A horse is said to be united or collected when he moves easily in a regular, stylish manner, well on his haunches, with head and neck in proper position, his rider exercising perfect control over him by gentle pressure upon his mouth, and keeping up the regular movements of the animal by a quiet and dexterous "give and take" action of her hands.
He is disunited when he moves in an irregular manner, or heavily upon his fore-legs, occasioning the rider to support the weight of his neck and shoulders; also, when the reins are too slack and exercise no pressure upon his mouth, in which case, having no aid or support from his rider's hand, he will move carelessly, or exactly as he pleases.
In collecting a horse, the aid of the whip and the left leg will frequently be required, as the rider's hand alone may not be sufficient. In such a case, the left leg must be lightly pressed against his left side and the whip at the same time be pressed against his right side; these in conjunction with the action of the bridle-hand,[5] as heretofore explained, will collect him and bring him up to his bridle with his haunches well under him,—the proper position for starting. As soon as he moves there should be only a light pressure on his mouth. In order to perform the above feat effectively, the whip must not be too limber and must always be held with its lash downward. This simultaneous pressure of the whip and left leg has the same effect in collecting the horse as that of the horseman's right and left legs. Should the horse flag in his movements or move heavily upon his fore-legs, a repetition of this pressure of the leg and whip, in conjunction with the proper movements of the bridle-hand, will bring him well on his haunches and lighten his action.
The horse is always animated by mild taps of the whip, light pressure of the hand upon the curb, a clacking of the tongue, or an urging tone of his mistress's voice. He is soothed and rendered confident by mild and encouraging tones of voice, by the rider's sitting easily, by a gentle hold upon the reins, and by caressing pats upon his neck and shoulders.
In the directions given in this chapter, necessarily involving more or less repetition, the author has endeavored to be as clear, comprehensible, and simple as possible. And the rider will find it of much greater advantage to have these instructions printed, than to be required to learn them orally, as she can read and re-read them at pleasure and have them thoroughly committed to memory before mounting her horse. And, although it has required many pages to present these instructions to the reader, she will find that their application will prove very simple, and will also be agreeably surprised to observe the great control she will have over the feelings and movements of her steed through their agency. Horses are generally very sagacious, and appear to recognize promptly any timidity, awkwardness, or ignorance on the part of their riders, and, according to their temper or disposition, will take advantage of such recognition, either by advancing carelessly or by manifesting trickiness or viciousness. The best trained horse always requires to be kept under command, but by kind treatment and correct management. The horse, when ridden by a finished horsewoman, knows that although allowed to move with a light rein he is under the control of a masterly hand that will aid him in his efforts to please, but will instantly bring him into submission if he does not yield entire obedience.
CHAPTER VII.
THE WALK.
"And do you not love at evening's hour,
By the light of the sinking sun,
To wend your way o'er the widening moor,
Where the silvery mists their mystery pour,
While the stars come one by one?
Over the heath by the mountain's side,
Pensive and sweet is the evening's ride."