Cross- Country Riding, 43 



tion to adjust the stirrup leathers I was unable to 

 assume a balance seat, and the motion being an 

 entirely new and novel one to me, I attempted 

 to hold on by gripping the legs. This soon 

 brought me to grief and to grass. Knowing that 

 it would never do to give it up, I had the leathers 

 adjusted — quite a lengthy undertaking on a cow- 

 boy's saddle — and by this time had recovered 

 some of the wind that had just been knocked out 

 of me. One of the ranchmen remarked, "Turn 

 yourself loose in the saddle, Kentuck, and you 

 will have him." This I rightly interpreted as 

 meaning "Ride him by balance." I did so, and 

 thus solved the mystery of riding a "bucker," 

 and afterwards made quite a reputation as a 

 "broncho buster." 



It is not generally known that President 

 Roosevelt is a fox-hunter, but such is the fact. 

 In this, as v/ell as everything else he undertakes, 

 he is an enthusiast and an expert. He thor- 

 oughly understands and practices the balance 

 seat which has enabled him and his horses to 

 make record-breaking rides in the West, as well 

 as to negotiate fences that men of his weight de- 

 cline. The illustration shows him on his favor- 

 ite hunter, "Bleistein." 



Those who learn to ride late in life lean for- 

 ward with uncertain seat, which necessarily 

 means a heavy hand on the bit; they seldom ac- 

 quire a good seat, and I can tell at a glance a 



