Riding and Driving

CHAPTER V

THE SADDLE—THE BRIDLE—HOW TO MOUNT

The English or flat saddle, is the only one fit for sport or pleasure. It gives no trouble in mounting or dismounting, it is the only form which permits every man to obtain the true seat, and it is far and away the most comfortable tree when a horse falls with its rider. It is used by civilians throughout the civilized world, and by military men in their sports and whenever its use by them is permissible. Indeed, the nearer the requirements of the military saddle allow it to approach the English saddle, the better.

The tree of the saddle should have a cut-back pommel to prevent the withers of the horse from being chafed. The side-bars should take an even bearing upon each side of the horse's back, a channel in the panel being made to keep the saddle clear of the spine. The throat of the tree should not be narrow enough to pinch the horse; if too broad, it will not be stable. The tree being suitable in other respects, it will be very easy to bend the lower points until they embrace the shoulders snugly, and to have a well-fitted saddle.

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The stirrups should be of tempered steel, of large size and not too light, with the tread at least an inch in breadth. When the panel, or under stuffing of the saddle, has been found to be right, care should be taken to preserve it, as it is very difficult to find a saddler who will replace it exactly. A cloth of felt or a piece of thin leather under the saddle will preserve the panel for many years. In places where I have found it impossible to have the panel satisfactorily fitted, I have removed it altogether, and girthed the saddle over thick felt numnah, a proceeding which answered perfectly. Saddle-galls are always due either to an ill-fitting tree or an ill-fitting rider; they are preventable, they should not exist.

The saddle having been found to suit the horse, the rider may consider his own comfort and convenience. It is always better, where skilful workmen can be found, to buy the tree of the right length and have the saddle finished to suit horse and rider. The web foundation of the seat can readily be arranged, before the pigskin is put on, so that the dip will suit the conformation of the man. The dip, or lowest point of the seat, should be slight. If too far to the rear, it will give the man a sensation of falling back; if too far to the front, it will throw his body forward. When, sitting upon his buttocks, he finds that he maintains a perfectly erect seat without restraint, it is just right. Where saddlers do not know their trade, it only remains to try finished saddles until the horse and the man are suited.

The whip should be a light, straight, flexible contrivance, with no more of a lash than a silken tip. The use of the crop, except in the hunting-field, is an absurdity. Fashion dictates that the whip should be held nearly straight in the right hand and pointing across the withers of the horse; but Fashion is not a horseman. As the whip should give strokes upon the forehand of the horse only under exceptional circumstances, common sense dictates that the instrument should be held point down, so that it may be applied with facility against the side of the horse just back of the girths—the proper place for its effects to produce increased impulses from the croup. With a woman the riding rod takes the place of the right leg of the horseman, and it is impossible to use it in that manner if it is held across the shoulders of the horse.

There are but two bridle bits for riding purposes. The first and most useful is the snaffle, a smooth, round mouthpiece, jointed in the middle, with rings, and, where it is employed alone, with cheek-pieces also on the ends. The snaffle is the bit for the beginner, because he can do little harm with it; and it is the bit for the accomplished horseman, because in his hands it has a great range of effects.

The curb-bit should never be used without the snaffle, as there are often occasions when the powers of the curb-bit alone are ineffectual, and the snaffle must go to its assistance. The mouthpiece of the curb-bit is rigid, with a raised middle, or "port," to give ease to the tongue of the horse and to let the mouthpiece come down upon the bars of the animal's lower jaw. Upon each end of the mouthpiece is an arm, the upper branch of which has a fixed ring for the cheek-piece of the bridle, the lower branch having a loose ring to receive the rein. The lower branch of this arm, measuring from the middle of the mouthpiece to the middle of the lower ring, should be 3½ inches in length. The upper branch, measuring from the middle of the mouthpiece to the highest part of the ring, into which the headstall is buckled, should be 1¾ inches in length, the assumed depth of the lower jaw of the horse. These measurements are as nearly exact as may be, to get the effects of a lever of the second class upon such a yielding and changeable thing as the head of the horse, the animal being, say, 15½ hands high, of normal form. Upon the ring of the upper branches metal hooks are fastened, and to these the curb-chain is attached. When the curb-chain, its links twisted until the chain is flat, fits properly in the chin groove of the horse, directly opposite to the cannons of the bit, that point becomes the fulcrum of the lever, and the power being applied through the reins to the long branches, the effects are applied to the bars of the lower jaw. The width of the mouthpiece will depend upon that of the animal's jaw; it should not be so narrow as to pinch the muzzle between the branches, nor so wide as to have an annoying play.

To place the double bridle upon the horse, the groom should approach the animal on the near side, his left arm carrying the bridle by the head-piece and reins. Then, the stall halter having been removed, he will pass the reins over the head of the horse until they rest upon the neck near the withers; taking the bridle in the right hand by the head-piece, so that the nose of the horse goes between the cheek-pieces, he will raise the bridle until the bits are about to touch the animal's lips; then, opening its mouth with the thumb of the left hand, he will gently insert the bits and slip the head-piece over the poll of the horse and see that the ears are free, finally fastening the throat-lash loosely.

The bridle should be so fitted that the snaffle lies snugly up in the corners of the horse's mouth without pressing against the lips. The curb-bit, lower in the mouth, should rest upon the bare bars just above the tusks of the horse or the place where they are usually found in the male. The curb-chain should not be fastened until the rider is about to mount, and a horse should never be led while the curb-chain is hooked on both sides.

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In hooking up the curb-chain it should first be seen that on the far side it is outside of the snaffle; then it should be twisted until it is quite flat and hooked up on the near side outside of the snaffle, at just such a length as to lie smoothly in the chin groove. To test the accuracy of this the curb-reins should be seized under the jaw of the horse and drawn toward its chest. If the bit stands stiffly, the chain is too tight. If the branches of the curb-bit come back in a line with the reins or anywhere near it, the chain is too loose. The chain will be found to be of the right length when, maintaining its place in the chin groove, a slight tension upon the reins gives such a pressure upon the jaw of the horse. If the curb-chain be not brought from one hook to the other on the outside of the snaffle, it will interfere with the action of both bits and will pinch the lips of the horse. On more than half of the saddle-horses I look at, this important rule is not observed.

