THE -> HORSE 



thoughts dwell on the best way of maintaining 

 equilibrium. In this case proper length of 

 stirrups plays an important part. The practice 

 of using very short stirrups is indicative of 

 the rider depending more upon balance than 

 upon grip, or, in other words, allowing a 

 greater scope for the employment of balance, 

 since, by the judicious use of short stirrups 

 the rider may lean farther from the horse and 

 maintain his balance. 



It is true, however, that most expert horse- 

 men ride more by grip than balance. 



At the beginning of my riding experience 

 on a ranch I started to use very long stirrups, 

 so that when seated in the saddle my legs were 

 nearly straight, with but the toes of my boots 

 touching the stirrups. The first bucking horse 

 I mounted threw me with great rapidity over 

 his head. I realized, when thinking over the 

 matter, that I had lost my stirrups first and 

 my balance shortly afterwards, so I took up 

 the stirrups of the saddle one hole before rid- 

 ing the next bucking horse. I was once more, 

 without delay, precipitated over the animal's 

 head. Again I noticed that I had lost my stir- 

 rups immediately. 



After about eight of these unpleasant experi- 

 ences my stirrups were considerably shorter 

 than at the outset. Subsequently, though I was 

 sometimes bucked over the head of a particu- 

 larly rough-going horse, I invariably lost my 



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