HINTS ON HORSES 



67 



The steeper the ascent and descent, the 

 further forward and backward does the rider 

 swing. Compare the positions in jumping 

 over a stone wall and a brook (Figs. 39 and 

 40). A bad rider, on the other hand, is loose 

 in his seat. He adds to the fatigues of his 

 horse by opposing his weight to the joint 

 requirements of man and beast. He rides 

 more than his own weight. 



By his loose seat, when rising at a fence, 

 he slips back, and would get left behind, 

 were it not for the reins (Fig. 42). With 



these he jobs his horse in the mouth. The 

 horse pulls him forward, and in the descent 

 the rider finds himself again exactly wrong. 

 He is no longer being left behind. He now 

 precedes his horse (Fig. 41). 



From this it will be seen that a slip in 

 taking off cannot be recovered, and a stumble, 

 or peck, on landing in all probability results in 

 a fall. Although jumping shows it up espe- 

 cially, the loose seat is in all paces a source 

 of extra weariness and labour to the horse. 



