Walker's Manly Exercises - free ebook by Donald Walker

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Walker's Manly Exercises

Donald Walker

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EDITOR’S PREFACE.

EDITOR’S PREFACE.

The publishers of the present Edition of this popular little volume had a double purpose in entering upon the undertaking,—namely, to offer a carefully-revised copy of Walker’s Manly Exercises , and an outline of Rural Sports , to which they serve as the best elementary introduction. As the execution of that design was committed to me, I can only allude to the nature of the task, and hope that I have not quite failed in the enterprise. This I may be permitted to say,—that if the publishers’ desi

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LIST OF PLATES.

LIST OF PLATES.

Education may be divided into two parts, physical and mental. Of the former, Exercises or Gymnastics are the most extensive and the earliest portion. Their extent is learnt by an enumeration of them, viz., Walking, Running, Leaping, Vaulting, Pole-leaping, Balancing, Skating, Carrying, Climbing, and Swimming. We have added Throwing the Discus; and, in a course of British Exercises, we think Rowing, Sailing, Riding, and Driving, would be very improperly omitted. The object of these Exercises is t

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GENERAL DIRECTIONS.

GENERAL DIRECTIONS.

It only remains for us to give a few directions as to the time, place, and circumstances of exercise. The best time for the elementary exercises is when the air is cool, as, even in summer, it is early in the morning, or after the sun has declined; and they should never immediately follow a meal. The best place for these elementary exercises is a smooth grass-plat, or a firm sandy sea-beach. Chasms, stones, and stakes, are always dangerous. At the commencement, the coat and all unnecessary cloth

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THE BALANCE STEP.

THE BALANCE STEP.

The object of this is to teach the free movement of the limbs, preserving at the same time perfect squareness of the shoulders, with the utmost steadiness of body; and no labour is spared to attain this first and most essential object, which forms, indeed, the very foundation of good walking. The instructor must be careful that a habit be not contracted of drooping or throwing back a shoulder at these motions, which are intended practically to show the true principles of walking, and that steadi

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WALKING.

WALKING.

Of all exercises, this is the most simple and easy. The weight of the body rests on one foot, while the other is advanced; it is then thrown upon the advanced foot, while the other is brought forward; and so on in succession. In this mode of progression, the slowness and equal distribution of motion is such, that many muscles are employed in a greater or less degree; each acts in unison with the rest; and the whole remains compact and united. Hence, the time of its movements may be quicker or sl

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RUNNING.

RUNNING.

“Running,” says one of our gymnasiarchs, “only differs from walking by the rapidity of the movement.” This is quite incorrect. Running is precisely intermediate to walking and leaping; and, in order to pass into it from walking, the motion must be changed. A series of leaps from each foot alternately must be performed, in order to constitute it; the foot which is left behind quits the ground before the foot in advance is firmly fixed, so that the centre of gravity remains uncertain in passing fr

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LEAPING.

LEAPING.

Leaping consists principally in the sudden straightening of the articulations, performed by a strong and instantaneous contraction of the extensors, by which the body is rapidly projected from the ground. The leaping-stand consists of two moveable posts, above six feet high, having, above the second foot from the ground, holes bored through them, at the distance of an inch from each other; two iron pins to be placed in the holes at any height; a cord, at least ten feet long, passed over these pi

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VAULTING.

VAULTING.

In vaulting, by a spring of the feet, the body is raised, and by leaning the hands upon a fixed object, it at the same time receives, in oblique vaulting, a swing which facilitates the action. As the inclination thus given to the body depends not merely on the feet, but on the hands, we have the power to guide the body in any direction. This exercise is conveniently practised on the vaulting bar, which rests upon two or three posts. It may be performed with or without running. The beginner may a

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BALANCING.

BALANCING.

Balancing is the art of preserving the stability of the body upon a narrow or a moving surface. The balancing bar consists of a round and tapering pole, supported horizontally, about three feet from the ground, by upright posts, one at its thicker extremity, and another about the middle, between the parts of which it may be raised or lowered by means of an iron peg passing through holes in their sides. The unsupported end of the bar wavers, of course, when stepped upon—( Plate XIV. ) The upper s

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CARRYING WEIGHT.

CARRYING WEIGHT.

The power of raising and carrying weight is of great importance in a general view. Many advantages will be derived from it; for besides strengthening the locomotive muscles, upon which all our physical operations depend, it will fortify also all the system and all the organs. All persons, moreover, may find themselves under the necessity of raising and carrying a wounded or fainting person, and may be glad to have cultivated and acquired the power necessary to perform such an act. In accustoming

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THROWING THE DISCUS.

