THE HUNTING SEAT. 205 



it militates against the staying power of the horse and 

 against the soundness of his fore legs by surcharging his 

 fore-hand. 



The seat of the rider should conform to the pace and speed 

 at which the horse is travelling, and should consequently be 

 varied according to circumstances. 



Fig. 188. Clearing the pommel to see if the stirrups are the right length. 



The lengtli of the stirrups with the seat described, will 

 enable the rider to clear the pommel of the saddle easily when 

 he stands up in them (Fig. 188), and as a rule will bring the 

 lower part (the " tread ") of the stirrup irons a little below the 

 ankle joints, when the feet are taken out of the stirrups and 

 allowed to hang down. In short, the length of the stirrups 



