94 EIDINQ AND TRAIKING SADDLE-HOESES. 



elbow. The whip is to be carried in the right hand, 

 with the point towards the ground. The horse should 

 never be struck with the whip upon the head, neck, or 

 shoulder. To apply the aid upon those parts will teach 

 him to swerve, and render him nervous at the motions of 

 the rider. In a lady's hand, the whip simply takes the 

 place of a spur for the right side. 



The horns of the saddle, the superfluous one at the 

 right being dispensed with, should be of such lengths 

 and curvatures as will suit the rider. 



The right leg will hold the upright horn close in the 

 bend in the knee, by such a pressure as the action of the 

 horse or other circumstances will dictate. 



The left foot will be thrust into the stirrup to the ball 

 of the foot, and the heel will, as a rule, be carried down ; 

 but when the heel is eleyated, the upper part of the left 

 knee should find support in the side-horn, and for that 

 end the stirrup-leather will be given such a length as 

 will permit this. By the grasp given by the elevation of 

 the left knee from the stirrup, and the embrace upon the 

 upright h^rn by the right leg, the rider will have as 

 strong a seat as her strength can aiford ; and with a 

 proper balance she will not be likely to find a horse that 

 will unseat her. 



As a fall of the horse is attended with great perils to a 

 lady rider, she should never be mounted upon an animal 

 whose legs betray any weakness, or whose knees give evi- 

 dence of stumbling, or upon one that is not master of 

 her weight. The lady must see that, in turning to the 

 right or left, her horse leads on the side to which he 

 bends, and she should carry her inside shoulder slightly 