It is the usual and better custom to have the horse turn in its stall when the halter is taken off, and to bridle it as it stands with tail to the manger. Then the horse is led to the gangway and the saddle put on; if the saddling has not been done some half-hour previously, as is to be recommended.

In saddling the horse the first care is to see that the panel is perfectly clean and dry, then that the hairs on the back of the horse lie smoothly; the saddle, with the girths and stirrup leathers crossed over the seat, should be lifted gently on to the back of the horse, and put exactly in the saddle-place, which is as far forward as it will remain fixed and yet clear the withers and give the shoulders free play.

Unless a rider is accustomed to mounting, and that in some settled manner, it is often a very awkward performance. Provided he does not pull at the cantle and so bring the saddle awry to gall the horse, it does not matter greatly how he gets safely on the back of the horse. He may, standing on the near side of the horse, either take the reins in his right hand and with it clasp the pommel of the saddle, insert his left foot in the stirrup, spring from the ball of the right foot, and, seizing a lock of the mane, steady himself until he carries his right leg over the croup and so sink into the saddle; or, facing to the rear, he may take the reins in his left hand and with it seize a lock of the mane, then, inserting his left foot in the stirrup, spring from the right foot, and as he rises take hold of the pommel of the saddle, carry his right leg over the back of the horse, and when he has found his seat transfer the reins to his right hand. By the former manner he will have the advantage of being able to control the horse, in case it goes forward, as the right hand, holding the reins, may readily be freed from the pommel. The latter mode is, perhaps, less difficult, especially with a tall horse. If the animal is restless, the rider may have "a leg up," as the jockeys do, by taking grasps of the mane and pommel and having an attendant seize his left leg above the ankle and aid him in rising to the position from which he may carry his right leg over.

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In dismounting with the stirrup, the rider should first release his right foot; then, transferring the reins to his right hand, he should with it seize the pommel and with his left hand take a lock of the mane; then, taking his weight upon his left foot, supported by his hands, he should carry his right leg over the croup, face the horse, and come gently to the ground on his right foot, finally releasing his left foot and his holds upon mane and pommel, the reins being retained, to control the horse.

Any man of ordinary activity should be able to vault into the saddle without the aid of the stirrup or the assistance of a groom, whether the horse be standing or moving, even in the gallop. Indeed, by taking advantage of the movements of the animal, a man may more readily vault into the saddle of a horse that is not at rest than when it is standing quietly, provided that he can get at the near shoulder of the horse and secure his clasps upon the mane and the pommel. That is, if he can get the proper holds, from the right position, no horse can prevent his gaining his seat.

To vault into the saddle, the man should stand facing the near shoulder of the horse. In the left hand he should take a lock of the mane, halfway between the ears and the withers, and, with the right hand resting on the front of the saddle, he should grasp the throat of the pommel, thumb under, fingers pointing to the ground over the right side of the horse. Then, springing from the balls of both feet, he should take his weight upon his extended arms and, carrying his right leg over the croup of the horse, sink into his seat. Should the horse be plunging or moving, the man will mark the time of some forward impulse, and springing with it reach the saddle without making the exact position on the extended arms; in other words, he will throw himself upon the horse as it pulls him forward. Always in mounting, by this or by any other method, except that secondly described, the reins should be taken in the right hand and held by pressure against the pommel, so that in case of failure the rider will be able to control his horse; when his seat is secured, the rider will pass the reins into the bridle-hand.

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To dismount without stirrups, the rider should transfer the reins to his right hand, take the holds on mane and pommel as in mounting, lean far forward, and, taking his weight upon his flexed arms, carry his right leg back over the croup to the near side, and drop gently to the ground.

In dismounting from a moving horse—and this can readily be done even at a moderate gallop—the rider should be ready to take a few steps in the direction of progress as he reaches the ground, in order that he may maintain his equilibrium.

CHAPTER VI

THE SEAT—GENERAL HORSEMANSHIP

The most important thing in horsemanship is the acquirement of a stable seat, for without it not only is the rider insecure, but it is impossible that the hand should act with lightness and precision if his seat is so feeble that under any circumstances he should depend upon the reins for maintaining his position on the horse.

Whether it be for pleasure, sport, or war, a man has one seat that is the best possible. This is readily obtained, even upon mounting the horse for the first time; but to keep it exactly under the more or less vigorous movements of the horse requires long practice and a suppleness of the body in every part, that comes from carefully followed exercises in the saddle.

The seat about to be described was that of the earliest riders, represented by Pheidias, described by Xenophon, employed by the Bedouins and other Eastern horsemen, when no cumbrous trees with a dip of varying parts of a circle interfered with a position that was safe, natural, and rational,—the seat in use before those saddles which held the rider between high pommels and high cantles demanding a standing posture in the stirrups that prohibited the grasp of the knees and thighs and the pliancy of the body which gives friction and balance to the mounted man.

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I may say here that the saddletree was not used until the Romans introduced it sometime in the fourth century, and the stirrup followed in the seventh century, first as an aid in mounting and finally as a support. The Greeks and their ancestors and the horsemen of the Euphrates Valley rode upon cloths and skins, without stirrups and without trees. The first mention of the horse that we find upon the monuments is supposed to date about 3800 years before our era. The first representation of the horse is upon a little wooden disk now in the British Museum, in which two horses attached to a chariot by harnesses that closely resemble those now in use are shown; and this work is ascribed to Aahmes I. (about 1700 b.c.) and suggests that the animal was introduced into Egypt by the Hyksos (possibly Bedouins), as they had possession of the country previously. I cannot find any representations of mounted men earlier than the sculptures upon the Assyrian monuments, attributed to the middle of the seventh century b.c. It would seem from the inscriptions and from historical writings that, both in war and in the chase, the horse was in very early times first and most frequently used in harness; and there can be no doubt that in ancient days chariots were employed in charging bodies of the enemy just as modern cavalry are used. The residents of mountainous countries, I venture to say, were the first to use cavalry. Wherever the ancient rider is shown upon the monuments, before the introduction of the saddletree, he has exactly the seat of the modern, the only possible seat upon a flat or treeless saddle.

