STANDING IN THE STIRIIUPS. 123 



bridle." The balance should be true and well maintained, 

 so that, in the event of a stumble, swerve, or any un- 

 looked for movement, the horseman may be ready to 

 throw his shoulders back, grip the saddle with his knees, 

 and " catch the horse by the head " in a moment. 



The harder the animal pulls, the tighter should the 

 grip of the knees become, so that the correct position 

 may always be preserved. If the rider, when trying to 

 hold his horse, uses the stirrups alone as apointd'appui, 

 his feet must come forward, while his seat will be carried 

 over the can tie ; a position that will throw the weight 

 back towards the loins, and will cause the body to bump 

 up and down ; proceedings which will materially inter- 

 fere with the motion of the animal. 



A horse should be controlled alone by the give and 

 take action of the muscles of the arms and hands ; 

 hence, with a puller, the body should remain as steady 

 as possible by means of the grip of the knees. If, on 

 the contrary, the stirrups be used as a fulcrum, the 

 feet must be thrust forward, and the seat thrown back 

 over the can tie ; actions that will necessitate, in order that 

 the balance be maintained, a dead pull on the reins, which, 

 I need hardly say, is quite incompatible with good riding. 



As a rule, the hands should be kept down by the sides 

 of the withers, with the knuckles at about an angle of 

 forty-five degrees to the ground. The wrists, elbows, 

 and shoulders should be kept as loose and pliable as 

 possible. 



Hiding over Fences. The art of riding well across 

 country chiefly consists in making as little as possible 

 of the jumps. The fact of the rider treating fences and 



