72 SEATS AND SADDLES. 



Finally, if the aforesaid perpendicular fall in front of 

 the sitting-bone, the fork-seat is achieved, the thighs 

 come back towards the horse's tail, the rider's body is 

 carried forward by every movement of the animal, be- 

 cause it rests only on two points instead of three, 

 and this may be styled the " muff school of eques- 

 trianism." 



Whatever difference of opinion may exist as to where 

 the rider should sit in his saddle, or however necessary 

 it may be to vary the exact position of the seat accord- 

 ing to the object in view, there can be no doubt what- 

 ever that the only firm and steady seat is on the tri- 

 angle: the Monboddo bone must neither be over- 

 weighted nor made too conspicuous. 



The seat therefore, as such, depends on balance or 

 poise, on the amount of surface brought into contact 

 with the saddle, both of which in their turn depend on 

 whether the rider's weight rests on three, two, or only 

 one corner of a triangle, and all this is necessarily modi- 

 fied by the position of the stirrup. "We have endeav- 

 oured to show the relative value of each element in 

 succession, and now leave the reader to make such a 

 combination of them as best suits his purpose, remind- 

 ing him merely that, although he may safely modify 

 first principles, he never can totally despise them with- 

 out committing an absurdity. 



A question presents itself here which, although ap- 

 pertaining more properly to the department of practical 

 instruction, is so intimately connected with the matters 

 we have just now been discussing, that it is impossible 

 to pass it over without a few words it is this : Should 

 we give our first instruction in riding with or without 

 stirrups ? The advocates of beginning without stirrups 



