CHARACTER AND MANAGEMENT OF THE HORSE, WITH DIRECTIONS FOR RIDING.
A knowledge of the general character and disposition of the horse is really and absolutely necessary to his skilful management, from his extremely nervous sensibility, his aptness to take the various impressions of fear, affection, or dislike, to any of which he is naturally very quickly disposed.
“Reas’ning at ev’ry step he treads,
Man yet mistakes his way;
While meaner things by instinct led
Are rarely known to stray.”
Speaking in soothing terms to a horse, so that he may become familiar to the voice, gives him confidence in his rider, which is of the utmost importance. At all times more is to be accomplished with the animal by gentle means than could possibly be done by harsh ones: kindness, or its opposite, is speedily conveyed to and retained in his memory, which is remarkably retentive. This mutual confidence is perfectly appreciated by the Arabs. They invariably treat their horses with the greatest kindness and affection; they are the Bedouins’ beloved and stanch companions, and on them is the Arabs’ sole reliance in their predatory excursions; they inhabit the same tent, and the neck of the horse is not unfrequently the pillow of the Arab and his family; yet no accident ever occurs; the kindness with which he is treated gives him an affection for his master, a desire to please, and a pride in exerting every energy in obedience to his command.
Bad habits are speedily acquired by the horse, and when once learned, are very difficult to break him of.
In nine cases out of ten they arise from the stupidity, joined to the brutality, of an idle, drunken, ill-tempered groom; who, when out of temper, invariably vents his rage upon the unoffending animal, which, at last, to protect (or revenge) itself from the besotted tormentor, acquires a habit of kicking and biting at every person and thing coming within its reach, fearing that they are about to maltreat it.
Many horses are condemned as vicious, and actually are rendered so through timidity on the part of the rider.
The animal may be playful from rest, or a lively temper by nature; the rider, whose judgment may not enable him to discriminate between playfulness, nervousness, or vice, becomes alarmed, and, consequently, loses his self-command; and, perhaps, not having learned the correct mode of using his hands and reins, in his boisterous endeavours to save himself from falling, imparts fear to his horse. The animal naturally imagines he has been guilty of some great fault, and is fearful of punishment; and should he not be familiar with the voice of his rider, then a mutual struggle for safety takes place, and causes an accident. The horse is then condemned as “vicious,” though the rider was alone in fault. The same horse, in the hands of an experienced horseman, would become as QUIET as ever. We often find that really dangerous horses have been reclaimed by ladies riding them! This is entirely owing to their using them gently, but firmly, and speaking to them kindly; by these means confidence is imparted, and makes them
“All that a horse should be, which nought did lack
Save a good rider on so proud a back.”
A few minutes’ riding will be sufficient to discover the nature and temper of a horse, likewise what system of treatment has been pursued towards him (which, in consequence, must be still followed).
There are very many persons who are considered good horsemen, who have no fear, and will ride anything, or at anything, yet have no idea, beyond the mere fact of riding, whether the saddle, bridle, and accoutrements are properly placed. The neglect of attending to these matters has caused many serious accidents.
The method of gracefully holding and using the reins is very important, although but little understood or attended to; in fact, it seems but a secondary consideration with Riding-masters, where it should be a SINE QUA NON. One person may pull at a runaway horse with all his strength, but to no purpose; another possessing that knowledge shall be able to manage, and hold him with a pack-thread.
Runaway horses are most frequently made so by bad and timid riders, who make use of a whip and spurs without having a firm seat. Such persons are easily unseated on the horse shying, or jumping about in a playful mood; then, in their endeavours to recover themselves, they slacken their reins, and at the same time unintentionally goad him with their spurs, or strike him with their whip. In clutching at the reins, the horse becoming frightened, naturally increases his speed, until, from the continued irritation of whip and spur, in the terrified horseman’s futile attempts to subdue him, the horse becomes maddened with terror and excitement, and ultimately throws his rider.
