“You think so?” he asks.  “Then we shall depend on you to regard the distance with great accuracy.  At present you are two feet too far in the rear.  Forward!  Now, ladies, when I say ‘forward,’ it is not alone for one; it is for all of you; each one must look and see whether or not her horse is in the right place.  And she must not bend sideways to do it, Miss Versatilia.  She must look over her horse’s head between his ears.  Now, forward!  Now, look straight between your horse’s ears, each one of you, and see something on the horse before you that is just on a line with the top of his head, and use that as a guide to tell you whether or not you are in place!  Now, forward, Miss—­Miss Lady!  Not so fast!  Keep walking!  Do not let him trot!  Keep up in the corners!  Do not let your horse go there to think!  Use your whip lightly!  Not so, not so!” as the society young lady brings down her whip, half on the shoulder of gentle Toto, half on his saddle, and sets him dancing lightly out of line, to the discomfiture of Versatilia’s horse, who follows him from a sense of duty.

“Take your places again,” cries your teacher, “and keep to the wall!  If you had had proper control of your horse, that would not have happened, Miss Versatilia!  Now, Miss Lady, hold your whip in the hollow of your hand, and use it by a slight movement, not by raising your arm and lashing, lashing, lashing as if you were on the race course.  A lady is not a jockey, and she should employ her whip almost as quietly as she moves her left foot.  Forward, forward!  And keep on the track, ladies!  Keep your horses’ heads straight by holding your reins perfectly even, then their bodies will be straight, and you will make one line instead of being on six lines as you are now.  And, Miss Esmeralda, forward!  Use your whip!  Not so gently!  It is not always enough to give your horse one little tap.  Give him many, one after the other with quickened movement, so that he will understand that you are in a hurry.  It is like the reveille which sounds ever louder until everybody is awake!

“Now, you must not make circles!  Make squares!  Go into the corners!  Don’t pull on your horse’s head, Miss Nell!  He thinks that you mean him to stop, and then you whip him and he tries to go on, and you pull again, and he knows not what to think.  Always carry out whatever purpose you begin with your horse if you can.  If sometimes you make a mistake, and cannot absolutely correct it because of those behind you, guide your horse to his proper place, and the next time that you come to that part of the ring, make him go right!  Forward, forward!  Ladies, not one of you is in the right place!  Keep up!  Keep up!  Miss Lady, you must go forward regularly!  Now prepare to trot!  No, no!  Walk!  When I say, ‘Prepare to trot,’ it is not for you to begin, but to think of what you must do to begin, and you must not let your horses go until I give the second order, and then not too fast at first.  Now, prepare to trot!  Trot!  Not quite so fast, Miss Lady; gently!  Keep up, keep up, Miss Beauty!  Miss Esmeralda, you are sitting too far to the left, your left shoulder is too far back! on’t hold your hands so high, Miss Versatilia!  Rise straight, Miss Esmeralda!  Now, remember, ladies, what I say is for all.  Prepare to whoa!  Whoa!”