208 THE AMERICAN HORSEWOMAN. 



spondence between the bridle-hand and the 

 horse's mouth. The elbows must be held steady 

 and lightly near the rider's sides, but not close 

 against them. As the horse extends his trot, 

 an unpleasant roughness or jolting will be ex- 

 perienced, which will give an upward impetus 

 to the rider's body ; the moment she is con- 

 scious of this impetus, she must allow herself to 

 be raised from her horse in regular time with 

 his step or hoof-beats. In this trot, the horse 

 will always have a leading foot, either the right 

 or left, and the foot he leads with is the one to 

 which the rider must rise, rising when the 

 leading foot is lifted, and touching the saddle 

 when this foot touches the ground. Most riders 

 do this instinctively, as it were, rising and fall- 

 ing with the leading foot. 



In this rise the action of the horse alone will 

 give the impetus; no effort must be made by 

 the lady, except to press slightly, or rather to 

 sustain herself gently upon the stirrup, and 

 keep her knee and instep yielding and flexible 

 with the rise. Care must be taken not to allow 

 the leg to swing forward and backward. The 

 rise should be made as straight upward as pos- 

 sible, the upper part of the body inclining for- 

 ward no more than is necessary to effect , the 

 rise with ease. The back must be kept well 



