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SECTION XVI. 



SPORTING AND COMMON SYSTEMS OF EQUITATION — THE JOCKEY SEAT — 



SUPPOUT OF THE HAND IN RACING OPINION OF MR. ADAMS ON THE 



JOCKEY SYSTEM HIDING THE TROTTER — DISADVANTAGES OF THE 



GRAND MANEGE UTILITY OF RIDING-SCHOOLS ON A RATIONAL VLAN 



GENERAL PRACTICE BREAKING THE COLT THE LEAP THE SHY, RES- 



TIFf', and VICIOUS HORSE THE RUNAWAY EARL OF PEMBROKE'S 



RULES. 



I NOW proceed to those systems of equitation, on which I can speak 

 from my own practice; and first, of the general sportsman-Hke seat, 

 which, in essentials, is that of the turf, or the jockey-seat, and indeed, 

 precisely the seat of the jockey, whilst his Horse only walks or trots. 

 It is, in fact, simply the position of nature and of ease, upon the saddle 

 as in the chair. 



Mount the side of the Horse, as already directed in the manege, but 

 without the formality of standing so very forward, it being sufficient, 

 with regard to safety, to place yourself nearly opposite to the stirrup. 

 Place yourself upright upon your breech, in the saddle, bending your 

 knees sufficiently to retain a firm grasp with the knee, which, to assure 

 such hold, must, whilst the quickness of the action demands a seat, be 

 invariably turned inward to the saddle; the legs falling down straight, 

 the feet home in the stirrup, and the toe turned somewhat out and up- 

 Avard. 



The body should certainly be erect on horseback, as a person of good 

 carriage should set in any other place ; but in jockey-riding the spine 

 is generally, to a small degree, bent outward, not only as more easy and 

 gi-aceful, but as being in unison, or correspondence, with the bended 

 knee, the opposite directions of which and the toe, the one in, the other 

 outward, also help to confirm the jockey-seat, and enable the rider to 

 support his Horse in the gallop, and to give him the requisite pulls. 



Every 