The variations which appear in the seats of modern horsemen are observable in the positions of the lower parts of the leg from the knee down, and such may be passed over as negligible quantities, for the principles are everywhere observed; and while it is doubtless better that there should be no deviations from the canons of the art in any particular, circumstances sometimes demand trifling changes, as when the soldier's kit requires the lower parts of his legs to be carried unduly to the rear of the perpendicular, or when the cross-country rider drives his feet home, to secure the irons, and so obtains rigid, insensible bearing instead of the lively, springy contact of the balls of the toes. It is like walking on the heels. For the best results, that pressure only should be given to the tread of the stirrup that will hold the iron with an elastic touch; any undue weight will force the seat, as can plainly be understood. This forcing of the seat is usually avoided by the rider carrying his feet to the rear when the horse springs in jumping, and then he depends upon his true seat without the aid of the stirrups; where this is not done, the rider does not stick very closely to his saddle, as many of the photographs of leaping horses show. I do not say that it is not necessary on occasion to ride with the feet home, but I do say, that it gives a stiff seat, and that it should only be followed when the necessity arises; certainly not for pleasure riding, where that mode, as well as the crop, are unsuitable.

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On page 200 of that admirable work, "Horses, Saddles, and Bridles," General Carter gives a photographic illustration of the American military seat, which is an absolutely perfect representation of the seat about to be described. The photographs of the best riders of the various countries reproduced here exhibit the same type; and it will be observed that where the most violent exertions of the horse are to be expected the saddle is of the English form, for in it the friction and balance which insure firmness are found in the highest degree.

The flat race jockey is a striking exception to what has been said of horsemen's seats, and the ridiculous and tottering pose he assumes is to throw as much of the weight as possible on the shoulder of the sprinter, in order that the drivers of the hind quarters may have free play. But when the Jock comes to steeplechasing, he lengthens his stirrup leather and rides like a man.

The man may find his own best seat in the following manner: mounting the horse, he should sit down in the saddle, taking his weight upon his buttocks, while he holds his body erect, the shoulders held back squarely, his chin slightly withdrawn, while his arms hang down loosely. He should then, without disturbance in any other part of his body, raise his legs upward and inward until the points of his knees meet above the crest of the horse. From this position he will drop his legs slowly until the inner sides of his thighs and the flat inner surfaces of his bent knees take every possible point of contact with the saddle, the lower parts of the legs hanging without stiffness. There can be no question with regard to the height and position of the knees. Should they be too high, the upper surfaces of the thigh will have contact with the saddle; should they be too low, the under surfaces of the thigh will find the saddle, when the points of the knees take this hold. The jockey seat is the extreme type of the first-named condition, the armor-clad knight an extreme type of the latter. The length of the stirrup leathers will be right when the tread of the iron strikes the heels. When the rider's feet are inserted in the stirrups, it will be found that without effort they are parallel with the sides of the horse, and very slightly in rear of the perpendicular. From this erect position upon his buttocks, together with the grasp of the knees and thighs, the rider has the strongest and best possible seat that can be obtained through weight, balance, and friction; and from it the upper part of the body may, without affecting his stability, be bent forward or back, or swayed from side to side, as circumstances may require, while the lower parts of his legs are free to apply the calf or the heel with rapidity and precision to the sides of the horse. How much of this bending or this swaying of the body may sometimes be required is exhibited by the photograph of the Italian cavalry officer who rides down the face of a cliff, or by that of the rider who makes a wheel, or pirouette volte, at a rapid pace. From this seat the soldier may rise high enough to give force to the blow of his sabre; the hunter may send his feet home in the irons without lengthening the leathers, and every horseman will have the greatest security in the saddle that his skill in riding makes possible.

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There must be no rigidity; from that elastic touch of the ball of the foot, throughout his whole body, the man must be supple and unconstrained. Stiffness in any part will destroy the essential harmony, and prohibit grace and ease.

Dancing and calisthenics go far in producing that suppleness, facility, and agility so necessary for excellence in horsemanship, and gymnastic exercises upon the back of the horse are of great assistance in acquiring balance and firmness of grip. Some of these more important mounted exercises are now given, and others will occur to the man who cares to take the trouble to ride well. I may say here that I know men who have been riding from twenty to thirty years and through carelessness and want of instruction are but little better horsemen than mere beginners.

A very quiet horse should be saddled and bridled and taken to some retired place, if it be a bit of soft ground there would be no harm, or be brought into the riding-house where there are no other horses except those being used for a like purpose.

The man will then mount and take the position of "the seat without stirrups," his arms hanging down loosely. He should then, without disturbing the position of the seat, and without struggling, bend forward until one or the other shoulder touches the crest of the horse, regaining the erect position slowly and gently. He should in a like manner lean backward, until his shoulders rest upon the croup of the horse, and then rise as before.

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The rider will then lose his seat, to the right or to the left, as far as he may without falling, and regain the saddle by a twist of the body and buttocks and grasp of the thighs, without taking any assistance from his hands. This exercise is valuable in giving the rider the power of regaining his seat, should it be by chance disturbed, without pulling on the mouth of the horse.

From the seat before described, the rider will carry his right leg over the crest of the horse, then he should turn to the left so that both legs are hanging on the near side of the horse, then carry the left leg over the croup of the horse, which brings his face to the rear, then carry over the right leg to the far side of the horse, and finally resume the seat by carrying his left leg over the crest of the animal. In a similar manner the turn should be made to the right, and in neither case may aid be sought from the hands.

