2 oo THE SEAT. 



maximum amount of combined grip with the knees and 

 with the calves. 



The best position for the legs greatly depends on their 

 length and shape. It is evident that, in any case, the legs 

 from the knees to the ankles should not be directed inwards, 

 as in Fig. 184. 1 venture to think that the outward direction 

 of the leg in Fig. 185 may be taken as a maximum. I may 

 point out that the rider in this illustration had particularly 

 long legs. As a man with long flat thighs will be able to 

 get a better grip with the knees than a short round-thighed 

 rider, the former will be more independent of a grip with the 

 calves than the latter, and consequently will be able to keep 

 his feet farther away from the horse. In any case, a rider 

 who wears spurs will do well to keep his feet parallel to the 

 horse's sides (the toes turned neither in nor out) ; because, in 

 this position, he will not be so liable to involuntarily touch 

 his horse with them as he would be were his toes turned out, 

 in the event of the animal jumping or " playing-up." I 

 would not advise that the toes should be turned in and the 

 heels turned out, as in Continental military riding ; because 

 the effort needed to keep the feet in that position would 

 be too fatiguing to be maintained for a period sufficiently 

 long for practical requirements. The usual tendency even 

 of good horsemen is to turn the toes too much out ; hence 

 the learner will do well to cultivate the habit of keeping his 

 feet parallel to the horse's sides. 



The feet should be put "home in the stirrups " (Fig. 186), 

 so as to avoid any chance of their coming out of the irons. 

 For military and school equitation, the plan of riding with the 

 feet only as far as the ball in the irons, allows the play 

 of the ankles to ease to some extent the bumping up and 

 down motion which the rider unavoidably has, when he does 

 not rise in the trot ; and enables the heels to be kept close 

 to the sides more easily than could be done with the feet 



