Change of Seat. 27 



better distributed for the horse over ground where 

 the footing is unsteady, as it is in ridge and fur- 

 row. 



No better illustration of the uses of these sev- 

 eral seats than an English cavalry officer. On pa- 

 rade he will ride with the longest of stirrups com- 

 patible with not sitting on his crotch. To rise in 

 the saddle is a forbidden luxury to the soldier. 

 Despite some recent experiments in foreign ser- 

 vice, and the fact that on the march the cavalry- 

 man may be permitted to rise, nay, encouraged to 

 do so, what more ridiculous than a troop of cav- 

 alry on parade, each man bobbing up and down 

 at his own sweet will } The horse suitable for a 

 trooper is a short, quick-gaited, handy animal, 

 chosen largely for this quality, and made still 

 more so by being taught to work in a collected 

 manner by the manege. You can very comfort- 

 ably sit him with a military saddle at a pretty 

 sharp parade trot. Now, suppose our cavalry offi- 

 cer is going for a canter in Rotten Row, — he 

 will at once shorten his stirrup-leathers a couple 

 of holes ; and if he were going to ride cross coun- 

 try, he would shorten them still a couple more. 

 Experience has taught him the peculiar uses of 

 each position. 



Some writers claim that one seat ought to suf- 

 fice for all occasions. And so it can be made to 

 do. This one seat may, however, not always be 



