156 THE HORSE 



of the saddle, for if the horse falls the rider is likely to 

 break his neck. Such was the fate of Samuel Wilber- 

 force, Bishop of Oxford, a bold, but bad rider. 



Some men sit heavily in the saddle, as inert as a 

 bag of meal; and they make a hard load for the horse 

 to carry. Whereas a rider who sits lightly in the sad- 

 dle, and moves as if he were a part of the horse him- 

 self, is carried with comparative ease. Both for the 

 comfort and for the general appearance of the horse, 

 it is essential that he should be ridden with a light 

 hand. A heavy hand hurts his mouth, spoils the car- 

 riage of his head, and interferes with his natural action. 

 Most rearing is caused by heavy hands. Horses seldom 

 rear with women. 



The elbows should always be kept in and the hands 

 should be held as low down as possible — nearly or 

 quite touching the pommel of the saddle or the withers 

 of the horse. If the hands are kept down, the bit will 

 remain in its proper place, that is against the back of 

 the mouth; whereas, if the hands are raised, the bit 

 will press against the upper part of the jaw — a posi- 

 tion which is uncomfortable, if not actually painful for 

 the horse. One often sees a rider with his hands held 

 high, and the horse with his mouth open, his ears 

 turned backward, his neck stretched upward, and a 

 general expression of misery. 



How can a good seat be obtained? By riding bare- 

 back, or, perhaps better, by riding at a trot on a 

 smooth saddle, without any stirrups — in each case 

 religiously refraining from holding on by the reins. It is 

 hard work to ride for any distance on a saddle without 



