GENERAL RULES. 239 



down positive rules for the seat, and give reasons why 

 it should be so and not otherwise. 



We have seen how a horse that meditates resist- 

 ance gets its legs under its body, coiling itself up, as 

 it were, round one fixed point, the fourteenth vertebra. 

 The nearer the rider's seat is to that point or centre of 

 motion, the less will it be liable to disturbance from 

 the violent efforts that ensue. If he sits further back 

 towards the loins, his weight being there will interfere 

 with his management of a rearer or a backer, and ex- 

 pose him directly to the action of a kicker ; if, on the 

 contrary, he sits close to the horse's withers, he unduly 

 overweights the forehand, and loses most of his control 

 over the hind legs. Let us compare together, for in- 

 stance, the upper and lower figures of Plate V. on the 

 supposition of the horses wheeling sharp round sud- 

 denly; those of Plate VI. on the supposition of their 

 attempting to rear or kick; and those of Plate VII. 

 on that of their attempting to back against the will of 

 their respective riders. As to the hindermost figure of 

 Plate III., selected purposely to illustrate an exaggera- 

 tion, he can do nothing with his horse. 



As regards the position of the rider's legs, the upper 

 figure of Plate V. and the lower one of Plate VI. 

 sprawl them out forwards, and the upper one of Plate 

 VII. sidewise, with stiff knees away from the horse's 

 ribs, so that they must alter their whole seat when 

 they require to give the spur, which must be applied 

 in this position with a stab, instead of growing, as it 

 were, out of and being the climax of the pressure of 

 the calf, the importance of which we have seen. 



The position of the rider's body from the hips up- 

 wards is by no means indifferent. The getting up the 