THROWING THE DISCUS.

Among the Greeks, throwing the discus did not form part of the games till the eighteenth Olympiad. This exercise consisted in throwing, as far as possible, a mass of wood or stone, but more commonly of iron or copper, of a lenticular form. From the testimony of ancient authors, there was no mark or butt fixed, except the spot where the discus thrown by the strongest of the discoboli alighted. Mercuriali has handed down to us three engravings, in which the discus is not of the same shape. The fir

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CLIMBING.

CLIMBING.

Climbing is the art of transporting the body in any direction, by the aid, in general, both of the hands and feet. The climbing-stand consists of two strong poles, about fifteen feet high, and from fifteen to twenty-five feet distant, which are firmly fixed in the ground, and support a beam strongly fastened to them. One pole is two inches and a half in diameter; the other, which serves as a mast, should be considerably thicker; and both serve the purpose of climbing. To the beam are attached ot

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SKATING.

SKATING.

Skating is the art of balancing the body, while, by the impulse of each foot alternately, it moves rapidly upon the ice. The wood of the skate should be slightly hollowed, so as to adapt it to the ball of the foot; and, as the heel of the boot must be thick enough to admit the peg, it may be well to lower the wood of the skate corresponding to the heel, so as to permit the foot to regain that degree of horizontal position which it would otherwise lose by the height of the heel; for the more of t

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SWIMMING.

SWIMMING.

Swimming, considered with regard to the movements that it requires, is useful in promoting great muscular strength; but the good effects are not solely the result of the exercise that the muscles receive, but partly of the medium in which the body is moved. Both the considerable increase of general force, and the tranquillizing of the nervous system produced by swimming, arise chiefly from this, that the movements, in consequence of the cold and dense medium in which they take place, occasion no

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ROWING.

ROWING.

[9] This should have the preference here, because the art is best learned on the smooth water, and in the lighter boats, of rivers. It may be laid down as a general rule, that, in calm weather, a light and sharp boat is preferable; and, in rough weather, a heavier and broader one. The learner, however, should not at first begin in too light a boat, nor should he practise in rough weather, until he gets acquainted with its management. To leave the shore, the rower should, with the boat-hook, shov

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SAILING.

SAILING.

Cutters, owing to their excellent sailing qualities, are much employed as packets [10] , revenue cruisers, smugglers, privateers, and in all cases requiring despatch. The boats commonly employed in parties of pleasure, &amp;c., are also cutters. [10] In the packet line, since the general adoption of steam, cutters are seldom if ever met with.— Ed. Fifth Edition. On the size of these vessels, however, it is necessary to remark, that a cutter under one hundred tons is sufficiently handy; but,

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THE HORSE AND EQUIPMENTS.

THE HORSE AND EQUIPMENTS.

Plates XXXIV. , XXXV. f. 1 give better ideas of the horse and his equipments than the longest and most detailed description. The reader will therefore examine them in succession. We have here only to add those circumstances as to the equipment of the horse, which could not be communicated by that otherwise briefer and more impressive method. The shoes of a horse have much to do with his, and consequently with his rider’s, comfort. It is therefore important to know that he is properly shod. To ef

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MOUNTING AND DISMOUNTING.

MOUNTING AND DISMOUNTING.

In mounting, the rider,—presenting himself rather before the horse’s shoulder, with his left breast towards that shoulder, and with his whip or switch in his left hand,—takes, with the right hand, the snaffle reins in the centre;—introduces the little finger of the left hand between them from before, the back of that hand being towards the horse’s head;—places the left hand below the right on the neck of the horse, about twelve inches from the saddle;—draws with the right hand the reins through

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THE SEAT.

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 thi

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THE BALANCE.

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, i

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THE REIN-HOLD.

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

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THE CORRESPONDENCE.

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 op

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THE ACTION.

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)

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THE HAND.

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 fing

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THE GUIDANCE OR AIDS.

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....

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Aids of 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. 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

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ANIMATIONS, SOOTHINGS, AND CORRECTIONS.

ANIMATIONS, SOOTHINGS, AND CORRECTIONS.

Animations proceed from the hand, the leg, the whip, or the tongue; those of the hand and of the legs have been described among the aids. Animations of the whip are mild taps to quicken the horse, or, if the lash is upwards, switching it in the air. Those of the leg and whip threaten punishment; and accordingly, with sluggish horses, both may be necessary. The animation of the tongue is produced by placing the tongue flat against the roof of the mouth, and suddenly displacing the posterior part

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THE WALK.

