Part 12
In mounting without stirrups,--after taking up the reins, instead of seizing the mane, the rider lays hold of the pommel and cantle, and, by a spring of both legs from the insteps, raises the body to the centre of the saddle. By a second spring of both arms, the right leg is carried over the horse, and the rider enters his proper seat by closing the knees on the saddle, and sliding gently into it.
In dismounting without stirrups, on either side of the horse, the rider throws the weight of the body on the hands placed on the pommel, and, by a spring, raises the body out of the saddle before the leg is brought over the horse.
THE SEAT.
The seat must be understood in an extended sense as the disposition of the various parts of the body, in conformity with the action of the horse; and its effect is the rider’s being firm in the saddle, when he might be otherwise thrown forward over the horse’s head, or backward over his tail.
The fundamental seat is that intermediate one of which all others are modifications, and in which the rider sits when the horse is going straight forward, without any bend in his position. In describing this, it is first necessary to consider the rider’s relation to the horse.--He must sit on that part of the animal’s body which, as he springs in his paces, is the centre of motion: from which, of course, any weight would be most difficultly shaken. The place of this seat is that part of the saddle into which the rider’s body would naturally slide were he to ride without stirrups. This seat is to be preserved only by a proper balance of his body, and its adaptation to even the most violent counteractions of the horse. Turf jockeys necessarily sit further back, that they may employ the pulls.
It is necessary to consider the horseman in various parts, and to explain their different functions: 1st, the lower part, as being here the principal one, namely, the thighs, with the legs as dependent on them; 2dly, the upper part, namely, the body, with the arms dependent on it. The thighs, from the fork to the knees, are commonly called the immovable parts, and upon them the whole attitude depends. They must not wriggle or roll, so as either to disturb the horse, or render the seat loose; but they may be relaxed when the horse hesitates to advance. The legs occasionally strengthen the hold of the thighs by a grasp with the calves; and they likewise aid, support, and chastise the horse. The body, from the fork upwards, must always be in a situation to take the corresponding motion, and preserve the balance. The position of the arms is dependent on that of the body, but they also exercise new functions.
As a good seat is the basis of all excellence in riding, we shall consider these parts in detail.
In relation to the thighs, the rider, sitting in the middle of the saddle, must rest chiefly upon their division, vulgarly called the fork, and very slightly upon the hips. The thighs, turned inward, must rest flat upon the sides of the saddle, without grasping; for the rider’s weight gives sufficient hold, and the pressure of the thighs on the saddle would only lift him above it. The knees must be stretched down and kept back, so as to place the thighs several degrees short of a perpendicular; but no gripe must be made with them, unless there be danger of losing all other hold. If the thighs are upon their inner or flat side in the saddle, both the legs and the feet will be turned as they ought to be. Thus turned, they must be on a line parallel to that of the rider’s body, and hang near the horse’s sides, but must not touch; yet they may give an additional hold to the seat, when necessary, and the calves must act in support of the aids of the hands. The heels are to be sunk, and the toes to be raised, and as near the horse as the heels, which prevents the heel touching the horse.
As to the body.--The head must be firm, yet free. The shoulders thrown back, and kept square, so that no pull of the bridle may bring them forward. The chest must be advanced, and the small of the back bent a little forward.
The upper parts of the arms must hang perpendicularly from the shoulders, the lower parts at right angles with the upper, so as to form a horizontal line from the elbow to the little finger. The elbows must be lightly closed to the hips, and, without stiffness, kept steady, or they destroy the hand. The wrist must be rounded a little outwards. The hands should be about three inches from the body, and from the pommel of the saddle, and from four to six inches apart; the thumbs and knuckles pointing towards each other, and the finger nails towards the body.[65]
[65] When in motion round the manège, or the circle, the inward hand, or that towards which we turn, is to be a little lower than the outward one.
When the rider is in the proper position on horseback without stirrups, his nose, breast, knee, and instep are nearly in a line; and, with stirrups, his nose, breast, knee, and toe, are in a line.--(Pl XXXVI.) The man and the horse throughout are to be of a piece. When the horse is at liberty, or disunited, as it is termed, the rider sits at his ease; and, as he collects and unites his horse, so he collects and unites himself. There must, however, be no stiffness of manner, more than in sitting on a chair; for it is ease and elegance which distinguish the gentleman.
THE BALANCE.