Shying is often the result of skittishness or affectation at first. This may be easily overcome and cured, at its commencement, by the judicious treatment of the rider, in using firmness tempered with kindness; avoiding all harsh measures, and passing the horse several times quietly by the object which caused him to shy. A word, half-scolding, half-encouraging, with a gentle pressure of the heel, or a slight touch of the spur or whip, will convince him there is nothing to fear; and, further, will give the animal confidence in his rider on future occasions.
Kicking is a dangerous vice, and generally the result of an idle groom or stable-boy playing with the horse, and pinching him on the loins; so that, should any extraneous substance be in the padding of the saddle, or the flaps of a coat touch him there, or even a hand be thoughtlessly laid on his quarters, he immediately commences kicking to dislodge the cause. Once succeeding, he has invariably recourse to the same remedy, until the habit becomes confirmed.
There are many valuable horses ruined by thoughtlessness and folly.—This is more frequently the case with animals of high courage. In many instances, a very trivial alteration in the adjustment of the saddle or bridle, &c. (had the rider been properly instructed, and therefore possessing the knowledge how such alterations should be made), would have saved great danger and annoyance to the rider, and unnecessary pain to the horse.
When a Horse is kicking, the rider should throw his body well back, raise the horse’s head, and apply the whip smartly over his shoulders.
Rearing is very dangerous, and most difficult to break. It is often caused by the bit being too sharp for the horse, his mouth being tender, or perhaps sore.
When rearing, the whole weight of horse and rider being thrown perpendicularly on the animal’s hind legs, the most trifling check from the rider’s hand would cause him to fall backwards; the rider must drop his hand as before, loosen the reins, and throw his whole weight on his shoulders, at the same time catching him ’round the neck with his right hand. These directions will much assist in bringing him down on his feet again, and prevent the rider’s body from falling backwards.
Unsteadiness in mounting is very often the consequence of the horse’s eagerness and anxiety to start. It is generally the fault with thorough-bred, high-couraged, young and nervous horses. It is a most annoying fault, especially with elderly and timid riders, many of whom are frequently thrown before they can firmly seat themselves.
This is only to be cured by an active and good horseman, combined with firm, though gentle and kind, usage; by approaching him gently and patting him, mounting at the first effort, and when seated, restraining him, patting his neck, and speaking kindly to him, but, at the same time, not allowing him to move until he is perfectly quiet. In a few days he will be quite cured of his fault. Remember! harshness must never be used in this case, as great mischief may be done by such a course, and the habit will be confirmed.
Kindness will succeed generally in most cases of vice; HARSHNESS never will in any!
The position of the saddle should be in accordance with the formation of the horse’s shoulders, and about a hand’s breadth from them, so as not in any way to interfere with or impede the free action of the muscles.
The malposition of the saddle, particularly in horses with upright shoulders, is the cause of many horses falling, from its pressing too much on the shoulders, and by that means confining the action of the muscles, which thus become benumbed, and lose their elasticity. A partial deadening of the limbs having taken place, the horse, from want of vitality in the legs, stumbles, and is unable, through the torpidity of the muscles, to recover himself, and falls to the ground; in many cases he has been known to fall as if shot.
The saddle should be wide, and roomy. The length of the stirrups should be such as to give ease to both horse and rider; the latter ought at all times to assimilate his movements in the saddle to those of the horse in his stride.
A tight rein should always be avoided, because, if he carries his head low, it tends to deaden his mouth, and teaches him the bad habit of depending upon the bridle for support; in which case, he always goes heavily in hand, and on his shoulders. The horse should at all times be taught to go on his haunches.
If the horse naturally carries his head well, it is better to ride him with a light hand, only just feeling his mouth.
“With neck like a rainbow, erecting his crest,
Pamper’d, prancing, and pleased, his head touching his breast;
Scarcely snuffing the air, he’s so proud and elate,
The high-mettled racer first starts for the plate.”
Old Song.
ON PROPERLY FIXING THE BRIDLE, SADDLE, &c.