THE WALK.

The rider should not suffer his horse to move till his clothes are adjusted, and whip shifted, when, collecting his reins, and taking one in his right hand, he must close his legs, to induce the horse to move slowly forward in the walk. If he wish to increase the pace, the pressure of the knees must be increased. When the horse moves, the legs must resume their former position,—the hands remain perfectly steady,—and the body yield to the movement. As to character, the walk is the pace performed

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THE TROT.

THE TROT.

As to the character of the trot, when we urge the horse to proceed faster than he can by moving one leg after the other in the walk, we oblige him to take up two at a time in the trot. Here the off fore-foot and the near hind-foot give one beat; and the near fore-foot and the off hind-foot give another; so that there are two legs crosswise off the ground, and two legs on; the beats being sharp and quick, in proportion to the degree of animation and extension. The perfection of the trot consists

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ROAD RIDING.

ROAD RIDING.

Road riding is here introduced, because the trot is its most appropriate pace. The difference between manège and road riding, consists chiefly in a shorter seat and a shorter stirrup being used in the latter. A certain freedom and ease are also admissible. These, however, must not exceed propriety, lead to neglect of the horse, or risk security. The hand should keep its situation and property, though the body be turned to any extreme for the purpose of viewing or conversing; and the body must no

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THE GALLOP.

THE GALLOP.

As to the character of the gallop, when we press a horse in the trot beyond his capacity, or animate him with the legs while we raise or retain him with the hand, we compel him to lift his two fore-feet after each other, which commences the gallop. The near fore-foot is first raised from the ground; then the off fore-foot, which, however, passes the other, and they come to the ground in the same order, the near fore-foot making one beat, and the off fore-foot another, that being the most advance

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LEAPING.

LEAPING.

The moveable bar for leaping should be ten feet in length, which will admit of two horses leaping abreast; at first from one to two feet high; and never very high. As to the seat, it should be again observed that stirrups are no security in any situation on horseback; and those who cannot forbear pressing a weight on them, had better have none when learning to leap. An accurate balance must prevent all disturbance of the seat; for the slightest, whether the rider is thrown up from the saddle, or

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CRITICAL SITUATIONS.

CRITICAL SITUATIONS.

When a horse is addicted to stumbling, rearing, kicking and bolting, plunging, shying and restiveness, the seat is maintained as in leaps; and the arms are held firm to the body, the hands kept up, and the reins separate, rather short than otherwise. By these means, the horse’s head being raised, he can with less ease either rear or kick, because, for such purposes, he must have his head at liberty. It is fortunate that horses which rear high seldom kick, and vice versâ . On these occasions, the

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TREATMENT OF THE HORSE.

TREATMENT OF THE HORSE.

Stables are generally too dark and too hot. They should be kept quite cool, though without any draughts. “A way,” says De Beranger, in Helps and Hints, “of making the most of your horses, is to rise early in the summer, in order to do half your day’s work before the heat of the day; for lying by the whole of the rest of the day, not only affords a traveller time and opportunity for examining what is worthy of being seen, but enables him to start with horses quite fresh, and to finish the remaini

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DRIVING.

DRIVING.

Among the ancients, for more than one thousand years, the greatest honour that could be bestowed upon a man was a sprig of the wild olive tree entwined round his brow, for having gained a victory in the chariot-race at the Olympic games of Greece. This sprig of olive, moreover, was accompanied by other marks of distinction: the wearer of it was not only honoured with statues and inscriptions during his life-time, but the immortal Pindar, or some other great poet, was called upon to hand his name

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THE ROADS.

THE ROADS.

The excellence of our present mail-coach work reflects the highest credit on the state of our roads. The hills on great roads are now cut triangularly, so that drivers ascend nearly all of them in a trot. Coachmen have found out that they are gainers here, as, in the trot, every horse does his share, whereas, very few teams are all at work together when walking. As, however, dreadful accidents have occurred to coaches when descending hills, a very simple expedient has been suggested, by which th

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CARRIAGES.

CARRIAGES.

Of carriages, those with two wheels are the cheapest, lightest, and most expeditious; but, however sure-footed the horse, and however skilful the driver, they are comparatively dangerous vehicles. As to gentlemen’s carriages, in this country, it has justly been observed, that the view at Hyde Park Corner, on any fine afternoon, in the height of the London season, is enough to confound any foreigner, from whatever part of the world he may come. He may there see what no other country can show him.

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COACH-HORSES.

COACH-HORSES.