The balance in riding preserves the body from that inclination to one side or the other which even the ordinary paces of the horse, in the trot or gallop, would otherwise occasion. It accompanies and corresponds with every motion of the animal, without any employment of strength, and consequently, the rider sits so firmly that nothing can move his seat. His skill consists essentially in balancing himself on the horse in such a manner as not to fetter the animal’s movements. To illustrate this, if the horse work straight and upright on his legs, the body must be in the same upright direction: as the horse moves into a trot, the body must be inclined a little more back; in the gallop, also in leaping, or in any violent movements, the body must chiefly be kept back; and, when the horse bends and leans, as he does when on a circle, or trotting briskly round a corner, the body must lean similarly, or the balance will be lost. Throughout the whole, the figure must be pliant to every action of the horse; for the balance can be maintained only by as many different positions as he is capable of working in.
To help his balance, the rider must never take the slightest assistance from the reins. Whatever the position of the body, the hand must be fixed, and the reins of such a length as to feel and support the horse, but never to hold on. To acquire the balance, the practice on circles, or the longe, is useful; working equally to both hands, and not using stirrups till the pupil has acquired the balance without them. Experience proves that the body, if in the manège seat and fundamental position, almost involuntarily takes the corresponding motion, whether the horse stumbles, rears, springs forward, or kicks.
THE REIN-HOLD.
There are various methods of holding the reins, according to the style of riding, the design of the rider, and the propensities of horses.
In holding the snaffle-reins separately, one rein passes into each hand, between the third and fourth fingers, and out of it over the fore-finger, where it is held down by the thumb.--(Pl XXXVII f. 1.) When afterwards further advanced, the reins are held in the left hand, as at first taken up; the left rein passing under the little finger, and the right under the third finger, both lying smooth through the hand, the superfluous rein hanging over the first joint of the fore-finger, and the thumb being placed upon it.[66]--(Plate XXXVII. fig. 2.)
[66] Sometimes, however, the right rein is made to enter the hand from above over the fore-finger, and crosses the left rein in the palm, where the fingers close upon them, a loop or bow being formed of the residue between the hand and body, whence it hangs down.--(Plate XXXVII. fig. 3.)
Riders should not throw their right shoulders back, as they are apt to do, when they first take the reins in one hand. The right arm should hang by the side, with the hand by the side of the thigh; or, if holding the whip, it may be kept a little lower than the left, in order not to obstruct the operation of the bridle.
We have already said, that we think it best to ride with the snaffle alone, and use the curb only occasionally. In this case, the curb reins may have a slide upon them, and may hang on the pommel of the saddle, or the horse’s neck. When the rider, however, holds the curb as well as the snaffle, having both, as is most usual, in the left hand,--while the curb reins are placed as above described of the snaffle reins, the snaffle reins are placed within them; that is, the left snaffle rein enters under the second, and the right under the first finger, and both pass up through the hand, and out of it, over the fore-finger, precisely as do the curb reins, except that they lie at first above, then within, and lastly, under them.--(Plate XXXVII. fig. 4.)
Shifting the reins should be done expertly, without stopping the horse, altering the pace, breaking the time, or looking to the hands. When the snaffle reins are held in one hand, the method of shifting from the left hand is as follows:--Turn the thumbs towards each other; carry the right hand over the left; in place of the little finger of the left hand, put the fore-finger of the right hand downwards between the reins; lay the reins smoothly down through the right hand, and place the thumb upon the left rein between the first and second joint of the fore-finger.--(Pl XXXVII. f. 5.) To shift them again into the left hand, it is only necessary to carry the left hand over the right; to put the little finger of the left hand downwards between the right and left reins; to place them smoothly upward through the hand, and to let the ends hang over the fore-finger, as at first.--(Plate XXXVII. fig. 6.)
When both curb and snaffle reins are held in the usual method, we shift them into the right hand in a similar manner, by turning the thumbs toward each other; carrying the right hand over the left; putting the fore-finger of the right hand into the place of the little finger of the left; the second finger of the right into the place of the third finger of the left; and the third finger of the right into the place of the second finger of the left; and laying the reins smoothly down through the right hand.-- (Pl XXXVII. f. 7) When we shift the reins again to the left hand, we put the fingers of the left hand into the places we took them from, and turn the reins smoothly upward through the hand, and over the fore-finger.--(Plate XXXVII. fig. 8.)
Separating the reins is sometimes necessary. When a horse refuses obedience to one hand, we use two. It is seldom, however, necessary to take more than one rein in the right hand; and this is the right rein of the snaffle only. For this purpose, the rider turns the back of his right hand upwards, puts the first three fingers over the snaffle rein, receives it between his little and third fingers, lets the superfluous end hang over the fore-finger, with the thumb upwards, as he does the bridle hand. (Plate XXXVII. fig. 9.)
