252 



appui on the knee, or perhaps on the stirrup, gives 

 the necessary freedom. 



§ 191. The grand difference between riding and 

 personal locomotion seems to us to exist in the 

 fact that, although the rider sits over the lungs of 

 the horse, the traction which he himself receives at 

 the seat bones is not in the ophidian but in the 

 composite spine. Consequently his first action in 

 following is to combine the composite and ophid- 

 ian spines by the action at the upper end of the 

 sternum for progression, at the lower end for re- 

 trogression, or for a check in progression. This 

 combination once made," the remainder of the 

 movement is executed in the regular succession. 



Inaugurating his own movement by a leading 

 action in the ophidian S, as does a man on foot, 

 wiU cause a discrepancy of motion between the 

 rider and his horse sufficient to loosen the seat of 

 the most perfectly formed man. A httle practice, 

 however, should soon overcome this difficulty, and, 

 we think, it may be assumed not only that a thor- 

 oughly set up man may be at once taught to fol- 

 low the motions of his horse, but also that he may 

 at once be able to manage the animal, for he has 

 only to inaugurate in his own body the movements 

 he desires in such a way that they may meet the 