None of these exercises are difficult; after more than fifty years' work in the saddle I do them with ease, and a boy or a young man should find themselves perfect after a few trials. Beginners should practise them daily, and no horseman who hopes to keep up his suppleness in the saddle should neglect them for any length of time as long as he rides. It is not necessary to be a contortionist, nor will it answer to be an ossified freak.

I dare not say how old a man may be and yet retain all of those powers which make him a skilful horseman. I know many riders who are well up in the "sixties," who do not appear to have lost any of their adroitness. That master of the art, De Bussigny, is no longer very young, although no one would believe the fact on seeing him on a horse. I saw James Newsome riding and training when he was far past seventy. I remember being present when that gallant gentleman, Count Taubenheim, equerry to the late king of Würtemberg, already past ninety years of age, rode in a quadrille before the present emperor of Germany and gained deserved applause for his admirable performance.

We have inherited from the English many undesirable prejudices, among them the belief that no "foreigner" can sit a horse. In every country of continental Europe the majority of men who are accustomed to ride are thorough horsemen, some of them of the highest distinction, because upon the continent riding is looked upon and practised as an art which requires application. The English breed the best horses in the world, they manage those in harness marvellously well, and there are no bolder or more determined horsemen; but it must be acknowledged that there are riders in Italy, Germany, France, and Austria who equal them in boldness and determination and surpass the best of them in dexterity and knowledge of the art. The literature of the various countries bears out what has been written above, for until very recently the English works on horsemanship were crude beyond belief, and any improvement that has taken place is due to the influence of foreign authors.

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In America there has been, until very recently, but little interest in horsemanship except in some of the Southern states, and among soldiers and the few devoted to polo and hunting; but the horse shows, now so general throughout the country, have excited great interest in the horse; the riding-schools offer intelligent instruction, and between them there will be fostered, let us hope, a taste and inclination for good horses and riding. This subject will be treated at greater length in the following chapter.

The German foot-soldier is very stiff in his movements, at least on parade, and there is a certain stiffness about the trooper that detracts from his appearance in the eyes of the critic, but his seat is firm, and he handles his horse with precision. His officer is usually a very fine horseman, riding boldly and easily and with a knowledge of the niceties of the art. Steeplechasing and racing are practised largely throughout the German Empire; they are encouraged by the authorities and are participated in by nearly all of the younger army men. Every one who has there witnessed these sports has seen some magnificent examples of ready and skilful horsemanship. I must confess to sharing the favorable opinion of the late emperor regarding the German lieutenant. How he finds time with such conscientious devotion to his manifold duties to make his frequent and splendid appearances in public is marvellous. He is, perhaps, a little haughty with strangers, and undoubtedly more than a little arrogant with civilians, failings due to his education, but he is devoted to his profession, a high-minded gentleman, and brave cavalier. No cavalry ever made a better record than did that of Germany in the last war with France.

In France, from a very early period, a widespread interest was taken in systematic horsemanship that has not abated, and both the military and civil life furnish many excellent horsemen. In the Bois, in the exhibitions on the Champs-Élysées, at the races and steeplechases about Paris, and elsewhere, one may see good riding under the most favorable circumstances. The troopers of the French army are less rigid in their saddles than are the Germans, and they move with a rapidity and precision that must make them a formidable force in the attack. The French are now disposed to disavow their obligations to Baucher, but the fact is that all that is good in their systems was invented or formulated by that master, although they did not follow him through the useless refinements of his later years, and all modern methods, military or civil, are founded upon Baucher's method. No country has furnished such instructors in the art of horsemanship as did France in Pluvinel, La Broue, Sollisel, Guerinière, Baucher, Raabe, and D'Aure, or the equal of any one of them.

While the average rider of Italy may not surpass his brethren of other countries, the Italian army of to-day furnishes the most daring and the most skilful horsemen in Europe. Much of this excellence is due to the instruction and exercises of the military riding-school in Rome, and the admiration which the feats of these officers have gained, has aroused the emulation of those in the other provinces of the empire, and, it may be said, great interest among horsemen throughout the world.

In considering the horsemanship of continental Europe, where nearly everybody who rides is, or has been, in the army, one's mind naturally turns to the military; but this is not so of England where the majority is with the civilians, and there we look upon the hunting-field, the steeplechase course, the polo grounds, or the pleasant Row.

The British horseman is a sportsman, and a good sportsman, for, although he does not often have to submit to defeat, he takes it like a man and is ready with equal mind for another trial. His insular prepossessions have awakened so much animosity in the minds of other nations that they find it hard to be just to him; and after all these years of reciprocities he is about as greatly misunderstood by European nations as they are by him. As a consequence, he jeers and sneers at all foreigners, and they deny that he is a fair-minded sportsman or a good horseman. I am speaking now of the general public who form, or at least express, national opinions, for it is known that there is often good feeling between those members of the various nations who meet on the same social plane.

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An English sportsman, at his best, is a bold, strong, determined rider, and this can be said of a greater proportion of British horsemen than of those of any other country; but he despises all refinements, and many things which upon the continent are considered essentials; he looks upon circus tricks as beneath his notice; the consequence is that he falls behind in a field in which he should be first. His primary object in riding is to get across a difficult country, and do it quickly, and he succeeds; he is encouraged by his favorite authors, who know nothing beyond this, to believe that nothing remains. I think that the observer who has seen the sportsman ride will be disappointed with the horsemanship of British troopers; he will, I think, see that the officers, as a rule, ride well and gracefully, but that the men do not ride as skilfully as they should, their instruction being turned over to riding-masters who follow primitive regulations. However, there can be no doubt that the British soldier will always maintain that high reputation for valor which even his enemies grant.