THE BRIDLE.
In fitting the bridle, THE CURB BIT should be placed so that the mouth-piece be but one inch above the lower tusk,—in mares, two inches above the corner tooth; THE BRIDOON touching the corner of the lips, so as to fit easy, without wrinkling them; THE HEADSTALL parallel to the projecting cheek-bone, and behind it; THE THROAT LASH should be sufficiently long to fall just below the cheek-bone, and not lay over or upon it; THE NOSE BAND should be placed low—but that must depend very much on the size of the horse’s mouth—and not buckled tight; THE CURB, when properly fitted, should be flat and smooth in the hollow of the lips, so as to admit one finger easily between.
THE SADDLE
should be placed in the middle of the horse’s back, about a hand’s breadth, or four or five inches, from the shoulders, so as to give perfect freedom to the action of the muscles of the shoulders.
The girths must be laid evenly one over the other, and admit freedom for one finger between the girth and the horse’s belly. The surcingle should fit neatly over the girths, and not be buckled tighter than they are. The large ring of THE BREASTPLATE or MARTINGALE should be placed about two inches above the sharp breast-bone, and should allow of the hand being laid flat between it and the shoulders.
THE STIRRUPS.
In length they should be so that the bottom edge of the bar is about three inches above the heel of the boot. The author always adopts the following method for ascertaining the correct length of the stirrups, viz.:—He takes up the stirrup-iron with the right hand, at the same time placing the bottom of the stirrup-iron under the left arm-pit, he extends the left arm until the fingers of that hand easily touch the stirrup buckles; this is a sure criterion with most people.
ON MOUNTING.
In mounting, the horse should always be approached quietly on the near (or left) side, and the reins taken up steadily. The snaffle (or bridoon) rein first, then pass this rein along the palm of the left hand, between the forefinger and thumb. The curb rein must now be drawn over the little finger, and both reins being held of an equal length, and having an even pressure on the horse’s mouth, must be laid over each other, being held firmly in the hand, the thumb pressing hard upon them to prevent them slipping through the fingers. Be particular that the reins are not taken up too short, for fear it might cause the horse to rear or run back; they must be held neither too tight nor too slack, but having an equal feeling of the horse’s mouth. Next take up a handful of the mane with the right hand, bring it through the full of the left hand (otherwise the palm), and twist it round the thumb. Take hold of the stirrup with the right hand, the thumb in front. Place the left foot in the stirrup as far as the ball of it, placing the right hand on the cantle (or back part of the saddle), and, by a spring of the right foot from the instep, the rider should raise himself up in the stirrup, then move the hand from the cantle to the pummel, to support the body while the right leg passes clearly over the horse’s quarters; the rider’s right knee closes on the saddle and the body falls gently into it. The left hand now quits the mane, and the second stirrup must be taken without the help of eye or hand.
The left hand (the bridle hand) must be placed with the wrist rounded outwards, opposite the centre of the body, and about three inches from it, letting the right arm drop unconstrained by the side of the thigh.
POSITION IN THE SADDLE.
The rider must sit upright, and equally balanced in the middle of his saddle, head erect, and his shoulders well thrown back, his chest advanced, the small of his back bent forward, but without stiffness. The hollow part of the arm should hang down straight from the shoulder, the lower part square to the upper, the thighs well stretched down, the flat part to the saddle, so that the fore part of the knees may press and grasp it. Let the legs hang down easily and naturally, close to the horse’s sides, with the feet parallel to the same, and the heels well depressed; the toes raised from the instep, and as near the horse’s sides as the heels; the feet retained in the stirrups by an easy play of the ankle and stirrup, the stirrup to be kept under the ball of the foot, the joint of the wrist kept easy and pliable, so as to give and take as occasion may require. A firm and well-balanced position on horseback is of the utmost importance, it affects the horse in every motion, and failure in this proves one of his greatest impediments, and will naturally injure him in all his movements.
