I70 LADIES' RIDING. 



cannot be obtained unless she sits zvell doivii. To do 

 this, she must, while sitting well back, keep her body 

 upright by the play of the hip-joints, and not by hollow- 

 ing out the small of her back. The waist should be kept 

 quite lissom. Both men and women, when riding, 

 should keep their bodies upright and their shoulders 

 back by the working of the hips. When this is done, 

 the seat of the rider is carried, as much as possible, under 

 the centre of gravity of the body, and not behind it, as 

 would be the case were the small of the back drawn in. 

 The entire body, except the legs, should be free from all 

 stiffness. The shoulders should be kept down and 

 drawn back, and the head raised. Many ladies, in the 

 present day, think it chic to turn out their elbows when 

 riding. I must confess that I prefer the old fashion 

 which ruled that daylight should not be seen between 

 a lady's arms and body when she was on horseback. 

 By keeping the elbows " in," the rider has much more 

 power over her animal than by turning them out. 



In order to acquire the deservedly admired '* square " 

 seat, the lady, when riding, should practise the habit of 

 keeping her eyes fixed in a line between the horse's 

 ears. By doing so, she will also tend to save him from 

 a sore back, which is so often caused by the " drag " 



