The Barb and the Bridle / A Handbook of Equitation for Ladies, and Manual of Instruction in the Science of Riding, from the Preparatory Suppling Exercises

by active 1866-1874 Robert Henderson

I come now to a section of our courses of instruction, which, if not as some suppose the most difficult to impart or acquire, is nevertheless of great importance. The principles, however, upon which a horse "does a fence" neatly and safely, and those upon which depend the secure riding of the lady, once properly understood, the rest is a question of practice, the thorough training of the horse and his complete fitness for his task being assumed. The two latter points are, however, of such vital consequence that I will endeavour to direct attention to several matters connected with them, which I trust may be useful.

In the first place, then, it should be borne in mind that whereas every horse of every breed in the world can be taught to jump, jumping comes so aptly to some as to be perfectly natural, and no more trouble to them with a fair weight than walking or galloping. Such horses are easily taught to be clever; that is to say, to do "doubles," "in and out," and crooked places, with almost the surefootedness of a goat, as well as to jump clean timber or fly sixteen or eighteen feet of water. The sort of animal I speak of is fond of jumping, and consequently when carefully broken learns to balance himself with the greatest nicety; and, provided the ground is sound, you cannot get him down, while he does not know what refusing means, except in the case of utterly impracticable places.

It is upon such horses, or those which approach the nearest to them in their qualifications, that a lady should be mounted, not only for the hunting field itself, but in her initiation in the riding school into the art of riding her horse over a fence. Horses that rush at their jump, are hot-headed, or intemperate in any way, are utterly unfit for a lady to attempt leaping with, either indoors or out. There should be blood and quality undoubtedly, as well as substance and power, but these must be joined to the best of temper. Possibly the very perfection of a horse exists in that wonderful little animal the Lamb, who has just exhibited at Liverpool the most extraordinary feats of cleverness and endurance, coupled with splendid action, speed, and temper, ever yet shown by any horse. The form in which, galloping at top speed, he jumped over two horses lying hors de combat right in his way, and cleared both and their riders without further injury to any, will live always in the memory of those who witnessed it; while his unflinching and determined effort to win under a weight that scarcely admitted of hope stamp the Lamb as a horse without equal in our day. In my opinion no price in reason could be too much to ask or give for such animal.

A short time ago I had the great honour and privilege accorded me by his noble owner of a close inspection at his private training quarters of this unrivalled little equine gem; and I am bound to say that, although I never quite believed in perfection of a horse until I saw the action, manner, and general form of the Lamb, as far as my judgment or experience goes, I freely accord to him the palm over every horse I have seen in a lifetime spent among horseflesh in one quarter or another of the world; but, although it is not possible in my humble opinion to find his equal as a cross-country horse, our endeavours should be directed to obtain for a lady hunter that which approximates most closely to the Lamb. Let me briefly point out what are the qualities that render such horses the fittest for carrying a lady to hounds.

In the first place, the connecting points of such an animal are so true in their relative adjustment, that while in galloping he does not clamber or fight the air, he goes with action so safe as always to clear any of those apparently insignificant obstacles, which too often bring to grief a gallant-looking steed and his fair rider. When "ridge and furrow" (as must sometimes occur) run the wrong way, he can go safe from land to land; and this is of greater consequence to a lady's riding than many suppose. The stamp of horse I speak of, too, will gallop with his hind legs well under him, while he maintains a proper balance of his fore hand without getting his head too low. He will do his fences without rush or passion, and measure his distance to perfection.

Secondly, his breeding gives him the power to endure through long runs, while his temper prevents that feverish excitement so detrimental in its reaction on a hot horse after a long day's hunting.

