OF FARRIERY. 



47! 



placed as not to impede the motion of his 

 slioulJers, and tlie girths, buckled one over 

 the otl)er, be sufficiently tight to retain the 

 saddle firmly in its place. The real Horse- 

 man inspects every thing ; he leaves nothing 

 to cimnce. When a groom once knows that 

 his Horse has to undergo the critical exami- 

 nation of his master, it will have a tendency to 

 make him careful in bringing his Horse out in 

 a perfect state. 



MOUNTING. 



In giving advice to young Horsemen, we 

 are indebted to Mr. John Lawrence for many 

 of the directions, which are so pertinent to this 

 subject, and which from his experience may 

 be considered better advice than ^\e could 

 give. Some persons, perhaps, may think this 

 minutiffi unimportant ; but no man will be 

 considered a complete Horseman who neglects 

 them. 



The nag being led out and held, our jockey 

 that is to be, approaches the near (left) 

 shoulder, and gathering up the reins between 

 the fingers in his left hand, the thumb up- 

 wards, at the same time weaving the fingers 

 into the Horse's mane, he acquires a holdfast 

 and purchase. The whip is held with the 

 reins, in the left hand. With his right hand 

 he then takes hold of the stirrup, the flat side 

 of the leather being placed towards him, and 

 into the stirrup inserts his left foot. Next 

 placing his right hand on the cantle or after- 

 part of the saddle, and making a moderate 

 spring or vault, being cautious at the same 

 time to keep his foot and spur clear of the 

 Horse, he seats himself, and the left hand 

 still retaining hold of the mane, with the right 

 he adjusts the stirrup to that foot. Being 

 seated at his ease, as in a chair, and looking 



forward between the ears of his Horse, he will 

 find himself in a square and even position with 

 the animal. The two forming a perfect cen- 

 taur. 



His next object is to adjust the reins, sup- 

 posing them the bridoon or snaffle, and curb, 

 which should be done by leaving the rein of 

 the latter rather slack, the chief pressure bein^- 

 upon the snaffle rein ; the curb being reserved 

 for occasional use, when a more than ordinary 

 command over the Horse's mouth may be 

 needful, the curb rein may then be drawn 

 with the requisite force. The right foot being 

 fixed in the stirrup, the whip, its handle being 

 upwards, is gently withdrawn from the left to 

 the right hand, and its usual place is down 

 behind the calf of the leg. As to the seat, a 

 man will sit upright, as in his chair, but in 

 the common, and more particularly the sport- 

 ing seat on horseback, the spine is bent in a 

 small degree outward, being directly contrary 

 to the form in military equitation, in which we 

 are no professors. The stirrup leathers should 

 be of such length as to admit of the knee 

 being sufficiently bent to retain a firm hold of 

 the saddle, but not to that degree as to hoist 

 the rider much above it when he stands in 

 his stirrups : nor should they be so long as to 

 exhibit him a straight-kneed jockey, which 

 detracts from his power on horseback, and 

 is dangerous in the respect of that pressure 

 which has sometimes occasioned rupture in 

 the belly of the rider. The foot, for a road or 

 sporting, indeed the most secure seat, is placed 

 home in the stirrup, the toe rather elevated 

 and turned somewhat outward ; thence arises 

 a centre and union of force between the foot 

 and the knee, the toe being turned out and 

 the knee inward, pressing the saddle, which 

 assures a firm seat, indeed is the very essence 



