she wants
him to proceed on his journey, she should say "go on," or click with the
tongue. It is best to put a beginner on an animal which has been trained
to await the commands of his rider, in order that she may from her very
first lesson in riding, learn the rudiments of horse control. She should
never jerk the reins as a signal to start, because this practice is very
apt to confuse and consequently to irritate the animal, especially as
the perpetrator of this _betise_ will, in all probability, use the same
means for stopping him. Before she gets on his back, the instructor
should show how the reins should be held, and how the horse should be
given the order to walk. It is the custom in many riding schools to
place the curb and snaffle reins in the rider's left hand and leave her
to find out their use as best she can, but as the lady will require to
devote almost the whole of her attention to her seat, and as in hunting
she will ride with both hands on the reins, it is better to give her a
snaffle rein to hold in each hand, and not introduce the curb until she
is sufficiently secure in her seat to be able to manipulate it properly.
The unusual feeling of sitting on the back of a moving animal will often
cause a lady to lean forward and grip her crutches, in order to retain
her seat, especially at the turns in the school or enclosure, where she
may be receiving her lesson, but the instructor should watch her
carefully, and should call a halt when the pupil is observed to be
riding her crutches instead of sitting well down in her saddle, and
obtaining the necessary steadying power without bringing the weight of
her body forward. The rider will not require to grip her crutches while
proceeding in a forward direction at a walk, although their aid may be
necessary when executing a turning movement, and she should also be
ready to apply grip at any moment of emergency. She will at first
experience some difficulty in being able to dissociate balance from
grip, and as her efforts to do so may be somewhat fatiguing to her, her
first lessons should be of short duration. Fig. 92 shows an easy,
comfortable position when riding at a walk.

After the rider has mastered the art of sitting comfortably and firmly
in her saddle at a walk, she should be given a whip to hold in her
right hand, which should also hold the right rein. I think the best kind
of flail for a beginner is a long cane. A cutting whip is not
sufficiently stiff to