CHAPTER VII

AMERICAN HORSEMANSHIP—OUR CAVALRY

I have said that in this country until very recent years comparatively little interest was taken in riding except in some of the Southern states and in the army. This was not because aptitude for the exercise was confined to certain districts, for the hunt, polo, and riding clubs, and the horse shows, now so general throughout the continent, are proving that everywhere our countrymen have the ability to make good horsemen. In the East there is, for example, Mr. Foxhall Keene, who has a world-wide fame as a thorough sportsman and a splendid rider; and although he has perhaps no superior among these there are in New York and Massachusetts riders of the very first force.

When the subject of riding is broached, our minds naturally turn to Kentucky.

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From a long line of good horsemen the Kentuckian inherits a love for the animal and a talent for riding, and from childhood he is accustomed to the saddle. His work in breeding and in training has placed his country under a debt of gratitude. Those who are well capable of judging say that the sight of General Castleman upon a charger of his own breeding is something to remember. Mr. Charles Railey is unrivalled in showing the graceful movements of a well-balanced saddle-horse, and all of his family are skilled in the art of riding. These names are mentioned because they are so widely known, but there is no part of the state in which one may not see that the words "Kentuckian" and "horseman" are synonymous. The writer has no intention of slighting Virginia, Missouri, and Illinois, the first-named the cradle of horsemanship in this country, the latter two rapidly taking prominent places in the breeding and in the training of the riding-horse, but the limits of this work prevent full justice being done to all.

I have nothing but admiration for the skill and daring of the riders of the Western plains, but their bits, their saddles, and, I may say, their horses are unsuited to the uses we are considering, and we can give them only our applause.

Colonel Cody, who was a "pony express rider" before the days of the transcontinental railway, was a bold and tireless horseman. On one occasion, his reliefs having been killed or driven off by Indians, he went three hundred and twenty-two miles in thirty-two hours of continuous riding. He is still a strong and graceful horseman, having adopted the military seat, and is one of the best known and most picturesque figures of our day.

The mention of Indians reminds me that they are the real American horsemen. My acquaintance with the red man is mostly of rather a vicarious character, somewhat similar to Mark Twain's pedestrian excursions. My grandfather, Lieutenant-colonel Richard Clough Anderson, 6th Virginia Continental Line, went to the Falls of the Ohio, now Louisville, Kentucky, in the year 1784, and was one of that band of pioneers who upheld and advanced the border. Since then there has been little or no time when some member of the family, or close friend, has not been in contact with the Indian. When the red man began to break and ride the wild horse, it would be difficult to say. The woodland and border savages used horses stolen from the whites, but Lewis and Clark found the Western tribes using the mustang, broncho, cayuse, or whatever the title of the free horse may be, as early as 1804. Excepting the Comanches and some of the Sioux, the Indians, I am told, were neither very bold nor very skilful riders, although they managed their horses with sufficient dexterity to make them dangerous enemies, but they had no mercy upon their beasts and no sentimental regard for them.

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The story of the United States cavalry explains, in brief, the remarkable efficiency it has maintained in spite of the disadvantages with which it has been burdened—single bridles, short service, and changeable riding instructions. Up to 1861 the corps consisted of but five regiments, commanded by the most select body of officers in any service, gentlemen who had passed through the best military college in the world, or who were especially fitted for the duty to which they were assigned. Between the Civil War and the recent war with Spain five more regiments were added, which were soon assimilated through tradition and example, and the still small body of mounted men kept and augmented, during a most trying period of great battles and severe Indian campaigns, its splendid reputation. In 1891 five more regiments were added, and these were readily taken up by the ten existing organizations, now forming a fair force which is a credit to our army, and which should be changed only by graduated increase, say with one or two regiments armed with that unwieldy, but fear-provoking, weapon, the lance.

Before undertaking the present chapter I went to Fort Riley, Kansas, to visit the School of Application for mounted service, to gain information regarding our cavalry, and to obtain photographs for the illustration of this book.

Unfortunately, the weather proved so bad that I could take advantage of but few of the opportunities for using my camera, so kindly offered me by Colonel Steevers, the commandant; but in the short, infrequent periods of good light I procured the pictures which adorn these pages, and otherwise I saw much that was of great interest.

The school of equitation, to which branch I gave my attention chiefly, is under the direction of Captain W. C. Short, a splendid horseman, and both his scholars and the senior officers spoke in the highest praise of the good results which had followed his instruction. When a regular, simple, but complete method of horsemanship becomes general throughout the mounted service, a cavalryman may be made efficient in less than half the time required by less finished systems which may be varied with each change in the company commander.

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I saw a few of the graduates from the school of equitation in such movements as a cavalryman might be called upon to make, pirouettes, side movements, etc., and also in jumping. The riding was excellent, and the horses showed far better training than is usually found in officers' chargers. While at the fort, it so happened that I saw but two troops mounted. One morning Captain Rutherford's troop, of the Fourth Cavalry, passed me in going out to target practice, and I was greatly pleased with the appearance of the men, as they bore themselves with easy, graceful, but strong seats, the stirrup leathers two or three holes shorter than in former days, and just right to my way of thinking, while the neat service uniform was a wonderful improvement over the old blue blouse and baggy trousers,—as old Pepys would have said, "a pretty sight." Later in the day I saw a quick drill, trot and gallop, of Troop K, Eighth Cavalry, under Lieutenant George Williams. I was told that, owing to the interruptions incident to target practice, the men and horses were not in the best condition for this work; but there was no occasion for adverse criticism, and the performance compared most favorably with similar movements I had witnessed with "crack" companies of European cavalry. On another occasion some of the men of Troop L, Eighth Cavalry, under the direction of Lieutenant Duncan Elliott, gave an exhibition of daring horsemanship. "Roman standing races" upon two horses, vaulting upon and over two and three galloping horses, standing upon the bare back of a horse while leaping the bar, and, finally, the riding of horses which "bucked" violently, were features of this entertainment, which was concluded without an error or an awkward motion. Visits to the farriery, to the school for veterinary studies, to the pack-train, and to the targets filled in the time pleasantly and profitably. On the whole, one must be a very unobservant, unappreciative visitor who would not be impressed with the great value of the School of Application, not only in the branch upon which I have touched, but in everything relating to the mounted service.