Adjusting the reins is shortening or lengthening them, wholly or partially, as occasion may require. To adjust the whole, we take the superfluous reins that hang over the fore-finger of the left hand into the right, so that with that hand we support the horse, and feel every step he takes; and we then open the fingers of the left hand so as to slip it up and down the reins smoothly and freely, and thereby adjust them to our pleasure.
To shorten the curb rein, and lengthen the snaffle, we take in the right hand the centre of the curb rein, that hangs over the fore-finger, slip the whole of the reins too long, pass the left hand down them, and feel with the fingers whether both the curb reins are of equal length, before we grasp with the left hand, or quit with the right. Similarly, we shorten the snaffle, and lengthen the curb, by taking in the right hand the centre of the snaffle that hangs over the fore-finger, and proceeding in the same way.
When any single rein wants shortening, we apply the right hand to that part which hangs over the fore-finger, and draw it tighter. When the reins are separate, or occupy both hands, and want adjusting, we bring the hands together to assist each other; remembering that the inner hand, or that which supports the attitude the horse works in, is not to depart from its situation, so as to occasion any disorder, but that the outer hand is to be brought to the inner, for the purpose of adjusting them.
THE CORRESPONDENCE.
To have a correct notion of the manner in which the hand operates on the horse’s mouth, it must be understood that the reins, being held as described, are collected to such definite length, that bracing the muscles of the hand would rein the horse back, and easing them permit him freely to advance; the hand, for preserving a medium effect on the mouth, being only half shut, and the knuckles near the wrist nearly open. The hand, then, being connected to the reins, the reins to the bit, the bit operating in the curb on the bars, and in the snaffle on the lips, the rider cannot move the hand, and scarcely even a finger, without the horse’s mouth being more or less affected. This is called the CORRESPONDENCE.
If, moreover, the hand be held steady, as the horse advances in the trot, the fingers will feel, by the contraction of the reins, a slight tug, occasioned by the cadence of every step; and this tug, by means of the correspondence, is reciprocally felt in the horse’s mouth. This is called the APPUY.
While this relation is preserved between the hand and mouth, the horse is in perfect obedience to the rider, and the hand directs him, in any position or action, with such ease, that the horse seems to work by the will of the rider rather than by the power of his hand. This is called the SUPPORT.
Now, the correspondence or effective communication between the hand and mouth,--the appuy, or strength of the operation in the mouth,--the support, or aid, the hand gives in the position or action,--are always maintained in the manège and all united paces. Without these, a horse is under no immediate control, as in the extended gallop, or at full speed, where it may require a hundred yards to pull before we can stop him.
THE ACTION.
The degree of correspondence, appuy, and support, depends, in horses otherwise similar, on the relative situation of the hand. The act of raising the rider’s hand increases his power; and this, raising the horse’s head, diminishes his power. The depressing of the rider’s hand, on the contrary, diminishes his power; and this, depressing the horse’s head, increases his power. On these depend the unitedness or disunitedness in the action of the horse.
A writer on this subject (Beranger, we believe) gives the following useful illustration:--“If a garter were placed across the pupil’s forehead, and a person behind him held the two ends in a horizontal direction, the pupil, if he stood quite upright, could not pull at the person’s hand, nor endure the person’s hand to pull at him, without falling or running backwards.” This is the situation of a horse when united.
Accordingly, when the pupil felt the hand severe, or expected it to pull, he would guard against it by bending the body, projecting the head, and planting one foot behind. This is the situation of a horse when disunited, or defending himself against the heaviness of the hand. Hence the perpetual pull of a timid rider, or a heavy insensible hand, cannot keep a horse united, because the horse cannot then bear its severity. Thus heavy hands make hard-mouthed horses; and hence it is in this condition that we generally find horses, for the best broke become so, if ridden a few times by an ignorant horseman. In such cases, the horse makes the rider support the weight both of his head and neck, or goes on his shoulders, and is apt to stumble.
If, then, the appuy be heavy, from the head being carried too low, and the horse not sufficiently united, the rider must raise the hand, and let the fingers, by moving, rather invite than compel the head, or more properly the neck, to rise, for the object is to bring in the head by raising the neck, the legs at the same time pressing the haunches under. By these means, the horse will be united, and the appuy will be lightened. Should the hand, however, be too confining to the horse when united, he may become so balanced on his haunches that he can neither disunite himself nor advance one step; and, should the rider then press him without yielding or dropping the hand, he would compel him to rear.
Such are the two extremes, where the horse is disunited, and where he is too much united. The intermediate effect of the hand and heel must be acquired by practice.
THE HAND.
To a masterly hand, firmness, gentleness, and lightness, are very properly described as being essentially necessary.