In riding, the hands and legs should act in correspondence in everything, the latter being always held subservient to the former.
It is easy to discover those who have been thoroughly instructed in the manége, by their firm, graceful, and uniform position in the saddle, and their ready and skilful application of the aids or motions, and the correct appliance of the bridle, hands, and legs; such being indispensable to the skilful guidance and control of the horse.
PART II.
ON THE REINS, &c.
The author most particularly wishes to impress upon his readers the value of riding with DOUBLE REINS for safety sake, and in order to avoid the numerous accidents arising from reins breaking, the tongues of buckles giving way, and the sewing of the reins to their bits coming undone. When there is but one rein, the rider is left quite at the mercy of an affrighted and infuriated animal; where, had there been TWO, he would still have sufficient command over the animal to prevent accidents.
There is another equally urgent reason for riding with double reins, viz., the continual use of the curb materially tends to deaden the sensitiveness of the horse’s mouth; from the constant and unavoidable drag upon the single rein, especially if tender-mouthed, he is made uneasy and fidgetty, causing him to throw his head about, and go extremely heavy in hand, and frequently rear or run back, to the very great danger and annoyance of his rider, particularly when happening in a crowded drive.
It is very requisite to ride a horse occasionally well up to the curb bit, and to keep him well up to it with the whip and heel, so that he may get used to work on his haunches. By this means he will be thrown upon them, and, consequently, “go light in hand,” the greater weight being taken from off his forehand, by which his carriage and general appearance is materially improved.
After many essays, the author has found the following method to be the most correct and SAFE for holding the reins, when using one or both hands. By it the rider has a much firmer hold—or, in professional parlance, “purchase”—upon the reins, in keeping them from slipping, consequently, a greater command over the horse, and can more readily allow either rein to slip should he desire to use but one.
FOR HOLDING THE REINS IN ONE HAND.
The reins should hang untwisted from the bits.
The rider must take up the bridoon reins with his right hand, and pass the second and third fingers of the bridle, or left, hand between them, draw up the reins with the right hand, until the horse’s mouth can be felt, and then pass them between the forefinger and thumb. Next take up the curb reins (again with the right hand), and pass the little finger of the bridle hand between them, draw them up, as before directed, with the right hand, until the rider perceives there is an equal length and feeling with the bridoon reins. The latter having rather the strongest pressure on the animal’s mouth. This done, lay them also over between the forefinger and thumb, and press down the thumb firmly upon them to keep them from slipping; the hand to be held with the wrist rounded outwards, opposite the centre of the body, and about four inches from it.
The right arm should hang without restraint, and slightly bent, by the thigh, the whip being held about twelve inches from its head, with the point turned upwards.
USING BOTH HANDS.
Take the bridoon reins between the second and third, and the curb reins between the third and fourth, fingers of each hand, each rein having an equal bearing on the horse’s mouth; the hands are to be held about six inches apart, with the wrists rounded outwards, and the thumbs pressing firmly upon the reins, the elbows well down, and held near to the sides, the whip held as directed above.
RIDING ON ONE REIN.
Take up THAT particular rein with the right hand, and pass the second and third fingers of the bridle hand between them, then draw up the reins, but be careful, in doing so, not to hold the horse too tight in hand; the OTHER rein should hang down, having the little finger passed between them, and the thumb also over them, so that they may be caught hold of, and drawn up quickly on any sudden emergency; the loose reins are to hang between those in use.
THE WHIP.
The whip being a requisite aid in the management and guidance of the horse, should be used as an instrument of correction, and by no means to be played with, nor flourished about. When using the whip for punishment, scold at the same time; by this means, with a cross word will be associated the idea of chastisement. However, far more can be achieved by kindness than by any harsh measure; but when such instances occur that it is absolutely necessary, never hesitate to punish well, so that the animal may thoroughly understand that it is punishment that is meant for his fault—not play.
