212 RESTIVENESS : ITS PREVENTION AND CURE. 



part of the chest. Now, although the saddle is placed 

 forwards, the stirrups being usually very short, the 

 body of the rider, from the hips upwards, is in most 

 cases farther back than the perpendicular line through 

 the fourteenth vertebra, fig. 4; but from the hips down- 

 wards the legs are brought forwards towards the horse's 

 shoulders, and the main reliance for the seat is with 

 that portion of the leg from the knee down to the 

 ankle, in the hollow close behind the horse's shoulders : 

 therefore, although the rider's body is actually farther 

 back than what we have described to be the normal 

 position, the direction in which his weight is thrown 

 by each impulse received from the horse's hind legs, is 

 diagonally forwards on to the fore legs, and not in the 

 vertical line shown by the arrows in fig. 4. Moreover, 

 the rider's legs exercise in this their usual position all 

 the influence derivable from mere pressure, or from the 

 spur, wholly on the horse's fore legs, leaving the hind 

 legs free from all control, for they almost always come 

 too late when the rider endeavours to meet the horse's 

 croup or fix its hind quarters. 



The system of bridling and bitting is also perfectly 

 suited to the object kept steadily in view, the horse's 

 head being kept low, if necessary, with the martingal, 

 which, of course, as has been shown, throws an addi- 

 tional portion of the weight on the fore legs. When, 

 at a later period too, a curbed bit is used, this is put 

 so high up in the horse's mouth that the action of the 

 curb becomes more painful than that of the mouth- 

 piece (see Part II. of this book), and consequently in- 

 duces the horse rather to lean on the bit than yield 

 in the direction of the rider's hand. Finally, this 

 latter is, both with the snaffle and the curb-bit, held 



