LEXGTH OF STIRRUPS. 



graceful, but it also causes the arms to work at a 

 mechanical disadvantage, and obliges the rider to 

 " round " his shoulders, which will naturally bring the 

 weight forward, and will interfere with the free back- 

 ward play of the body. 



The length of the stirritps, with such a seat, will enable 

 the rider to clear the pommel of the saddle easily when 

 standing up in them, and, as a general rule, will cause 

 the lower part of the stirrup irons to reach a little below 

 the ankle joints, when the feet are taken out of the 

 stirrups and allowed to hang down. In short, the 

 length of the stirrups should be such as will assist the 

 horseman in assuming a perfect seat, and cannot be 

 determined by any fixed measurement. If the rider 

 finds that when on a puller, at the gallop, he can get 

 his knees well into the flaps of the saddle, draw his feet 

 back, and in this manner exert his strength to the best 

 advantage, he may rest assured that his stirrups are of 

 the right length. Men with short, round thighs will, 

 usually, require comparatively longer stUTups than those 

 of an opposite conformation, for they need an increased 

 amount of grip from the calf of the leg to aid that of 

 the thigh and knee. They will, consequently, ride with 

 a straighter leg. 



C 2 



