The “horseman” and his horse are one.
The “rider” and his horse are like a policeman taking off an unwilling prisoner who does not know what he is accused of.
In the one case the horse is watchful for every wish of his rider and instantly obeys, in the other the horse is all the time misunderstanding what his rider wants and being punished for his ignorance.
Unfortunately very few Americans or Englishmen know even the rudiments of the “High School.”
That is why so few “riders” can play polo, both man and pony must be of one mind and understand each other and that can only be learned in the “High School,” which is “Horsemanship.”
The reason foreign officers are so successful in the jumping competitions at the Olympia Horse Show is that they are horsemen in the “High School” and their jumping horses are trained to it also.
Matador, the celebrated Belgian high jumper, can do the Spanish trot like a circus horse.
Ladies riding astride generally know nothing of “horsemanship,” but exaggerate the faults of men “riders.”
Their stirrup leathers are so short that the heels are drawn back and the toes point downwards. To go faster they hit the horse with their whips or strike their heels into it but immediately back go their legs into the “heel up toe down” position with their feet almost driven through the stirrups.
The legs stop in this position during the whole ride, as if they were stuffed dummy legs.