered to take that inclination backward which will be produced by the spring forward of the horse. The horse's head is to be guided towards the bar, and the reins yielded to him as he advances.

The proper distance for a horse to run previous to the leap, is from ten to fifteen yards. If he be well trained, he may be suffered to take his own pace; but it is necessary to animate an indolent animal into a short, collected gallop, and urge him, by strong aids, to make the leap.

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DISMOUNTING.

The first operation, preparatory to dismounting, is to bring the horse to an easy, yet perfect, stop. If the lady be light and dexterous, she may dismount without a.s.sistance, from a middle-sized horse: but, it is better not to do so if the animal be high.

The right hand of the lady, when preparing to dismount, is to receive the reins, and be carried to the off crutch of the saddle. The reins should be held sufficiently tight to restrain the horse from advancing; and yet not so firm as to cause him to back or rear; nor uneven, lest it make him swerve.

The lady should next disengage her right leg, clearing the dress as she raises her knee; remove her right hand to the near crutch; and then take her foot from the stirrup.

Thus far the process is the same whether the lady dismount with or without a.s.sistance.

If the lady be a.s.sisted, the gentleman, or groom, may either lift her completely off the saddle to the ground; or, taking her left hand in his left hand, place his right hand on her waist, and, as she springs off, support her in her descent. She may also alight, if she be tolerably active, by placing her right hand in that of the gentleman (who, in this case, must stand at the horse's shoulder), and descend without any other support. Should there be any objection to, or difficulty found in alighting by either of these modes, the gentleman, or groom, may place himself immediately in front of the lady, who is then to incline sufficiently forward for him to receive her weight, by placing his hands under her arms, and thus easing her descent.

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If the lady dismount without a.s.sistance, 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 a.s.sistance, she must turn as she quits the saddle, so as to descend with her face towards the horse's side.

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By whatever mode the lady dismounts, but especially if she do so without a.s.sistance, 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 a.s.sistant's hand.

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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 s.p.a.ce 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 hara.s.s her horse.

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