24 HOW TO HIDE. 



we have shown, the propelling action of the hind legs — he does this by 

 bending his own body forward fro7n the hijJs upward, and throwing forward 

 his head, his legs remaining straight down close to his horse ; and this bend 

 is altogether different from that of the rider who sits far back in his saddle, 

 with his knees drawn up to the horse's shoulder. When he comes to the 

 finish, the jock sits down to '' ride " his horse. ]\Iuch of the success of 

 starting depends on the rider throwing his weight forward at the proper 

 moment, and not overdoing it, as good riders well know. 



THE HUNTING SEAT. 



The length of hunting saddles has been increasing constantly with the 

 rapidity of the pace ; and although an increase of the bearing surface of 

 the saddle, as has been already shown, is an admirable thing in itself, no 

 great advantage is derived, so far as the horse's back is concerned, unless 

 the rider be placed in the centre of the saddle. But our saddles have been 

 lengthened chiefly for the purpose of enabling us to get farther away from 

 the stirrup, so as to use this as a point of support, not against falling to the 

 right or left, but to prevent one's being pulled right over the horse's head 

 in fast galloping and jumping; and thus many riders whose object really 

 is to throw their weight somcAvhat forward, because this favors speed, 

 actually come to sit almost on the loins of their horses, where they seriously 

 impede the action of the propellers, and are then compelled to throw their 

 body forward in the most inconvenient and unsightly manner. 



It involves unnecessary wear and tear of the horse's fore legs, because 

 the rider's weight is with every bound throAvn forward into his stirrups ; 

 whereas, by sitting over the centre of motion, the shock is equally divided 

 over all four legs, and not on one pair alone. So it is very evident that 

 a man may sit far back and still ruin his horse's fore legs. Secondly, it is 

 not the safest method, because, if the horse fails with one or both fore legs, 



