RIDING TO HOUNDS 249 



ears with the right hand, when the horse rises up 

 the rider will be lifted out of his saddle with 

 him, and remain standing in his stirrups till the 

 horse drops down again. Even if the horse 

 should come over, the right hand holding on 

 to the mane will keep the rider in such a jDOsition 

 he cannot fall under the horse, the only thing 

 likely to strike him being the horse's head. The 

 writer is giving his own experience about this, as 

 he has practised it successfully scores of times, 

 without an accident. 



Q. Should the rider stand up in his stirrups 

 or sit down in his saddle when galloping ? 



A. He must certainly stand up, for otherwise 

 he cannot give-and-take to the swing of the 

 horse, as he passes over uneven or unsound 

 ground, while his weight will be placed too far 

 back. Weight is best carried by the forepart of 

 the horse, but it must not be too forward, like 

 in the exaggerated American seat. It is then put 

 too much in front of the shoulders, on the horse's 

 neck, the latter being the first part always to tire, 

 on account of the great weight of the head, 

 which is situated at the end of a long pole, 

 so to speak. By the American seat this evil is 

 much augmented by the rider's position, and 

 besides allowing little control it does not afford 

 any opportunity of easing the muscles of the 

 horse by a change of position, such as from 

 standing up in the stirrups to sitting down to 

 finish. We all know what a relief it is when 

 carrying a weight in one hand to change it into 

 the other, and though the same weight is still 

 being carried, for the moment it seems almost 

 to have been quitted. No doubt a change of 