To return to the detail of the leaping lesson. This should always be commenced either in a riding school or in a space so inclosed as to do away as nearly as possible with any chance of the horse refusing. It is not possible always to procure one that is quite a "Lamb;" and, however well trained the animal on which the fair pupil is put, no possible temptation to do wrong should ever be allowed to remain in his way. A gorse-bound bar, a wattled hurdle or common sheep hurdle are all equally good for the first attempt, care being taken not to make the leap too high. But I do not, from experience, believe in putting the bar or other obstacle on the ground, because the effort a well-broken horse makes to clear it is so slight, that it puts the rider off her guard; and when afterwards he rises higher in his jump, he is very apt to shift her in the saddle. There is a very natural inclination on the part of a tyro in riding, lady or gentleman (having seen a horse jump under another person), to suppose that some effort of the hand is necessary to lift the horse over the obstacle.

It should be the duty of the instructor carefully to warn his pupil against any such effort, and in the first attempt to attend only to her true equilibrium, while she presses the horse well up to his bridle, keeping her hands perfectly steady, well back, and well down. She should take a firm hold of the upper crutch of the saddle with her right knee; sit well into the saddle, and not on the back of it, because the further back she sits, the greater the concussion when the horse alights. She should put her left foot well home in the stirrup, and press her leg firmly against the third crutch, while she keeps the left knee quite flexible, and the left foot well forward. She should draw her figure well up from the waist, which should be bent slightly forward; and she should avoid stiffening the waist, because it is from that point that she is able to throw the upper part of the figure backwards at the proper moment, and at the true angle, to preserve her balance. She should direct her glance straight between the horse's ears, and well in front of him to the end of the school, because if she looks down at her hands or the bar, she relaxes her upright position. The horse should be led up to the bar by the instructor, who should be able to jump lightly over the obstacle with the horse; and another assistant should follow with a whip, the presence of which the horse will recognise in an instant, without any noise being made with it, and he will go at once into his bridle, and "take hold" of the rider's hand. A groom should hold the end of the bar or hurdle so lightly, that if the horse touches it, it will fall; while another groom should stand in such a position, about a horse's length to half a one outside the instructor, as to do away with all chance of the horse swerving from any nervous action of the rider's hand.

In jumping, at first the pupil should ride entirely upon the snaffle rein. In fact, for early leaping lessons, it is best to put a good broad reined snaffle in the horse's mouth, instead of a double bridle, because it prevents any confusion about the reins, and consequent derangement of nerve in the pupil. On approaching the bar, the latter should incline the body back from the waist upwards, at such an angle, that a line from the back point of the shoulder would fall about a couple of inches behind the cantle of the saddle. This is not according to the strict formula laid down by high-class professors of equitation; on the contrary. "The Aid Book" tells us that "the body should be inclined forward as the horse rises, and backwards as he alights." But I have found in teaching ladies to jump their horses that, particularly with a quick jumping one, any such attempt would result in the horse hitting the lady in the face with his head, and thereby thoroughly disgusting her with leaping lessons, to say nothing of possible disfigurement or injury. The instructor cannot be too quiet, simply keeping well hold of his horse, making him walk close to the boards, and cautioning his pupil to sit back—not away from the crutches of the saddle, but to throw the upper part of her figure back the instant the horse drops his head. Any more instruction will only confuse her. The master should jump with the horse, but not hold the habit, as is customary with some preceptors of riding, because no man is so clever on his legs but that some inequality in the tan or turf might cause him to stumble, in which case assuredly he would pull the lady off her horse.

After the first jump the master is better away from both horse and pupil. In nine cases out of ten I have found that the above simple directions to the latter result in her landing all right, except a little derangement of equilibrium to the front; but the easy spring of a well-bred and well-broken horse, and the hold he takes of her hands, reassure her. She has made her première pas in jumping, and finds that it is by no means so difficult a matter as she anticipated. In her second attempt, if she exhibits good nerve, as most young ladies of the present day do, the instructor need only walk up the side of the school with her, close to the horse's shoulder, quietly correcting her if she allows her reins to become slack, because in that case she loses the appui on the horse's mouth, which in her early attempts at leaping is of vital importance to her. In fact, it is necessary, in order to give the pupil confidence, that the horse should jump with a firm hold upon her hand.