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CHAPTER VIII

HOW TO RIDE—THE SNAFFLE-BRIDLE—THE WALK AND THE TROT—SHYING—THE CUNNING OF THE HORSE—SULKING—REARING—DEFEATING THE HORSE

Among my earliest recollections are those of a Shetlander, "Billy Button," upon which I used to disport myself on the gravel footwalk in front of our house. My children, also, have been accustomed to horses from infancy. These youthful experiences are doubtless useful in teaching confidence and, what is of equal importance, discretion. If he is not in terror of all such animals, it is the inexperienced person who exhibits too much boldness and places himself unnecessarily at the heels of a horse or overrates his powers of control. But a boy will never learn to ride upon a diminutive pony or upon any dull, slow-moving horse; from them he does not get the seat that quick motions quickly give, and his hand will be spoiled by the hard mouth or the "no mouth" of a sluggish beast.

Eight or ten years of age is as early as children should receive orderly lessons in horsemanship. It is useless to give instructions before the child is old enough to understand them or strong enough to carry them out. Indeed, I think that most riding masters would prefer taking an active boy of sixteen or eighteen years of age who had never been on a horse in place of one much younger who had been riding at his own sweet will. Aside from want of vigor, the latter would almost certainly have faults difficult to correct.

I advocate the use of the Shetland or other small pony as an amusing and valuable toy for very young children; but when they are old enough to receive instruction in riding, the pony should be devoted to harness, where he is really useful and often ornamental, and something larger should be procured for the rider.

A retired polo pony, or some quick but steady animal of that type, is an admirable successor to the Shetland for a child's riding. When I was a boy we used to get ponies from the Indian country, I think they were called Cherokees, that were simply perfection—pretty, nimble, and free from all vices. Mounted upon them, a number of boys would together scamper over the hills, avoiding the monotony of the roads, to try conclusions in speed, in jumping logs, low fences, and such obstacles, and in other exploits that gave firm seats and confidence. Then, sometime in the late '50's, Henri Franconi opened a riding-school and initiated us in the manège, and we began to break and train horses.

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Girls should occasionally be placed upon a cross-saddle until they reach the age of ten or twelve years, so that they may learn the employment of the aids; but there is no more ungraceful position that a grown woman can take than to mount a horse astride; she has a far firmer seat in the side-saddle, and when she is a good rider never shows to greater advantage.

Any man may learn to ride with safety and comfort at any age as long as he has the necessary activity; and there are many men of forty, or even of fifty, who would be able to ward off old age for a long time, and have a pleasurable, wholesome exercise, by riding horses that do not require too much skill in their management.

For one to excel in horsemanship, certain physical qualifications and a rare gift, aptitude for the art, are required. I have often heard William Fritz of Stuttgart say at an early lesson, "That boy will never make a rider," or, less frequently, "Ah! here we have a good one;" for that experienced teacher soon recognized the possession of the necessary adroitness or the want of it.

But even where one has every natural advantage, he will never become a horseman without some instruction in the general principles of the art. These have been formulated, after centuries of experiment, and it is impossible that any one should acquire a useful knowledge of them by his unaided endeavors. The worst rider who ever mounted a horse imitated other, and of course better, horsemen when he essayed to get outside of the animal; but he doubtless thought that he was his own instructor, and it is the man of such reasoning powers who refuses to learn. We know that in the history of the world there was but one "natural rider," the brother of the first oyster-eater, who in the dawn of the quaternary period rode his family dinner, a broken-down, prehistoric horse, to his cave home. Since that event riding has been an art handed down by tradition and imitation.

The aptitude of which I speak is indicated by suppleness of the body, deftness of hands and legs, and the faculty of obtaining an understanding with the horse. Rigidity in any part will prevent one becoming a good horseman. The aids (hands and heels) must be applied with celerity and precision, and the rider must feel what the horse is doing and what it purposes to do. All of these things demand long and carefully conducted practice, but their full acquirement is denied to most men; otherwise we would have more such masters as De Bussigny.

From long practice in applying the aids the thorough horseman can use hands and legs without conscious thought, and he would often find it difficult to say offhand what he had done under certain conditions. His movements become as impulsive as those of the skilled pianist, who methodically touches thousands of keys with such marvellous rapidity that it seems impossible that his mind can even follow his fingers.

The trained horse under the trained rider moves at the master's will; the two are one, it is the centaur. The intent is one with the action, there is no time for consideration, thought has been expended in early practice and has produced those instinctive motions of the man which are always right and always instantly obeyed instinctively.

From the first, it should be known that riding is the production by the rider's heels of impulses which are met, governed, and directed by his hand. Therefore the secret of success in horsemanship is that the spur must always precede the hand, whether it be to advance, to turn, or to go backward. If the hand is not given impulses, it is powerless, and the horse is not under control. Whenever the word "spur" is used, it indicates such effect of the leg aid as the condition requires, whether it be the pressure of the calf against the side of the horse, the tap of the heel, or the prick of the sharp rowel.

The beginner should use the simple snaffle-bridle, for it has a much wider range of effects than the curb-bit, and with it he can do less damage to the horse and to himself when he hangs on to the reins to aid his seat or uses more force than is requisite. The instructions contained in this chapter, I should say, are primarily intended for the behoof of the tyro, but they would not be superfluous for ninety-nine hundredths of those who fancy they can ride.

The general principles of horsemanship are so few and so simple that any one should readily master them; afterward it is a mere matter of practice and aptitude. It is a matter of surprise that so many men ride, and yet do not think it worth while to investigate the principles of the art which they think they follow.

