SEAT, LEGS AND SPURS 



seat, and a panel thicker in front of the thighs 

 and knees than under and behind them. 



The stirrup leathers should have holes 

 punched in them every half inch, and their right 

 length is that which enables the rider to easily 

 clear the pommel of the saddle when standing 

 up in the stirrups. This length of leather 

 should place the rider well on the seat of the 

 saddle, and enable him to use his legs and spurs 

 with gentleness and precision, the calves, when 

 necessary, closing against the " swell " of the 

 horse's body, not below it. When first mount- 

 ing a horse, the simplest way to adjust the 

 leathers is to first place oneself well back on 

 the saddle, and then regulate their length. 

 When riding a horse with a straight shoulder, 

 or a stumbler, it is especially necessary to sit 

 well back in the saddle, so as to keep the weight 

 off the forehand, and to secure greater leverage 

 in case of a false step or fall. 



The body should be upright, but free from 

 any stiffness, and the flat of the thighs and the 

 back half of the sides of the knees should 

 be towards the saddle, though not necessarily 

 gripping it ; the legs when not in use should 

 fall without any contraction of the knee joints 

 along the girths and true ribs just in front of 

 the better sprung and sensitive false ribs, the 



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