70 HORSEMANSHIP, 



and commence ducking up and down, like feminines 

 dipping in the sad sea wave. 



After, as in the walk, a course of " single-ride " and circHng 

 as advocated in this chapter, the rider will have mastered the 

 primary difficulties of the trot, and he may now, at the close 

 of each day's practice, be indulged with stirrups a hole or two 

 longer than he will, perhaps, care for. As he improves, he 

 will, according to the action of the horse, be properly fitted 

 in respect of length of leather. The stirrup will be brought 

 to meet the foot — the leg being in its proper position — not 

 the foot to the stirrup. At first he must not be encouraged 

 to rise in his stirrups, but to sit well down in his saddle — the 

 whole of the body springing from the elasticity of the balls 

 of the feet bearing on the stirrup together with the flexibility 

 of the ankles and knees. Having found his balance, he may 

 then, with such grace and ease as he can command, gently 

 rise and fall with the action of the horse — taking care not to 

 exhibit too much daylight between himself and the saddle, 

 also, as already protested against, seeing that his feet do not 

 ''swag," or swing forward, as he falls into his seat, or, 

 pendulum-like, travel back under him as he rises. A very 

 ugly and, amongst old gentlemen, prevalent trick or habit 

 the pupil should be warned against, viz. the conversion of 

 the elbows into wings wherewith to aid the body in adjusting 

 itself to meet the bump. It always, to me, conveys the 

 impression of an ugly old duck emerging from some horse- 

 pond, and on tip-toe flapping his pinioned wings. 



Once the rider has acquired the art of rising on the leading 

 leg, has learnt to overcome the mysteries of the double bump, 

 and can collect and extend his horse to any speed he wills, 

 he may for greater ease, taking some living George Rice for 

 his model, slightly alter his seat. Without reaching his back 

 or thrusting his chin out, he, still well down in his saddle. 



