horse.  The most difficult gait to ride is the trot.  There are two distinct styles of riding—­to trot in English style of treading the stirrups, which necessitates rising from the saddle at every step of the horse, and the army style of simply sitting back in the saddle and taking the jouncing.  Either method will prove very difficult for the beginner.  A partial treading or easing up but not as extreme as the English style will probably be the best to acquire.  So much depends upon the gait of a horse that we learn to ride some horses in a very few days, and would be several times as long with some others.

[Illustration:  The wrong way to mount a horse—­facing forward]

A horse that habitually stumbles is very dangerous.  We must be sure our saddle horse is sure footed.  In using English stirrups never permit the foot to go through the stirrup and rest on the ball.  The toes should be in such a position that the stirrups can be kicked off at an instant’s notice in case the horse falls with us.

[Illustration:  The right way to mount—­facing toward his tail]

In tying a saddle horse in the stable for feeding or rest always loosen the girth and throw the stirrups over the saddle.

A saddle horse should always be spoken to gently but firmly.  The horse can tell by your voice when you are afraid of him.

The canter is the ideal gait.  After we once learn it, the motion of a good saddle horse is almost like a rocking chair and riding becomes one of the most delightful of outdoor pastimes.  The boy who expects to go on an extended trip in the saddle should learn to care for a horse himself.  A horse should never be fed or watered when he is warm unless we continue to drive him immediately afterward.  Neglect of this precaution may cause “foundering,” which has ruined many a fine horse.

The art of packing a horse is one which every one in mountain countries away from railroads should understand.  Packing a horse simply means tying a load over his back.  There are a great many hitches used for this purpose by Western mountaineers, but the celebrated diamond hitch will answer most purposes.

Hunting and steeplechasing, leaping fences and ditches, are the highest art of horsemanship.  It is difficult to teach an old horse to be a hunter, but with a young one you can soon get him to take a low obstacle or narrow ditch, and by gradually increasing the distance make a jumper of him.

[Illustration:  Jumping fences is the highest art of horsemanship]

The popularity of automobiles has caused the present generation partially to lose interest in horseflesh, but no automobile ever made will furnish the real bond of friendship which exists between a boy and his horse, or will be a substitute for the pleasure that comes from a stiff canter on the back of our friend and companion.

We do not really need an expensive horse.  A typical Western or polo pony is just the thing for a boy or girl provided that it has no vicious or undesirable traits such as kicking, bucking, or stumbling, or is unsound or lame.  It is always better if possible to buy a horse from a reliable dealer or a private owner.  There is a great deal of dishonesty in horse trading and an honest seller who has nothing to conceal should be willing to grant a fair trial of a week or more.