22 HINTS ON HORSEMANSHIP. 



principle discussed above ! He is much more likely to throw 

 him into it. He had better content himself with sitting 

 quietly on his horse, holding him only just enough to keep his 

 head straight and regulate his pace, and trust the rest to his 

 horse's honour. The body should not previously be thrown 

 back ; but, as the horse springs, the lower part of the rider 

 being firmly fixed in the saddle, and the upper part perfectly 

 pliable, the body will fall back of itself. And with strong 

 jumping horses, or at down leaps, the shoulders of fine riders 

 will constantly meet their horse's croupes. The more vertical 

 the thigh, the greater the strain in taking this position : — the 

 disciples of the Duke of Newcastle would break in two in the 

 performance. I abstain, however, from giving any parti- 

 cular directions about the seat; because I think good 

 handling is the cause, and good and graceful sitting the 

 consequence, of good riding ; and because, though I consider 

 the rules here laid down for the hands as applicable to every 

 species of riding, (1 have excepted the soldier with his 



