102 THE AMERICAN HORSEWOMAN. 



she must aid herself by grasping with the right 

 hand the off-pommel as soon as she can reach it. 

 When she is seated, the stirrup can be adjusted 

 from the oft-side by means of the balance-strap. 



If, however, she uses the old-fashioned stir- 

 rup-leather, and there is no assistance of any 

 kind at hand, neither horse-block, chair, nor 

 stool, not even a fence or steep bank from which 

 to mount, — a situation in which a rider might 

 possibly be placed, — then reaching the saddle 

 becomes a very puzzling aftliir, unless the lady 

 be so active that she can spring from the ground 

 to her saddle. To try the plan of lengthening 

 the stirrup-leather w^ill be dangerous, because, 

 in order to readjust it after mounting, she will 

 have to sit on the back part of the saddle, bend 

 over the horse's left side, and pull up the stirrup- 

 leather in order to shorten and buckle it; while 

 in this position, if the horse should start, she 

 w^ould probably be throwm instantly. Her 

 safest course w^ould be to lead the horse until a 

 place is found where she can mount. If she 

 should have to use a fence for this purpose let 

 her be sure that the posts are firmly fixed in 

 the ground, and that the boards are neither 

 loose nor easily broken. 



When mounting, the whip and reins should 

 be held in the left hand, the former with the 



