RIDING TO HOUNDS 231 



when the foot is rammed well home. The hoop 

 of the stirrup should expand into a broad 

 wing on each side, where it joins the foot-plate, 

 which saves the side of the foot from getting 

 chafed. Stirrups must be wide enough for the 

 boot to enter very easily, or there is a danger of 

 the foot jamming in the stirrup in the event 

 of a fall. On the other hand, they should not be 

 too large, for fear the foot should slip right 

 through, and so become fixed. Being dragged 

 by the stirrup is a terrible danger, and every 

 precaution should be taken to prevent such a 

 calamity. Ladies should invariably use a safety 

 stirrup, that will disengage their foot as soon as 

 pressure is applied elsewhere than the foot-plate. 

 It is a mistake to have stirrups so light that it is 

 very difficult to get the feet into them again, if 

 they should slip out when galloping or jumping. 

 A moderately heavy stirrup is then much easier 

 to catch with the foot than a very light one is. 

 What also facilitates this operation is to take 

 the stirrup into the hand before mounting, and 

 after twisting the leather round twice, to give 

 two or three sharp jerks to the stirrup, which 

 will cause the leather and the stirrup to hang 

 at nearly right angles to the saddle instead of 

 being parallel to it. The quickest way, however, 

 to recover the stirrup, and most sure, is to bend 

 over, when galloping fast, and seizing the stirrup- 

 leather close to the stirrup, place the latter on 

 the foot with the hand. Even when steeple- 

 chasing there is plenty of time to do this, and 

 still to sit up again, and get your horse balanced 

 for the approaching fence. 



When at the covert-side in a country where a 

 good run may be confidently anticipated, it is 