“A man of kindness to his beast is kind,
But brutal actions show a brutal mind:
Remember He who made thee, made the brute,
Who gave thee speech and reason, form’d him mute;
He can’t complain, but God’s omniscient eye
Beholds thy cruelty. He hears his cry.
He was designed thy servant—not thy drudge;
But know, that his Creator is thy Judge.”
Colt-breaking by the Guachos is performed in the same mode as the Kalmucks, with the lasso; the idea of being thrown, let a horse do what he pleases, never occurs to a Guacho. According to them, a “good rider” is a man who can manage an untamed colt, and one, if his horse should fall, could alight unhurt upon his feet. At the moment of a horse falling backwards they can slip quietly off, and, on the instant of his rising, jump on him again. They never seem to exert muscular force, and appear to ride very loosely, as if every moment they must fall off: yet should his horse be suddenly frightened, the Guacho will start, and take, simultaneously, fright with the horse. There is nothing done on foot by the Guachos that cannot be done on horseback; even mounted beggars are to be seen in the streets of Buenos Ayres and Mendoza. It is not, therefore, surprising that, with such multitudes of horses, that the people should all be riders, and excel all other nations in their expertness and boldness in their management.
The Pampas and Prairie Indians, whose forefathers fled from the Spanish horsemen, as if they were fatal apparitions, now seem to be part and parcel of the horse. They affirm the proudest attitude of the human figure is when a man bending over his horse, lance in hand, is riding at his enemy. The Guachos, who ride so beautifully, declare it is utterly impossible to vie with mounted Indians; they have such a way of urging on their horses by cries, and a peculiar motion of their bodies; even were they to change horses, the Indians would beat them.
The Turks prefer the Turkman horse to the pure-blooded, slender Arabian. In fact, from their trying mode of riding, the fine limbs of the Arab could not stand the shock upon them, their favourite manœuvre being to make a dead stop when galloping at full speed. To accomplish this feat, they use a very severe bit, which, of course, destroys the sensibility of their horses’ mouths; while, on the contrary, the Arabs use only a plain snaffle, which preserves all the sensitiveness of the animals’ mouths.
The Toorkman, or Turkman horses.—These are much esteemed by the Persians. They are large and swift, and possess extraordinary powers of endurance, though they are exceedingly awkward in appearance. Turkistan is their native region, which lies north-east of the Caspian Sea; but their tribes are widely dispersed over Persia, Asia Minor, and Syria.
The Persians are great admirers of horsemanship, and a bad rider affords them infinite amusement. “An officer of an English frigate having gone ashore to visit the envoy, and being mounted on a very spirited horse, and a very bad rider, caused great entertainment to the Persian populace. The next day the man who supplied the ship with vegetables, and spoke a little English, said to the officer, ‘Don’t be ashamed, sir, nobody knows you—bad rider! I tell them you, like all English, ride well, but that time they see you very drunk!’ We were much amused at this conception of our national character. The Persian thought it would have been a reproach for a man of a warlike nation not to ride well, but none for a European to get drunk.”[33-*]
The Syrian horses are reared with the utmost tenderness and care; they are fondled and played with like children. The Syrian horse is equally good on mountainous, or stony ground, as on the plain; he is indefatigable, and full of spirit. The Timarli ride horses of the Syrian breed, mostly from their possessing these inestimable qualifications.
The Neapolitan horse.—This horse is small, but compact and strong; the head rather large; the neck short, and bull-shaped: the prototype of the horses represented on the bassi-relievi of ancient Roman sculpture. He is capable of living on hard fare, and undergoing great fatigue. He is frequently vicious and headstrong; this is chiefly owing to his harsh treatment; though very high-spirited, he would, with gentle usage, become extremely docile and good tempered. The districts of Apulia, Abruzzi, and parts of Calabria furnish this excellent animal. The Neapolitans have taken extreme pains in the breeding of their horses; they make great display of them in their streets during the Carnival, and through Lent. The aristocratic families have excellent studs of great spirit and beauty.
[33-*] Vide “The Horse and his Rider.”