A great change has lately taken place as to the English coach-horse; and this is the foundation of many other accompanying changes. Fifty years ago, the putting a thorough-bred horse into harness would have been deemed preposterous. In the carriages of gentlemen, the long-tailed black, or Cleveland bay—each one remove from the cart-horse—was the prevailing sort; and six miles an hour was the extent of the pace. Now, however, this clumsy-barrelled, cloddy-shouldered, round-legged animal, somethin

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HARNESS.

HARNESS.

In the manufacture of harness we have arrived at a degree of perfection, to which the invention of the patent shining leather has mainly contributed. A handsome horse well harnessed is a noble sight; yet in no country, except England, is the art of putting a horse into harness at all understood. If, however, our road horses were put to their coaches in the loose awkward fashion of the continental people, we could not travel at the rate we do. It is the command given over the coach-horse that ena

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RELATIVE PLACES OF HORSES.

RELATIVE PLACES OF HORSES.

In placing horses in a team, we speak of near and off horses. The term of “near” is probably a borrowed one. In a waggon, the near horse is the one which is nearest the driver, who always walks with the horses to his right hand; and the other, running abreast of him, is called the off or far horse, because he is the farthest from the driver. This term indeed does not refer to coaching so well as to waggoning, as the coachman does not walk by the side of his horses; but many of the terms of coach

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COACHMEN.

COACHMEN.

Of late years, a superior class of men form our coachmen; and for this we are mainly indebted, first, to the driving clubs, and the notice taken of coachmen by men of fortune; and, secondly, to the boxes being placed on springs. The latter renders it a common practice for passengers to pay an extra shilling for the box-place, whereas formerly a man would have given something to be any where else. We are told that good coachmen are becoming, in proportion to their number, more scarce every year,

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MOUNTING AND DISMOUNTING.

MOUNTING AND DISMOUNTING.

Before getting upon the box, a coachman should walk round his horses’ heads, to see that his curb-chains and coupling reins are right, and, above all, that the tongues of his billet-buckles are secure in their holes. Many accidents have arisen from the want of this precaution. No man is a safe coachman who does not see to these things. Of mounting and dismounting, there is nothing particular to be said; except that, in the former, the reins are to be taken in the right hand, and transferred to t

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THE SEAT.

THE SEAT.

The driver should sit in the middle of the box, quite straight towards his horses, rather upright or backward, than forward, with his knees nearly straight, and with his feet together, toward the edge of the footboard. With the exception of a pliant motion of his loins, on any jolting of the coach, his body should be quite at rest, and particularly so when he hits a horse. Independently of appearance, a firm seat on a box is very necessary for safety to a coachman and his passengers, for a trifl

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STARTING.

STARTING.

Before starting, four horses should stand clear, or at their proper length from each other. They should have some notice—a click, or a whistle given them to move. If the whip is used, the wheelers should be touched, as generally the ablest horses. It is with coach-horses as with mankind—that where the physical strength is in the governed, they must be humoured a little. When starting, the coachman must not pull at their heads, but feel their mouths lightly, or they may bolt, throw themselves dow

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THE PACES.

THE PACES.

These, in driving, must always be a walk or a trot—never a canter, which, owing to the draught, would be equally injurious to the horse and to the carriage. Either of these paces, moreover, should be suited to the nature of the road. Rapid driving, on the stones especially, exposes a carriage to injury, both from shocks against others, and from those which attend its own motion. However, it is sometimes for a moment necessary, in order to get out of the way of carts, waggons, &amp;c. In publ

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THE TIME.

THE TIME.

In short distances, to know precisely at what time it is necessary to start, to arrive at any place at a certain hour, the driver has only to ascertain the distance, and to regulate the pace by the following table:— In the streets of London, ten minutes at least, in every hour, must be allowed for stoppages....

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THE WHIP.

THE WHIP.

“We are too apt,” said the late Lord Erskine, “to consider animals under the domination of man in no view but that of property. We should never forget that the animal over which we exercise our power has all the organs which render it susceptible of pleasure and pain. It sees, it hears, it smells, it tastes, it feels with acuteness. How mercifully, then, ought we to exercise the dominion intrusted to our care!” Speaking to coach-horses from the box is now considered slow, but it is not without i

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THOROUGHFARES, PASSING, &c.

THOROUGHFARES, PASSING, &c.

The driver should avoid passing through the great thoroughfares, and prefer the widest of the less frequented streets which run parallel to them. In London, he should never go into the City through the Strand, Fleet-street, and Cheapside, between twelve and five o’clock, if he can possibly avoid it, as these streets are then crowded with every kind of vehicle. He should also avoid going into the City about mid-day, on Mondays and Fridays, on account of the droves of oxen passing through the prin

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ASCENDING AND DESCENDING.

