THE SEAT. 47 



The Seat. 



jNIany of our finest and most graceful riders are men who 

 have never had a lesson from a riding-master — intuitive, 

 natural, horsemen after the manner born. The manege^ pure 

 and simple, teaches a great deal, but is apt to leave a certain 

 " stuck up " stiffness behind it. My ideal of an elegant 

 horseman is one who combines all the studied art of the 

 school with the wholesome laxity of the thoroughly capable 

 untaught. 



To illustrate what is meant by " wholesome laxity " I will 

 first describe the riding-school seat, and then endeavour 

 to tone down the ramrod unyielding primness inseparable 

 from strictly miHtary instruction, which, to some extent, is 

 absolutely necessary to give uniformity of appearance to 

 large bodies of men in movement. Before settling himself 

 in the saddle the rider draws the reins through his left hand, 

 and, taking a half turn over the fore-finger, the thumb being 

 firmly pressed upon them and the hand well closed, the 

 strongest possible grip consistent with good riding is secured. 

 The hand in proper position will be perpendicular to the 

 pommel, the knuckles turned towards the horse's "pack- 

 wax," the wrist slightly rounded towards the body, and the 

 litde finger on a line with the elbow. The arm hangs 

 perpendicularly from the shoulder, scarcely touching the 

 body, with liberty for the elbow to move freely backwards 

 and forwards to " give and take," and to preserve touch of 

 the horse's mouth. An appearance of its being pinned to 

 the side is to be avoided. In some schools the pupil is 

 taught to let the elbow touch the hip joint, a position to be 

 condemned on account of the constraint it imposes. The 

 rider, in glancing towards the pommel, should be able to 