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The rider, having taken his position upon the horse, as has been described, for the seat, he will take a snaffle-rein in each hand, the loose ends toward his thumbs and held by them, the reins passing through the breadth of his hands, which are held knuckles up, close together, to assist each other, and take a gentle feeling upon the mouth of the horse. He should then quietly close his legs against the sides of the horse and draw the reins until he has collected the forces of the animal, so that it will be able to go forward in a measured pace and not in the loose and disunited condition that would ensue were it driven on before it had been prepared. This collection will be evidenced by the alertness of the impulses and by the movements of its muscles, as the horse arranges the bearers to take each its share of the weight. To advance at a walk the rider will increase the pressure of his legs, or give a gentle tap of the whip behind the girth, until he produces the necessary impulses, which should be met by the hand in such a manner that the horse will proceed in an evenly cadenced walk. The movements of the horse are due to the changes of the centre of gravity produced by the impulses, and the legs make corresponding changes of position in order that they may support the mass as it passes over them in any direction. As the violence and rapidity of the changes of the centre of gravity increase, so does the speed and also the changes in the positions of the legs as they are required to give support. This is all very simple, and the rider should know at the start how the impulses he demands act, and how they may be governed.

The lowest form of collection of the forces in which the horse may move in a regularly cadenced pace, say in the walk, the moderate trot, and the hand-gallop (sometimes miscalled the canter), is the state which we call "in hand." When the horse hangs upon the bridle and shambles along, it is out of hand, and renewed exertion should be called for from the hind quarters, which should be met and measured by the bit. When the animal proceeds in free and even strides, its head fairly elevated, its face about perpendicular to the ground, and there is a light, elastic tension against the reins, it is "in hand," and between heels and hand should be kept so.

If a horse is "out of hand," it is not only careless in raising its feet, but the bearers are not moved rapidly enough for the preservation of the centre of gravity, and so the animal is very apt to stumble and fall. When in hand, a horse goes as safely as is possible for that particular horse, action and strength being considered.

What has been recommended above will not be accomplished perfectly when the rider mounts a horse for the first time. It is the goal for which he should strive, and when he has reached it, he has made good progress in the art.

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It is while riding at the walk that the rider may best obtain the seat and that ease and pliancy which is so greatly to be desired. It also gives him a better opportunity of practising the various applications of his hands and heels than would be practicable in more vigorous movements. A story is told of a certain master of the art, who, in reply to the question how long it would take for a man to acquire a good seat, replied, "Fifteen years at the walk." If the rider pays strict attention to every detail, maintains, with occasional guarded relaxations, his position, and studies the effects of his application of the aids, a liberal deduction might be made from the above estimate of the time required to acquire proficiency in the most important feature of horsemanship. It is true that a man should, and probably will, learn something nearly every time he mounts a horse, for "art is long," but an apt pupil should become a very good horseman, without confining himself to the walk, in two or three years, and be able to ride fairly in a much shorter time.

It is not to be understood that a proficient should never let his horse go out of hand, for occasionally it will be a relief to horse and man to be free from all constraint; but this liberty should never be given to a leg-weary animal or upon rough or slippery ground, or in descending steep slopes. The Italian riders, in taking their horses down precipitous hillsides, put the animals straight, the horses closely united.

In the walk the rider will proceed in straight lines, in circles and curves of varying diameters, and in turns to either hand. The pace should be even and regular, and the impulses from the croup kept up so that the horse will not become heavy in hand. The forehand will be kept light and the jaw pliant by light tensions upon the reins, with occasional vibrations made by a play of the fingers upon the reins. A very little practice will show what these vibrations should be.

In turning to the right the movement will be directed by the right rein, its effects measured and restrained by the left rein, while the outside or left leg of the rider will give an increased pressure against the side of the horse to keep the croup from swaying out. The whole body of the horse should conform to the arc of the path followed. In making short turns, the horse should first be collected a little more closely, and as soon as the animal enters upon the new direction it should be put straight and be ridden in exactly the same form as it had before the turn was made. The turn to the left will be made in the same manner,—the left rein, guarded in its effects by the right, demanding the turn, the right leg of the rider keeping the croup upon the path.

In bringing the horse to a halt from the walk, the rider should close his legs against the animal's sides, lean back slightly, and raise the bridle-hand. This will bring the horse to a stop in a finished manner, with its hind legs under the mass, ready to furnish impulses for further movements. The tension upon the reins should then be relaxed and the legs of the rider withdrawn.

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It is a rule, without exception, that when one rein or heel is applied, the other rein or heel must be prepared to guard its effects from being answered in too great a degree.

The walk is a pace of four beats, one foot being planted after another at regular intervals. If the right fore foot comes to the ground first, it is followed by the left hind foot, then the left fore foot is planted, and lastly the right hind foot. Then a new stride begins. In every stride the mass is borne by two legs or by three legs; just before a fore foot is planted, its diagonally disposed hind foot leaves the ground; at that moment the two legs bear the weight; when the fore foot is planted, three legs bear the weight. By stride we mean the movement that covers the ground from the time a certain foot comes to the ground until it is again planted. Through moment photography we have gained a knowledge, not only in every phase of the ordinary paces of the horse, but practically of every movement the animal is capable of making; and through the same medium I was able to explain, for the first time, the gallop changes, which very important movement was previously not understood, and was procured only by tentative experiments with each horse trained to make it.

When, the horse having been in the walk, the speed is increased, a different movement of the legs must take place to keep the bearers under the centre of gravity, and the diagonally disposed hind leg acts in unison with a fore leg, when we have a pace in which the horse springs from one pair of legs to the other, which gives the trot. In the trot we have a gait of two beats, as the horse takes the weight upon the right (or left) fore leg, and the left (or right) hind leg after each spring, going into the air as each pair of bearers leaves the ground.

