appear to be cultivated to any considerable Horsemanship ie an art which does not extent in Shanghai, The fact is surprising when we consider that pony riding has been a favourite recreation here for so wany years. Unfortunately, it would seem that Tiding is more generally favoured as " means of training ponies for races, than "s a pleasurable, health-giving exercise, Herein is doubtless the reason why in this compara. tively large and wealthy community, where so many ponies are owned, there are only a few persons who have cultivated an clegunt style of riding, such as " gentleman rider on Rotten Row, or tts Shanghai counterpart, should emulate, The author of this article do not write in a spirit of captious critic It is! necessary, however, in justification of the introductory proposition, to point out few of the most ce jcucus faults can be observed any duy among the riders on the Sicawei Road. One may meet there motley variety, from the cross-country rider of England to the Shanghai youth who, though he may have won his laurels already on the race-course, has still much more to learn than he even dreams of, before he will become good rider. First of all, before he is likely to make progress, he aust recognise the fact that x jockey is not generally a good, all-round rider. Secondly, be must Know that wany persons can gallop over fields and jump ditches in utterly bad form, consciously taking considerable personal because they depend more upon balance than upon a secure position in the saddle, In other words, the ability to do certain things and to accomplish certain results, does not necessarily prove that these things are either well or safely done. In riding, as in everything else, " certain amount of intelligent instruction is of great and correcting careless habits, but also in acvalue, not only in giving a graceful position quiring a close and safe seat." Cnfortunately, there is no school of instruction in China, and it is rather doubtful should one be established, if it would receive very much encouragement. For it is a prevalent notion, among young nien especially, that they can learn' to ride with " very' little practice.
There is a certain recklessness about the riding here which speaks far more for the sure-fuoteduese and steadiness of the China pony than for the skill and good judgment of the riders, many of whom have not their ponies properly in hand. But so long as accidents do not happen, criticism loses all force, The rule seems to be that a pony must get over the ground at any particular gait, in the shortest possible time. We seldom see a slow, easy trot, a canter, or a ce fortable hand-gallop. We may be told that the China pony is not usually " trained or gaited hack. Does this imply that he caunnt be made such? If so, the implication is not borne out by facts, but only by the indisposit and impatience or unskilfulness of the rider.
Tam aware that this assertion will be called in question, and most vigorously assailed. It is made, however, with considerable confidence. The China pony has been maligned for years, by men who have never seriously tried to make him other than he is, who mistake nervousness and fear for bad temper, and apparently expect " practically untamed auitual to be always under control and gentle. The China pony is intelligent, not by nature bad-tempered, and amenable to training up to all the requirrnents of the most fastidious horseman. believe, however, that very few riders in China have any particular regard for their ies, leaving them entirely in the hands of the mat In referring to sents, all such as are assumed by the people of any land who live in the saddle are good, each best adapted to the circumstances and conditions where it prevails. Doubtless, therefore, ug seat here adopted is the be ponies, because racing hus be and so industriously followed in Shanghai, Bat what shall we say of road iding, in which we must have regard to style, grace and elegance! It is in these respects that the riding in Shanghai is defective. The most common seat is, obviously and naturally, derived from the race-course, It is inappropriate on the road and inelegant, There is " mongrel seat not infrequently seen, with lew stirrups and straightened legs, and the rider, after " fashion, rises to the trot. 'Dhis tuo is bad form, "TE one prefers Inn stirrups he should' discard the Ki saddle, get one made for that style riding, and always sit clue. Another with his legs spread out, like a sawhorse astraddle of a log. He should hay his photograph taken, full front rear view." A very considerable number of riders always Keep the left hand and shoulder well in advance of the others; while not a few have an awkward, Interal etuok of the body. Very many bend forward to the trot fike bicycle racers, and seem to make very hard work of it indeed. much more concerning minor but not unimportant details, especially as to the position of the hands; but our only: object is to show that grave faults exist, and to urge, as an ardent advocate of road riding for ladies and gentlemen, more attention to this recreation as an art worthy to be learned.
While admitting that any seat, so long as it deserves the name and is not a nondescript position, has something in its favour, it by no means follows that all are equally elegant or appropriate for the road. As we ride much at a trot, the English style of saddle is certainly the best. But why should " gentleman riding for pleasure, thrust his feet through the stirrups to the instep, and point his toes downward like plough-shares Tue true English hunting seat is far more elegant. I admire it above all others for a well-formed rider, although it is not exactly what is most' pleasing on the road. It is rather too business-like—as though one expected to meet a fence across the high-wat ith the ball of the foot on the stirrup and the latter a trifle lower, there is more grace and elasticity or springiness in movement, due to the action of the foot muscles.
This brings ty mind another feature noticeable in many riders here, which is stiffness in the upper body. In consequence vf this, comparatively few ride easily at a canter or a moderate gallop. Riding would be noticeably improved this respect, if the canter and easy haud-gallop were more universally adopted and studied. I say studied, because 1 know of pony with very goud cantering gait whose rider, not a novice, has never caught {the movement properly—aud never will. It is the easiest and pleasantest gait when nice acquired by a rider, but by no means the most readily learned.
I notice a number of lady riders, some of whom sit very well indeed. Women are often more beld and reckless on horseback than men, a fact partly due to the strong hold atfurded by the side-saddle, and pactly to one of those incomprehensible contradictions in the feminine character, which impels them ty clu the very things which we men would least expect of thew, It may be accepted as a general proposition, that the more timid " woman is when she first mounts, the more daring she will be when she learns to ride, Nevertheless, comparatively few ladies are favoured with sufficient strength and endurance to control an excited or frightened animal; und this is another strong argument in' favor naking good hacks out of China ponies. Horsemen will understand that by a hack T do not mean a pony without spirit and ambition, but an animal trained in its movements and sensitive and obedient to the rein. Such an animal may be frighten ed, but his confidence is quickly restored by' w steady hand. The security of the side-saddle has its disadvantages, for there are vceasions when it is better to fall off even involuntarily, than to hold on from necessity. The ability to dismount and get out of the way is not the least desirable accomplishment of " horseman, resulting only from considerable rough experience, They have " very simple method of cluing this in some parts of South America. A' rider bounds over the plain at a hard gallop, when two men suddenly draw up a rope in front, sing the pony ww trip or turn a somer: sault, " The rider goes over the pony's head but invariably brings up on his feet. Tt ly excellent practice and might' be tried on the race course.
I trust it will not be supposed that the writer is unappreciative of the excellent horsemanship to be seen xbout Shanghai. His object is to show wherein it is not all excellent, in the hope that a few words of suggestion may lead to improvement, The full enjoyment of riding comes only when it is devoid of conscious or apparent effort. It is then truly "recreation; but with many. it is always more or less hard physical work.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.