50 HORSEMANSHIP. 



of having ridden all sorts of horses, over all sorts of countries, 

 and at all descriptions of fences. He takes no trouble to 

 appear or act like a horseman, there is no affectation, no 

 attitudinising, nothing peculiar about him, yet his every 

 motion is that of a gentleman and of a finished equestrian. 

 Do not make your own selection of a model, but elect to 

 follow the silent teaching of one who is on all hands an 

 acknowledged brilliant horseman, and not a mere fearless 

 bruising rough-rider, " the first in the throng," perhaps, but 

 still not a master of the art. 



Some short rotund men may acquire a strong seat, but 

 dumpies cast in that mould can never make elegant riders ; 

 in fact, such figures are not attractive under any conditions. 

 ]\len so built are apt to roll in the saddle, and once out of it 

 are difficult to get back again. It is not the low stature 

 that militates against such robust Pygmeans ; it is the round 

 and short thigh, the fleshy knee, and the general Bacchana- 

 lian chubby conformation that handicap them so heavily. 

 Perhaps for all purposes a well-proportioned five feet seven 

 to five feet nine man, light-flanked, broad-shouldered, all 

 '' wire and whipcord," with strong arms, muscular but hollow 

 thighs, riding between nine stone seven to ten stone seven, 

 is the one best calculated to look well on a horse and to get 

 all that is necessary out of him. The " tall, plump, brawny 

 youth " Somerville spoke of is another individual who does 

 not, as a rule, make a good show in the saddle. Some tall 

 men, notably Colonel Anstruther Thomson, look remarkably 

 well and are fine horsemen^ but it must be borne in mind 

 that the longer the stirrup leather is, the more difficult is it 

 to keep the leg and foot steady. Tall men, especially 

 those with abnormal length of limb, should remember the 

 necessity of educating their thighs and knees to take a firm 

 grip of the saddle, and of keeping their bodies steady. 