ASCENDING AND DESCENDING.

In going up hill, it is in general best to trot up at first, and to walk afterwards. In going down hill, it is best to keep the wheelers tight in hand, to let the leaders just clear the bars, and to come gently down. In the latter case, a turn of the reins of the wheel-horses may be made round the little finger. ( Plate XLIV. fig. 4.) Although, however, it may be necessary to catch up wheel-horses, and make them hold back their coach down hill, there is nothing in which a light finger is more es

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THE TURNINGS.

THE TURNINGS.

These must be regulated by the ground. A good driver avoids all quick and sharp turnings. In town, it is much better to drive on a little further, where another street may allow the ample room requisite in turning. If a carriage do not pass quite across a channel without turning, the perch must be twisted according to the descent, because one wheel falls as that at the opposite angle rises. By such a wrench, especially when going fast, the main or perch bolt is frequently broken, and every part

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THE RANKS IN TOWN.

THE RANKS IN TOWN.

These must never be broken, either in driving through crowded streets, or in setting down at crowded places. As to admitting others into the rank, every driver should do as he would be done by....

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STOPS.

STOPS.

It is a good plan to use horses to stop by notice, as it may prevent accidents. In pulling up, the driver must pull the reins equally, but rather those of the wheelers first. If this is attended with difficulty, take the wheelers’ reins in the right hand, and pull till they hang well on the breeching, or on the pole chains, thus increasing the leaders’ draught so much that they will easily be pulled up. When a young coach-horse is stopped, it should be very gradually—allowing at least ten yards

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ACCIDENTS, &c. TO HORSES.

ACCIDENTS, &c. TO HORSES.

A cantering leader, or one that frets, is generally mismanaged by young coachmen. They are apt to pull him back, and endeavour to get him to trot, by the bit, which generally fails, or makes him even worse, by bringing him back on his bar. The right way is to pull him back by his harness; that is, to keep the wheelers back, so that he may feel his collar and bit at the same time. A horse that kicks ought to be taken very short in his pole-piece, and gagged; and, when he begins to kick, he should

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ACCIDENTS TO COACHES, &c.

ACCIDENTS TO COACHES, &c.

A necessary precaution in a gig is—never to sit with the feet under the body, but always to have one, if not both, out before it. “I had a passenger by the side of me,” says the driver who gives this caution, “who was sitting with his feet under his belly, and who was consequently thrown with much violence into the road. I had five miles further to drive him, during which he took care to have his feet before him.” In stage-coaches, accidents no doubt occur, and no one will assert that the propri

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OBSTRUCTIONS, OFFENCES, AND INJURIES.

OBSTRUCTIONS, OFFENCES, AND INJURIES.

By the 1st Geo. I. c. 57, drivers of hackney coaches are to give way to gentlemen’s carriages, under a penalty of 10 s. If a carriage be obstructed by disorderly persons, the driver should take out his pocket-book, and let the persons guilty of this see that he is taking a note of their number; and he should then coolly tell them that he will summon them if they do not immediately clear the way. If a carriage be injured by another running against it, the driver should ascertain whose carriage ha

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THE TURF.

THE TURF.

It is singular that no portion of our domestic annals should be so obscure as that which relates to the early history of our first of National Sports. In the remotest ages of civilization (so far at least as any existing records carry us back), a taste for horse-racing was fostered and promoted as a social engine peculiarly adapted to rural and political purposes. The Greeks—the wisest and most polished people that the world has ever seen—carried their estimate of its importance so far, that the

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HUNTING.

HUNTING.

As the whole object of the Manly Exercises is not accomplished in the attainment and practice of them, it was thought convenient that the business of their details should be succeeded by a partial notice of some of those sports of which they form the elementary process, and which may be regarded as their ultimate “end and aim.” It has been well said by my talented friend, Nimrod, that all the writing in the world will not make a sportsman. The pen of Pindar, and the pencil of Grant, indeed, exhi

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SHOOTING.

SHOOTING.

It is my purpose, in the present chapter, as in the two preceding, to offer, as companion to the system of exercises described in the first part of this work, certain practical rules upon another of those popular field sports, a knowledge of which has in all ages been considered, in this country, part of a gentleman’s education. The perfection to which we have attained in the manufacture of all the implements connected with this branch of sporting, would make a dissertation on the materiel of sh

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