in zoology. See Equus.

HORSEMANSHIP;

Or, The Art of Riding, and of Training and Managing Horses.

The method of preparing horses to be mounted.

THOUGH all horses are generally bought at an age when they have already been backed, they should be begun and prepared for the rider with the same care, gentleness and caution, as if they had never been handled or backed, in order to prevent accidents, which might else arise from skittishness or other causes: and as it is proper that they should be taught the figure of the ground they are to go upon, when they are at first mounted, they should be previously trotted in a longe on circles, without any one upon them.

The manner of doing this is as follows: Put an easy cavesson upon the horse's nose, and make him go forwards round you, standing quiet and holding the longe; and let another man, if you find it necessary, follow him with a whip. All this must be done very gently, and but a little at a time: for more horses are spoilt by over-much work, than by any other treatment whatever; and that by very contrary effects; for sometimes it drives them into vice, madness and despair, and often stupifies and totally dispirits them.

The first obedience required in a horse is going forwards: Till he performs this duty freely, never even think of making him rein back, which would inevitably make him retive: As soon as he goes forwards readily, stop and carefs him. You must remember in this, and likewise in every other exercise, to use him to go equally well to the right and left; and when he obeys, carefs him and dismiss him immediately. If a horse, that is very young, takes fright and stands still, lead on another horse before him, which probably will induce him instantly to follow. Put a snaffle in his mouth; and when he goes freely, faddle him, girtting him at first very loose. Let the cord, which you hold, be long and loose; but not so much, so as to endanger the horse's entangling his legs in it. It must be observed, that small circles, in the beginning, would constrain the horse too much, and put him upon defending himself. No bend must be required at first: never suffer him to gallop false; but whenever he attempts it, stop him without delay, and then set him off afresh. If he gallops of his own accord, and true, permit him to continue it; but if he does it not voluntarily, do not demand it of him at first. Should he fly and jump, shake the cord gently upon his nose, without jerking it, and he will fall into his trot again. If he stands still, plunges or rears, let the man who holds the whip, make a noise with it; but never touch him, till it be absolutely necessary to make him go on. When you change hands, stop and carefs him, and entice him by fair means to come up to you: For by presenting yourself, as some do, on a sudden before horses, and frightening them to the other side, you run a great risk of giving them a shyness. If he keeps his head too low, shake the cavesson to make him raise it: And in whatever the horse does, whether he walks, trots, or gallops, let it be a constant rule, that the motion be determined and really such as is intended, without the least shuffling, pacing, or any other irregular gait.

The method of placing the rider and rendering him firm on horseback, with some occasional instructions for riders and the horse.

It is necessary that the greatest attention, and the same gentleness, that is used in teaching the horses, be observed likewise in teaching the rider, especially at the beginning. Every method and art must be practised to create and preserve, both in man and horse, all possible feeling and sensibility, contrary to the usage of most riding masters, who seem industriously to labour at abolishing these principles both in one and the other. As so many essential points depend upon the manner in which a man is at first placed on horseback, it ought to be considered and attended to with the strictest care and exactness.

The absurdity of putting a man, who perhaps has never before been upon a horse, on a rough trotting horse, on which he is obliged to stick with all the force of his arms and legs, is too obvious to need mentioning. This rough work, all at once, is plainly as detrimental at first, as it is excellent afterwards in proper time. No man can be either well, or firmly seated on horseback, unless he be master of the balance of his body, quite unconstrained, with a full possession of himself, and at his ease; none of which requisites can he enjoy, if his attention be otherwise engaged; as it must wholly be in a raw, unsupplied, and unprepared lad, who is put at once upon a rough horse: in such a distressful state he is forced to keep himself on at any rate, by holding to the bridle, (at the expense of the sensibility both of his own hand, and the horse's mouth,) and by clinging with his legs, in danger of his life, and to the certain depravation of a right feeling in the horse.

