24 HINTS ON HORSEMANSHIP. 



On the other hand, his peculiar seat renders the Eastern 

 horseman so utterly helpless in the performances of the 

 manege, that he is unable to make his horse rein back, or 

 passage sideways a step; and I have seen three hundred 

 Mussulman troops, from the northern parts of Persia, (each 

 of whom would perform forty such feats as the above,) take 

 more than an hour to form, a very bad parade line, in single 

 rank. When one of them had an interval between him and 

 the dressing hand, however small, as he could not make his 

 horse passage sideways, he was obliged to turn round to the 

 rear, and ride into the ranks afresh ; and so in succession 

 every man beyond him. 



I should say, that the most perfect seat for the manege 

 should be shortened by a hole or two for the soldier, to give 

 him power with his weapons ; that the military rider should 

 take up his stirrups a hole or two when he goes hunting ; the 

 hunter a hole or two when he rides a race ; and for tours de 

 force, T consider the short stirrup -leather, and broad stirrup- 



