TABLE OF CONTENTS.

INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER.

PAGE

Various styles of riding a consequence of various kinds of in-
ducements to ride-Natural riders and instructed riders-

There is great waste of horse-flesh and premature destruc-

tion of the animal's legs where bad methods are followed,

or where no method at all exists-English civilian riders

use up an enormous quantity of horse-flesh-Some foreign

cavalry services do the same-The causes are generally false

distribution of the weight to be carried-The horse's skele-

ton is the framework of the machine we employ as a bearer

-In order to adjust the burden to this, some knowledge of

the machine is required, as also of the saddle by means of

which that burden is placed and retained on the horse's

back-The seat is the way in which the rider adjusts his

own weight through the intermedium of the saddle to the

horse-Varieties of seats to suit various purposes-The bit

is the instrument by which the rider's will is transmitted to

the horse; it is a lever which, if accurately adapted, will

be of great assistance and value to the rider; if unfitted in

shape, size, &c., it is not only useless, but often dangerous

-Restiveness in horses most usually the consequence of in-

judicious treatment of some kind or other-To prevent or

cure restiveness requires a knowledge of the methods em-

ployed for breaking-in or handling horses, consequently

also of the method in which the weight of the rider should

be brought to bear, and also how such horses should be

bitted, .
1-15

PART I.

SEATS AND SADDLES.

CHAPTER I.

THE FRAMEWORK OF THE HORSE CONSIDERED FROM A

MECHANICAL POINT OF VIEW.

The four legs are the supports of the spinal column which

bears the burden directly-There is one portion of the

spinal column round which all the others move this is the

centre of motion of the horse-The head and neck project

beyond the basis on which the animal stands; the position

of the centre of gravity modified by this-The horse's fore

legs are, more particularly, bearers, the hind ones pro-

pellers-The action of the horse will depend on the relative

positions of these two centres, which will be shown by the

hoof-tracks, and is also easily recognisable by the ear-

The relative positions of the two centres of gravity and

motion may be adjusted as the nature of the service de-

manded requires, by simply altering the position of the

head and neck; and this is equally true whether the horse

be in motion or at rest,

19-44

CHAPTER II.

THE SADDLE, AND ITS INFLUENCE ON THE SEAT.

The saddle should be adjusted to whatever seat may be adopted
for a particular purpose, and not vice versa the seat to the
saddle-Its size should be proportioned to the weight it
will have to support: its shape should be adapted, on the
one hand, to the horse's back; on the other, to the rider's
seat and legs-The weight should be so placed as to press
equally over the whole under surface of the saddle; there
must be no lever action: all of which is best attained by
making the seat central, placing the girths also in the
centre of the saddle, and, finally, the stirrups as near this

point as can be conveniently done-For military purposes,

blankets in some respects preferable to feltplates under the

saddle-The crupper is utterly useless-The breastplate is

unobjectionable,

45-63

CHAPTER III.

SEATS.

The seat on horseback is maintained by balance, by friction, or

by the aid of the stirrups-A combination of all these means

affords the greatest security-The more perfect the balance

the less will be the quantity of muscular action required to

maintain the seat; the closer the seat to the saddle, and

the greater the surfaces brought into contact, the more

easily will the balance be maintained; the nearer the point

of suspension of the stirrup to the seat, the less will balance

and friction be disturbed, and the more will the stirrup

act in support of these, how or wherever the rider may

otherwise sit-To have a good seat, his weight must be

distributed equally between the three bones forming the

triangle of his fork, and not on any two of these, or on the

third alone-It is better to commence riding with stirrups

than without-The jockey's saddle and seat-The hunting

seat-Road-riding-Rising in the stirrups versus bobbing up

and down-What is the object of both,

CHAPTER IV.

THE MILITARY SEAT.

64-88

This is more easily reducible to rule than any other, the
object being alike in all cases, and the material selected
with reference to that special purpose-The cavalry seat
must facilitate not only the mere progressive power of the
horse, but also such a degree of handiness as will insure to
its rider a perfect command over his weapons, and, in addi-
tion to all this, secure for the troop-horse the longest pos-
sible period of service-These latter objects are but too
frequently sacrificed in favour of mere vehemence of move-
ment; they are only to be attained by very careful saddling,
bitting, and a correct seat or method of riding-Weight
carried by some cavalry horses compared with that carried

by hunters and racers-Average daily work of a man carry-

ing a burden compared with that of a horse under various

circumstances and at various degrees of speed,

89-104

PART II.

BITS AND BITTING.

CHAPTER I.

GENERAL PRINCIPLES.

Vulgar idea of hard and soft mouthed horses - The horse's

head and neck levers, by means of which the animal's body

may be steered like a boat by the tiller-Baucher's ideas of

the position of the head and neck-Rational handling con-

trasted with ordinary horse-breaking-Bitting must be suited

to style of riding-Value of good and careful bitting in the

handling of young horses, and the prevention of restiveness

-Its great importance for cavalry,

107-119

CHAPTER II.

THE NECK-THE HEAD-THE MOUTH-THE TONGUE-

CARRIAGE-FEELING.

Varieties of shapes, &c., of horses' necks-Influence of this on

direction of pull of reins-Influence of military pack on the

same-Ditto of shape of horse's head, and mode in which it

is set on neck-The head considered as a lever-Horses that

poke out their noses or bend their necks too much-Width

between jaws - Glands situated here- Conformation of

horse's chin, nose, lips, chin-groove, externally; of mouth

and tongue internally-Average dimensions of some parts

of horses' mouths-The tongue-channel-Carriage of horse's

head and neck must be suited to kind of work demanded-

Carriage for military purposes, for racing, for hunting, for

road-riding,
120-145