over-training and continuing work after the appetite has failed; or, in other words, calling on the system for that which it has not, wasting when there is nothing to waste, drawing water when the spring is dry! Absurd as this may seem to the inexperienced, it is no less the truth. Horses are often called upon to exert themselves whether their muscles are full or wasted, whether their appetites are good or bad, and sometimes whether their health is good or bad; and according to their performances in either of the abovementioned conditions, so are they unreasonably and unjustly judged. In former years it was thought necessary to bleed previous to resting the hunter which became thus overworked; but in the present day the excessive folly of robbing the system of the small amount of its vitality left is well understood and admitted on all sides, save and except among the ranks of farriers, who fortunately are not often called upon to treat horses of a superior grade than the cart horse Where the hunter is thus overworked it will be well always to give the tonic and alterative powder every day for the first week, after which discontinue its use entirely. Physic, sulphur, nitre, and resin, should all be carefully avoided in this case. THE RIDING HORSE. By the term riding horse, I do not mean the cover or galloping hack, but a riding horse suitable for the park or ordinary use. FORMATION OF THE RIDING HORSE. 121 His height should range from 15 hands to 15 hands 2 in., and in extreme cases, where the length of the rider necessitates it, 16 hands will not be too high. His head and neck should be lighter and more handsome than that of either the racer, steeplechaser, or hunter. His shoulders should be long and oblique, with high withers, and his back, unless the weight exceed 14 st., should be long; his hips neat and rounded, and indeed the quarters may be more straight and peacocky than can be suffered in animals which have to undergo much wear and tear. The feet must be especially good, with strong pasterns, which must be very long or the action will never be easy and graceful; and if the hind legs are not placed very much under the body it matters little. His action must not be so high as to be rampant or gaudy, but must be longer and not so round as is desirable in driving horses. Great attention should be paid to the way in which the feet are put to the ground. As he walks along his feet and legs should appear to be slung from the shoulder straight before him, with the heel downwards. If this be not the case all the action in the world will only make him the more dangerous. A riding horse that thrusts his toe into the ground as he walks along cannot be suffered for an instant. If the horse roll or waddle in his walk or trot, he has not the proper use of his shoulders, and must be discarded at once for this purpose. Nothing is more ungainly in appearance, and nothing more uncomfortable to the rider. Irishmen have aptly designated this mode of progression by the expressive appellation of 'bog trot,' which fully expresses the common and vulgar carriage of such horses. Many very excellent hunters and covert hacks are afflicted with this defect in their walk, but in the riding horse it is a most unpardonable fault. In the riding horse there is yet a most important qualification, viz. manners, without which a riding horse is next to useless. A good mouth, elegant carriage, and tractable temper, in addition to make and shape, must all be fully developed. It will now appear clear why it is so difficult to obtain a perfect riding horse; and why, when procured, so large a sum is demanded for him. Some persons who are really in want of a good riding horse, and are prepared to give a fair sum for him, nevertheless very frequently miss the chance of being possessed of one, through a thousand and one prejudices which are of no importance whatever. Among the number the following are frequently urged :-A particular height, colour, age, sex, &c., and are most frequent causes of a life-long disappointment in failing to procure a good riding horse. I would advise such persons to forsake without delay running in so narrow a groove, and whenever they see an animal that suits them-no matter of what colour, size, age, or sex—to seize the opportunity of procuring it without delay. A really good horse, with good action and manners, always looks well and handsome, no matter of what colour or size he may be. OVERPACING CONDEMNED. 123 It is desirable that the riding horse be able to walk at the rate of five miles an hour, for if he be unable to do this, and should chance to go in company with a fast walker, he will be compelled to jog,' which, however gracefully performed, is but a slovenly performance. And if in company with slow walkers, he will carry himself in no way worse by walking well within himself. The riding horse should never be allowed to trot at a greater rate than eight miles in the hour, so that he may go collectedly and well, and have time to place his feet just where he or his rider may think fit. Nothing looks more plebeian and butcher-like than to see a riding horse over-trotting himself, and reaching along with his head out, like a pig on a spit. The riding horse should always be nicely bent and collected when in motion, or he never can present an aristocratic or graceful appearance. THE LADY'S HORSE. The lady's horse should resemble the gentleman's riding horse in every particular save in the trotting pace; at which pace, for many reasons, no real horsewoman would condescend to ride; therefore trotting in the lady's horse should not be suffered for an instant ; but he should start from the walk to the canter, and return from the canter to the walk without a break. To see a horse jolting in a trot before settling down from the canter to the walk, tells sad tales of the horse's education, at any rate, to say nothing of the rider's. Therefore it will be understood that a lady's riding horse will not be nearly so difficult to obtain, and accordingly not so expensive, as a gentleman's, inasmuch as a graceful canter is not nearly so difficult to attain as a graceful and proper trot. Whatever the weight of a lady, her horse's back must not be short, or she and her habiliments will completely cover the horse's frame, and render the outline ridiculous, and something approaching that of a slim young lady set off with a huge carriage umbrella. Most ladies are heavy in the hand, and therefore an irritable mouth is not to be suffered, since nine ladies out of ten will make it worse. For this reason I cannot too strongly condemn the use of strong bits by ladies, and I am persuaded that most of the bad accidents that have occurred may be laid to their charge,such as running away, tumbling over, &c., which are most frequently occasioned by the improper use of sharp bits on high-couraged horses, and are the most frequent causes of fatal accidents to female equestrians. Another very important point in female horsemanship is that the seat should be perfectly straight and square, since nothing so fatally destroys the effect of the appearance of both the lady's horse and his rider, as the saddle being pulled over on one side. Nine ladies out of ten ride too long, and so keep coming over on the near side for the purpose of reaching their stirrups. This also gives rise to at least nine-tenths of the severe saddle-galls, sit-fasts, and warbles that one is so frequently called upon to treat in ladies' horses. |