The first time a man is put on horseback, it ought to be upon a very gentle one, He never should be made to trot, till he is quite easy in the walk; nor gallop, till he is able to trot properly. The same must be observed in regard to horses: they should never be made to trot, till they are obedient, and their mouths are well formed on a walk; nor be made to gallop, till the same be effected on a trot. When he is arrived at such a degree of firmness in his seat, the more he trots, and the more he rides rough horses, the better. This is not only the best method, but also the easiest and the shortest: by it, a man is soon made sufficiently an horseman for a soldier; but by the other detestable methods, that are commonly used, a man, instead of improving, contracts all sorts of bad habits, and rides worse and worse every day; the horse too becomes daily more and more unfit for use. In proceeding according to the manner proposed, a man is rendered firm and easy upon the horse, both his own and the horse's sensibility is preserved, and each in a situation fit to receive and practise all lessons effectually.

Among the various methods that are used of placing people on horseback, few are directed by reason. Before you let the man mount, teach him to know, and always to examine, if the curb be well placed, (that is, when the horse has a bit in his mouth, which at first he should not; but only a snaffle, till the rider is firm in his seat, and the horse also somewhat taught;) and likewise if the nose-band be properly tight; the throat band loofish, and the mouth-piece neither too high nor too low in the horse's mouth, but rightly put so as not to wrinkle the skin, nor to hang lax; the girts drawn moderately, but not too tight; and the crupper and the breast plate properly adjusted. A very good and careful hand may venture on a bit at first, and succeed with it full as well, as by beginning with a snaffle alone: on colts, indeed, it is better, in all schools whatsoever, to avoid any pressure on the bars just at first, which a curb, though ever so delicately used, must in some degree occasion. When the bridle, &c., have been well looked to, let the man approach the horse gently near the shoulder; then taking the reins and a handful of the mane in his left hand, let him put his foot softly in the left stirrup, by pulling it towards him, least he touch the horse with his toe, then raising himself up, let him rest a moment on it with his body upright, but not stiff: and after that passing his right leg clear over the saddle without rubbing against anything, let him seat himself gently down. He must be cautious not to take the reins too short, for fear of making the horse rear, run, or fall back, or throw up his head; but let him hold them of an equal length, neither tight nor slack, and with the little finger betwixt them. It is fit that horses should be accustomed to stand still to be mounted, and not to stir till the rider pleases. All soldiers should be instructed to mount and dismount equally well on both sides, which may be of very great use in times of hurry and confusion. Then place the man in his saddle, with his body rather back, and his head held up with ease, without stiffness; seated neither forwards, nor very backwards, with the breast pushed out a little, and the lower part of the body likewise a little forwards; the thighs and legs turned in without constraint, and the feet in a straight line, neither turned in nor out: By this position, the natural weight of the thighs has a proper and sufficient pressure of itself, and the legs are in readiness to act, when called upon: they must hang down easy and naturally, and be so placed, as not to be wriggling about, touching and tickling the horse's sides, but always near them in case they should be wanted, as well as the heels.

The body must be carefully kept easy and firm, and without any rocking, when in motion; which is a bad habit very easily contracted, especially in galloping. The left elbow must be gently leant against the body, a little forwards; unless it be so rested, the hand cannot be steady, but will be always checking, and consequently have pernicious effects on the horse's mouth; and the hand ought to be of equal height with the elbow; if it were lower, it would constrain and confine the motion of the horse's shoulders; but, as the mouths of horses are different, the place of the hand also must occasionally differ: a leaning, low, heavy fore-hand requires a high hand; and a horse that pokes out his nose, a low one. The right hand arm must be placed in symmetry with the left; only let the right hand be a little forward or backward, higher or lower, as occasions may require, in order that both hands may be free: both arms must be a little bent at the elbow, to prevent stiffness.

A soldier's right hand should be kept unemployed in riding; it carries the sword, which is a sufficient business for it.

There remains one farther observation, that ought not to be omitted, about the hand, that it must be kept clear of the body; i.e., about two inches and half forwards from it, with the nails turned opposite to the belly, and the wrist a little rounded with ease; a position not less graceful than ready for slackening, tightening, and moving the reins from one side to the other, as may be found necessary.

When the men are well placed, the more rough trotting they have without stirrups, the better; but with a strict care always, that their position be preserved very exactly. In all cases, great care must be taken to hinder their clinging with their legs: In short, no sticking by hands or legs is ever to be allowed of at any time. If the motion of the horse be too rough, slacken it, till the rider grows by degrees more firm: and when he is quite firm and easy on his horse in every kind of motion, stirrups may be given him; but he must never leave off trotting often without any.

