70 Modern Riding and Horse Education 



of the flat-race jockeys of to-day. As previously 

 mentioned, the balance of the body with short stir- 

 rups is difficult even for the finished horseman ; how 

 much more so for the beginner. The heavier lads 

 in an English racing stable who are selected to 

 " make " the yearlings use stirrups of the usual 

 length, and they are the conspicuously better horse- 

 men for ordinary riding. 



Baucher was a believer in the following exercise 

 for getting the pupil well split up : " He will remove 

 one of his thighs as far as possible from the quar- 

 ters of the saddle, and afterwards replace it with a 

 rotatory movement from without inwards, in order 

 to make it adhere to the saddle by as many points 

 of contact as possible." 



To cure round thighs, another experienced 

 teacher, who was for some time responsible for 

 equitation in our Army, claimed that good results 

 came from putting the hand under the fleshy part of 

 the thigh when in the saddle, and pulling it out- 

 wards. I do not consider that in either case the re- 

 sults would justify the expenditure of time and trou- 

 ble. If the instructor has placed the pupil well into 

 his saddle on the dummy horse, his labors in this 