The horse should be ridden in the trot in exactly the same manner as in the walk, except that in the turns the horse should be more closely united between hand and heels, particularly as the rate of speed is increased. As far as the rapidity of the movement will permit, the state of collection described as "in hand" should be observed. In trotting or in galloping at great speed a horse must extend itself too much to permit any such condition of its forces as that indicated; but if at sharp turns the flying horse is not somewhat brought together, so that it may have the bearers under the centre of gravity, as the mass leans inward, a fall will probably result, almost certainly if the horse be galloping with the outside legs taking the advanced strides.

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But the horse should not be put into the gallop until it has been drilled in the double bridle, and has been taught the various forms of collection which prepare it for that pace; and we shall hope that even the rapid trot will not be undertaken by the beginner until he is quite sure of himself at lower rates of speed, or he will acquire faults difficult to remedy. When an indifferent rider is in the habit of speeding a horse in the trot, he almost invariably takes his weight upon his spine, arches the body, holds his arms stiffly forward, loosens his knee contacts, and has about the same security in the saddle that a bag of meal laid upon it would have.

To reduce the speed in the trot or to bring the horse to a halt from that pace, the rider should close his legs against the sides of the horse, lean back slightly, and, raising the hand, increase the tension upon the reins until the animal answers his demands by reduced speed. Then the increased tension upon the reins is relieved, and the legs of the rider withdrawn from the horse, and the slower trot having been obtained, the halt may be made from it; in the latter case the animal should be first put into the walk, and then brought to a stop as before described.

Nearly every horse will shy if "a bit above himself" from want of work, and many horses, otherwise quiet, shy habitually at some favorite object, either flying paper, a high wagon, an automobile, or some such thing. If the head of the horse be turned away from that which offends it, the animal may not only be made to pass it, but it will not be nearly so apt to jump down an embankment or run into some other danger, in its efforts to avoid that which caused its fright or pretended fright.

Horses show much cunning in alarming a timid rider, and such an unfortunate is unmasked at once. Some horses will endeavor to rub a rider's knees against a wall, when they may readily be foiled by having the head drawn into the wall; others will misbehave on slippery pavement; others will refuse to go in desired directions. Indeed, their mischievous tricks are so various that it is impossible to name them. It is seldom that they even try these performances with a determined horseman, and I have heard trainers say of horses sent to them to be cured of vices, that they could find nothing wrong with the animals.

If a horse sulks and refuses to move, sticking out its nose stiffly and spreading its legs as if to brace itself against being forced forward, the rider should not resort to punishment, as it is probable that the animal would retaliate by violent misconduct. If the animal can be induced to move its croup to the right or left, the rigidity will disappear and the forward progress be obtained. I have known cases where the horse, under such a condition, has been made to go forward by being ridden into by another horseman.

A horse rears, either because there is too severe a pull upon the bit, or because it is in terror at something which faces it unexpectedly, or through an acquired vice. When a horse is about to rear through vice, it almost always "drops the bit" (that is, the rider finds there is suddenly no tension upon the reins), and then thrusts its head in air and tries to rise upon its hind legs. If the rider sends in one of the spurs before the horse is balanced upon its haunches, it will induce a movement of the hind legs which will bring the forehand down, and the horse should then be pushed forward. Often a horse which is not very keen about it will make two or three weak essays before it goes quite up, and just as it makes one of these little rises the prick of the spur is very effective in bringing the animal down and in a position that prevents rearing until it is again prepared, before which it should be driven along. But if the horse has already risen, the rider must loosen the reins and lean forward; and as soon as the forehand comes down, he should drive the horse forward in any pace or action that it will take, to procure better regulated movements later. If the rider finds by a sinking of the croup that a rearing horse is falling backward, he should release his feet from the stirrups, seize the mane and pommel, drop from the saddle, and throw himself away from the animal as it topples over. I have cured a horse, apparently confirmed in this vice of throwing itself backward, by a thorough course of suppling; and it was afterwards ridden in various games and exercises which involved the pirouette, but the reformed animal never attempted to rise higher than was demanded. Whether the horse falls back intentionally or not I cannot say. But horses that have a habit of rearing so that they fall over are not rare. In the far West those that fight the air are called sunfishers, and none are more resolute or more dangerous. I read somewhere recently that if a horse kept its fore legs bent and down, it would not fall over, but that when its fore legs were extended upward and fought the air, it would come over on its back. I have frequently seen rearing horses in both poses which did not fall and which had no intention of falling, and I have had a horse throw itself over without giving me the preliminary notice of extending its fore legs in air. The elder Henri Franconi's Johnster and Bayard, and Miss Emma Lake's Bonnie Scotland, were well-known examples of horses which reared safely with extended fore legs; the other mode is not uncommon, but the horse does not usually rise to a dangerous height while the knees are bent.

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Should a horse decline to leave its companions or to go in a certain direction, the rider should turn it around sharply three or four times upon the side in which he finds least resistance, when the animal becomes so confused that it may be ridden wherever the man chooses. This in Germany is called "rolling up," and is often practised in the cavalry, where every horse must be disciplined to leave the ranks singly—a very difficult thing to obtain in any other manner.

I have never seen the time when a safely trained horse of good disposition could not be found after a little search; and it is very foolish for any one but an expert or a professional horseman to mount a wicked brute. A really vicious horse will try the nerve of any man, but fortunately they are not frequently met outside of the ranches, and they become rarer as time goes on. Yet all of us have seen the young person of limited experience, and even less skill, who would boast of being able to ride anything and was desirous of dominating a bad horse.

Every horse that is lively enough to make a safe and agile riding animal will become fresh and disorderly if it does not get work enough. If it be not ridden sufficiently, it should be longed on the cavesson rein, or turned into a paddock. The most careful riding master I have ever known—and in my wanderings I have kept my horses in more than a score of riding-schools—was accustomed to turn his fresh horses, one by one, for a little time into the "ring," and, after some play, the horses would be perfectly quiet for the most timid and inexperienced pupil.

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