THE SADDLE. 59 



prive them of the requisite power of motion, making 

 you depend on the stirrups and not on your seat fop* 

 your position in the saddle. The Orientals all ride in 

 the short stirrups in which they can stand resting on 

 the entire sole of their feet on account of the shovel 

 shape and the size of this contrivance ; but their 

 stirrups are hung directly under their seat, and in a 

 very different position from that which they occupy 

 in our saddles (see Plate TV. ) Short stirrups on an 

 English saddle give quite a different form to the seat 

 in consequence. 



With respect to the upper surface, or seat, of tho. 

 saddle, we have to remark, that as the under one must j 

 be large in proportion to the weight, so this should bo^ 

 roomy in proportion to the bulk of the rider ; a heavy 

 man will always require a large under surface, but not 

 equally constantly a large upper one, for it is bone that 

 weighs ; and as, whatever the seat may be, it should 

 be permanent in some one part of the saddle, there is 

 not only no use, but a positive disadvantage, on ac- 

 count of weight, in having it larger above than is 

 absolutely necessary. It is, however, the form of the 

 iipper surface that decides most as to the permanence 

 of the seat. If what we may call the ridge of the 

 saddle be perfectly horizontal, the scat Will be deter- 

 mined chiefly by the length and position of the 

 stirrup, because the two surfaces, rider and saddle, are 

 in imperfect contact ; and it is therefore usual to dip 

 this ridge at some point and spread it out into a more 

 or less concave surface. Now the form of the seat 

 will depend altogether on the relative position of the 

 loioest 2)oint of this dip ; if it be placed far back the 

 rider will remain there, and if it be placed in the 