Firmness of the hand does not, however, do more than correspond exactly with the feeling in the horse’s mouth, unless the horse attempts to get the ascendancy, to abandon that delicate correspondence producing the appuy, and keeping him under the strictest obedience, and to make a dull or insensible pull on the hand. To frustrate these attempts, the hand is kept firm, and the fingers braced; and, should the horse plant his head low to endure this, the fingers are moved, the reins shaken, &c., to raise the head and divert him from his purpose; or, if this be unavailing, the hand is yielded that the reins may become slack, and a snatch is given in an upward direction, which will not only make him raise his head, but will deter him from putting it down again.
Gentleness of the hand relaxes a little of its firmness, and mitigates the feeling between the hand and the horse’s mouth, without passing, however, from one extreme to another. Lightness of the hand lessens still more the feeling between the rider’s hand and the horse’s mouth, and consists in a slight alternate feeling and easing of the bridle, regulated by the motion of the horse; for, if the appuy were always in the same degree, it would heat the mouth, dull the feeling, and render the horse’s bars callous. The rider must also distinguish whether the horse washes to disengage himself from restriction, or wants a momentary liberty to cough, to move if cramped, to dislodge a fly, &c.
The curb, if used, requires always a light hand to manage it; and the horse should never be put to do any thing in a curb at which he is not perfectly ready. The curb is adapted for acting in a direct line only: the snaffle should be used in all other cases. Still, as to all these qualities, the transitions must be gradual. Were the rider, passing over that degree of restraint which is derived from the easy or gentle hand, to go at once from a firm to a slack one, he would deprive his horse of the support he trusted to, and precipitate him on his shoulders. On the contrary, were he to pass from the slack to the tight rein all at once, he would give a violent shock to the horse’s mouth.
All the operations of the hand, then, should be firm, gentle, and light; and in these, the fingers and wrist alone must act. Certain liberties called descents of the hand, are also taken with well-bred horses. These are made three different ways:--by advancing the arm a little, but not the shoulder, still keeping the usual length of rein, or by dropping the knuckles directly and at once upon the horse’s neck;--by taking the reins in the right hand, about four fingers’ breadth above the left, and letting them slide through the left, dropping the right hand at the same time upon the horse’s neck;--and by taking the end of the reins in the right hand, quitting them entirely with the left, and letting the end of them fall upon the horse’s neck. These graceful freedoms must never be used but with great caution, when the horse is quite together, and in hand; and the rider, by throwing back his body, must counterbalance the weight of the horse upon his haunches.
There are still minuter rules belonging to this head; for instance, both snaffle reins being in one hand, and that in the first position,--if we open the first and second fingers, we slacken the right rein;--if we open the little finger, we slacken the left rein;--if we shut the hand entirely, and immediately open it again, we lessen the tension of both reins. By these methods, we may relieve and freshen the two bars in which the feeling and appuy resides. So also in the second descent of the hand. While the right hand holds the reins, we may slide the left hand up and down these in that degree of appuy which belongs to the easy and slack hand: during which the horse will endeavour to preserve that mutual sensation between the mouth and the hand, which makes him submit with pleasure to constraint. By this play of the rein and movement of the bit to avoid pressure in one continued way, the horse’s head is kept high, and his neck and crest are raised.
THE GUIDANCE OR AIDS.
The modes of guiding the horse are called aids, because they not only direct, but assist him to execute. They also check him in acting contrarily. These aids are certain positions of the hand, body, legs, and sometimes of the switch or whip. The hand is so far the principal of these, that the others are sometimes called accompaniments, as only giving power and efficacy to the hand.
_Aids of the Hand._
A horse can move four different ways--forward, to the right, to the left, and backward; but he cannot perform these motions unless the hand of the rider makes four corresponding motions. There are accordingly five different positions for the hand, including the general one from which the other four proceed.
_The five Positions when one Rein is held in each Hand._
In the first position, the reins pass up between the third and fourth fingers of each hand, their ends are thrown over the fore-fingers, the thumbs are closed on them, and the fingers are shut:--the hands being held as already described in treating of the seat. The second position consists of a slight relaxation of the preceding, and permits the horse to advance. The third position shortens the right rein rather upward, and turns the horse to the right. The fourth position shortens the left rein rather upward, and turns the horse to the left; and the fifth position shortens both reins, and stops or reins the horse backwards.
_The five Positions when the Reins are held in one Hand._
The aids of the hand, as forming these positions, when the reins are held in one hand, may be very simply given by a little extending, or bending the wrist, to make the horse advance, or go backward,--and by slightly carrying the hand to the right or to the left, and in both cases rather upward, to make the horse turn in these directions.
_The Twistings of the Bridle Hand._