MOUNTING, 165 



his hands. I am writing at present as much for gentle- 

 men, as I am for ladies. After a lady, during her early 

 essays, has suffered from clumsy attempts to put her 

 up, it is not to be wondered at if she regards the feat of 

 mounting, as one which requires some peculiar knack 

 to accomplish, while she naturally becomes nervous 

 about attempting it, as failure is so ungraceful. If she 

 has any doubts about her capability to mount easily, 

 she ought to make a few preliminary attempts to stand 

 and support herself for four or five seconds on the gen- 

 tleman's hands. When she finds that she can do this 

 successfully, she may, when her leg is again straight, 

 give him a signal (or take one from him), to place her 

 on the saddle. If she be very timid, she may practise 

 straightening her knee indoors, with her right hand on 

 the chimneypiece of a room, and her left on a gentle- 

 man's shoulder. When the lady has placed her foot on 

 the gentleman's hands, he generally gives the " caution," 

 " one, two," for her to straighten her knee before he 

 raises her. As he lifts her up, she turns her body a 

 little to the left and places herself sideways on the 

 saddle. She then puts her right leg over the pommel, 

 and has her skirt drawn down in front ; the right 

 knee should fit exactly into the curved seam made 