The stirrups must be neither short nor long; but of such a length, that when the rider, being well placed, puts his feet into them, (about one third of the length of each foot from the point of it,) the points may be between two and three inches higher than the heels. The rider must not bear upon his stirrups, but only let the natural weight of his legs rest on them: For if he bear upon them, he would be raised above and out of his saddle; which should never be, except in charging sword in hand, with the body inclined forwards at the very instant of attacking. Spurs may be given, as soon as the rider is grown familiar with stirrups, or even long before, if his legs are well placed.

A hand should always be firm, but delicate: a horse's mouth should never be surprised by any sudden transition of it, either from slack to tight, or from tight to slack. Every thing in horsemanship must be effected by degrees, but at the same time with spirit and resolution. That hand which, by giving and taking properly, gains its point with the least force, is the best; and the horse's mouth, under this same hand's directions, will also consequently be the best, supposing equal advantages in both from nature. This principle of gentleness should be observed upon all occasions in every branch of horsemanship. Sometimes the right hand may be necessary, upon some troublesome horses, to assist the left; but the seldom this is done, the better; especially in a soldier, who has a sword to carry, and to make use of.

The snaffle must on all occasions be uppermost; that is to say, the reins of it must be above those of the bridle, whether the snaffle or the bit be used separately, or whether they be both used together. When the rider knows enough, and the horse is sufficiently prepared and settled to begin any work towards suppling, one rein must be shortened according to the side worked to; but it must never be so much shortened, as to make the whole strength rest on that rein alone; for, not to mention that the work would be false and bad, one side of the horse's mouth would by that means be always deadened; whereas on the contrary, it should always be kept fresh by its own play, and by the help of the opposite rein's acting delicately in a somewhat smaller degree of tension; the joint effect of which produces in a horse's mouth the proper, gentle and easy degree of appui or bearing.

A coward and a madman make alike bad riders, and are both alike discovered and confounded by the superior sense of the creature they are mounted upon, who is equally spoilt by both, though in very different ways. The coward, by suffering the animal to have his own way, not only confirms him in his bad habits, but creates new ones in him: and the madman, by false and violent motions and corrections, drives the horse, through despair, into every bad and vicious trick that rage can suggest.

It is very requisite in horsemanship, that the hand and legs should act in correspondence with each other in every thing; the latter always subterranean and assistant to the former. Upon circles, in walking, trotting, or galloping, the outward leg is the only one to be used, and that only for a moment at a time, in order to set off the horse true, true, or put him right, if he be false; and as soon as that is done, it must be taken away again immediately: but if the horse be lazy, or otherwise retains himself, both legs must be used, and pressed to his sides at the same time together. The legs the legs are used in general, the better. Very delicate good riders, with horses they have dressed themselves, will scarcely ever want their help. By the term outward is understood the side which is more remote from the centre; and by inward is meant the side next to the centre. In reining back, the rider should be careful not to use his legs, unless the horse backeth on his shoulders; in which case they must be both applied gently at the same time, and correspond with the hand. If the horse refuse to back at all, the riders legs must be gently approached, till the horse lifts up a leg, as if to go forwards; at which time, when that leg is in the air, the rein of the same side with that leg, which is lifted up, will easily bring that same leg backwards, and accordingly oblige the horse to back: but if the horse offers to rear, the legs must be instantly removed away. The inward rein must be the tighter on circles, so that the horse may bend and look inwards; and the outward one crossed over a little towards it; and both held in the left hand.

