LESSONS IN RIDING 373 



wrist very slightly rounded outwards, the little finger about as 

 high as the elbow and under the hand, the thumb on the top 

 and close on the rein. The flat side of the thigh and inside 

 of the knee should be placed to the saddle, but not screwed 

 round so as to take all the power out of the leg. (A great deal 

 here depends on the shape of the leg. A man with a round 

 thigh and large knee finds it more difficult to do this than one 

 with a thin flat thigh and small knee, and allowance must be 

 made accordingly.) The lower part of the legs should be close 

 to the sides of the horse, and the heels down. 



The stirrup may now be fitted, and in doing this the bar of 

 the stirrup should reach about three inches above the upper 

 edge of the heel of the boot ; the feet are then to be placed in 

 the stirrups as far as the ball of the foot, care being taken in 

 doing this not to get the knees forced too much up. The pupil 

 may now be walked round the school a few times, the instructor 

 walking round with him but a little way off, halting him occa- 

 sionally, and making such correction as may be necessary. It 

 should be explained to him that to make his horse go forward 

 he is to close the calves of the legs gently and yield the hand 

 by turning the little fingers towards the horse's ears ; and to halt, 

 to turn the little fingers upwards towards the centre of the body, 

 feeling the horse's mouth lightly and evenly until he halts, when 

 he is to yield the hand. About ten minutes of this should be 

 enough for the first lesson, and he should now be turned into 

 the centre of the school and instructed how to 'dismount.' 



The motions are very similar in dismounting to those in 

 mounting. In ' preparing to dismount ' the right hand takes 

 hold of the reins above the left, and the right foot is taken out 

 of the stirrup, the left hand then slides forward on the reins, 

 which are still held in the right hand about twelve inches from 

 the saddle ; then drop the spare part of the reins out of the 

 right hand to the off side, take the lock of the mane as in pre- 

 paring to mount, and place the right hand on the pommel of 

 the saddle. In doing this the body should be kept upright. 

 In 'dismounting,' the body is to be supported by the right 



