22 GRACEFUL BIDING. 



POSITION IN THE SADDLE. 



The rider must sit upright, and equally balanced 

 in the middle of his saddle, head erect, and his 

 shoulders well thrown back, his chest advanced, the 

 small of his back bent forward, but without stiflPness. 

 The hollow part of the arm should hang down 

 straight from the shoulder, the lower part square to 

 the upper, the thighs well stretched down, the flat 

 part to the saddle, so that the fore part of the knees 

 may press and grasp it. Let the legs hang down 

 easily and naturally, close to the horse's sides, with 

 the feet parallel to the same, and the heels well 

 depressed ; the toes raised from the instep, and as 

 near the horse's sides as the heels ; the feet retained 

 in the stirrups by an easy play of the ankle and 

 stirrup, the stirrup to be kept under the ball of the 

 foot, the joint of the wrist kept easy and pliable, so 

 as to give and take as occasion may require. A 

 firm and well-halanced position on horseback is of 

 the utmost importance^ it affects the horse in every 

 motion, and failure in this proves one of his greatest 

 impediments, and will naturally injure him in all his 

 movements. 



In riding, the hands and legs should act in corre- 