Let the man and horse begin on very slow motions, that they may have time to understand, and reflect on what is taught them; and in proportion as the effects of the reins are better comprehended, and the manner of working becomes more familiar, the quickness of motion must be increased. Every rider must learn to feel, without the help of the eye, when a horse goes false, and remedy the fault accordingly: this is an intelligence, which nothing but practice, application and attention can give, in the beginning on slow motions. A horse may not only gallop false, but also trot and walk false. If a horse gallops false, that is to say, if going to the right, he leads with the left leg; or if going to the left, he leads with the right; or in case he is disunited, i.e. if he leads with the opposite leg behind to that which he leads with before; stop him immediately, and put him off again properly: the method of effecting this, is by approaching your outward leg and putting your hand outwards, still keeping the inward rein the shorter, and the horse's head inwards, if possible; and if he should still refuse, then bend and pull his head outwards also, but replace it again, bent properly inwards, the moment he goes off true. A horse is said to be disunited to the right, when going to the right, and consequently leading with the right leg before, he leads with the left behind; and is said to be disunited to the left, when going to the left, and consequently leading with the left leg before, he leads with the right behind. A horse may at the same time be both false and disunited; in correcting both which faults, the same method must be used. He is both false and disunited to the right, when in going to the right he leads with the left leg before, and the right behind; notwithstanding that hinder leg be with propriety more forward under his belly than the left, because the horse is working to the right: and he is false and disunited to the left, when in going to the left he leads with the right leg before, and the left behind; notwithstanding, as above, that hinder leg be with propriety more forward under his belly than the right, because the horse is working to the left.

In teaching men a right seat on horseback, the greatest attention must be given to prevent stiffness, and sticking by force in any manner upon any occasion: stiffness disgraces every right work; and sticking serves only to throw a man (when displaced) a great distance from his horse by the spring he must go off with: whereas by a proper equilibrating position of the body, and by the natural weight only of the thighs, he cannot but be firm, and secure in his seat.

As the men become more firm, and the horses more supple, it is proper to make the circles less, but not too much so, for fear of throwing the horses forwards upon their shoulders.

Some horses, when first the bit is put into their mouths, if great care be not taken, will put their heads very low. With such horses, raise your right hand with the bridoon in it, and play at the same time with the bit in the left hand, giving and taking.

On circles, the rider must lean his body inwards; unless great attention be given to make him do it, he will be perpetually loosing his seat outwards. It is scarce possible for him to be displaced if he leans his body properly inwards.

The method of suppling horses with men upon them, by the Epaule en dedans, &c. with and without a longe, on circles and on strait lines.

When a horse is well prepared and settled in all his motions, and the rider firm, it will be proper then to proceed on towards a farther suppling and teaching of both.

In setting out upon this new work, begin by bringing the horse's head a little more inwards than before, pulling the inward rein gently to you by degrees. When this is done, try to gain a little on the shoulders, by keeping the inward rein the shorter, as before, and the outward one crossed over towards the inward one. The intention of these operations is this; the inward rein serves to bring in the head, and procures the bend; whilst the outward one, that is a little crossed, tends to make that bend perpendicular, and as it should be, that is to say, to reduce the nose and the forehead to be in a perpendicular line with each other: it also serves, if put forwards, as well as also crossed, to put the horse forwards, if found necessary, which is often requisite, many horses being apt in this and other works rather to lose their ground backwards than otherwise, when they should rather advance: if the nose were drawn in towards the breast beyond the perpendicular, it would confine the motion of the shoulders, and have other bad effects. All other bends, besides what are above specified, are false. The outward rein, being crossed, not in a forward sense, but rather a little backwards, serves also to prevent the outward shoulder from getting too forwards, and makes it approach the inward one; which facilitates the inward leg's crossing over the outward one; which is the motion that so admirably supplest the shoulders. Care must be taken, that the inward leg passes over the outward one. one, without touching it; this inward leg's crossing over must be helped also by the inward rein, which you must cross towards and over the outward rein every time the outward leg comes to the ground, in order to lift and help the inward leg over it; at any other time, but just when the outward leg comes to the ground, it would be wrong to cross the inward rein, or to attempt to lift up the inward leg by it; nay, it would be demanding an absolute impossibility, and lugging about the reins and horse to no purpose; because in this case, a very great part of the horse's weight resting then upon that leg, would render such an attempt, not only fruitless, but also prejudicial to the sensibility of the mouth, and probably oblige him to defend himself; and moreover, it would put the horse under a necessity of straddling before, and also of leading with the wrong leg, without being productive of any suppling motion whatsoever.

When the horse is thus far familiarly accustomed to what you have required of him, then proceed to effect by degrees the same crossing in his hinder legs. By bringing in the fore-legs more, you will of course engage the hinder ones in the same work: if they refuse, the rider must bring both reins more inwards; and, if necessary, put back also, and approach his inward leg to the horse; and if the horse throws out his croup too far, the rider must bring both reins outwards, and if absolutely necessary, he must also make use of his outward leg, in order to replace the horse properly; observing that the croup should always be considerably behind the shoulders, which in all actions must go first; and the moment that the horse obeys, the rider must put his hand and leg again into their usual position.

Nothing is more ungraceful in itself, more detrimental to a man's seat, or more destructive of the sensibility of a horse's sides, than a continual wriggling unsettledness in a horseman's legs, which prevents the horse from ever going a moment together true, steady, or determined.

A horse should never be turned, without first moving a step forwards; and when it is doing, the rider must not lift up his elbow, and displace himself; a motion only of the hand from the one side to the other being sufficient for that purpose. It must also be a constant rule never to suffer a horse to be stopped, mounted or dismounted, but when he is well placed. The slower the motions are, when a man or horse is taught anything, the better.

At first, the figures worked upon must be great, and afterwards made less by degrees, according to the improvement which the man and horse make; and the cadenced pace also, which they work in, must be accordingly augmented. The changes from one side to the other, must be in a bold determined trot, and at first quite straight forwards, without demanding any side motion on two paces, which is very necessary to require afterwards, when the horse is sufficiently suppled. By two paces is meant, when the fore-parts and hinder-parts do not follow, but describe two different lines.

In the beginning, a longe is useful on circles, and also on straight lines, to help both the rider and the horse; but afterwards, when they are grown more intelligent, they should go alone. At the end of the lesson, rein back; and then put the horse, by a little at a time, forwards, by approaching both legs gently to his sides, and playing with the bridle: if he rears, push him out immediately into a full trot. Shaking the cavesson on the horse's nose, and also putting one's self before him and rather near to him, will generally make him back, though he otherwise refuse to do it: and moreover a flight use and approaching of the rider's legs, will sometimes be necessary in backing, in order to prevent the horse from doing it too much upon his shoulders; but the pressure of the legs ought to be very small, and taken quite away the moment that he puts himself enough upon his haunches. If the horse does not back upon a straight line properly, the rider must not be permitted to have recourse immediately to his leg, and so distort himself by it, but first try, if crossing over his hand and reins to which ever side may be necessary, will not be alone sufficient; which most frequently it will; if not, then employ the leg.

After a horse is well prepared and settled, and goes freely on in all his several paces, he ought to be in all his works kept, to a proper degree, upon his haunches, with his hinder legs well placed under him; whereby he will be always pleasant to himself and his rider, will be light in hand, and ready to execute whatever may be demanded of him, with facility, vigour, and quickness.

The common method that is used, of forcing a horse sideways, is a most glaring absurdity, and very hurtful to the animal in its consequences; for instead of suppling him, it obliges him to stiffen and defend himself, and often makes a creature, that is naturally benevolent, restless, frightened and vicious.

For horses, who have very long and high fore-hands, and who poke out their noses, a running snaffle is of excellent use; but for such as bore and keep their heads low, a common one is preferable; though any horse's head indeed may be kept up also with a running one, by the rider's keeping his hands very high and forwards: but whenever either is used alone without a bridle upon horses that carry their heads low and that bore, it must be sawed about from one side to the other.

This lesson of the epaule en dedans, should be taught to such peoples as are likely to become useful in helping to teach men and to break horses; and the more of such that can be found, the better: none others should ever be suffered upon any occasion to let their horses look any way besides the way they are going. But all horses whatever, as likewise all men, who are designed for the teaching others, must go thoroughly and perfectly through this excellent lesson, under the directions of intelligent instructors, and often practise it too afterwards, and when that is done, proceed to, and be finished by the lessons of the head and tail to the wall.

Of the head to the wall, and of the croup to the wall.

This lesson should be practised immediately after that of the epaule en dedans, in order to place the horse properly the way he goes, &c. The difference between the head to the wall, and the croup to the wall, consists in this: in the former, the fore parts are more remote from the centre, and go over more ground; in the latter, the hinder-parts are more remote from the center, and consequently,