50 THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 



time for what is to follow), the pupil should ride her horse to the 

 centre of the school, and halt him there, so that the instructor has 

 perfect faciUty of getting at the horse on any side, and seeing the 

 exact form in which his pupil moves. The lady should then be 

 instructed to take a firm hold with the right knee on the upper 

 pommel of the saddle, grasping it well between the thigh and the 

 lower part of the leg, and carrying the latter well back, with the heel 

 sunk as close as possible to the left leg. By sinking the heel well, 

 she will give great firnmess to her hold with the right leg upon the 

 upper pommels. To accomphsh this, however, she should get well 

 forward in her saddle, and care should be taken that her stiiTup is 

 not too short, otherwise she will be thrown too far back to enable 

 her to take the necessary grip with the upper leg. The left leg 

 should then be well drawn back, the front of the thigh pressed 

 firmly against the third crutch, the left heel well sunk, and the toe 

 raised from the instep, because a firmness is thus given to the leg 

 and thigh which would otherwise be wanting. The body, from the 

 waist upwards, should be inclined slightly forward, and the angle at 

 which the left foot is drawn back from the perpendicular line from 

 the knee to the foot should be regulated by the inchnation of the 

 body forward, so as exactly to balance it. 



Having placed his pupil in this position, and seen that her hands 

 are well drawn back and arms firm, the instructor should then take 

 her foot out of the stirrup, and give the following concise instructions : 

 *' On the word ' one,' raise the body slowly from the saddle as high 

 as possible." Now, to do this without the aid of the stuTup can only 

 be accomplished by keeping the heel well down and the leg back (in 

 the first place, in order to balance the body), and then raising the 

 figure by the action of the right knee and its grasp upon the upper 

 pommel. At first the pupil will find this difficult, even when the 

 horse is perfectly motionless, and when the riding master assists her 

 by putting his left hand under her left elbow ; but after a few efforts 

 fihe will succeed. This is the first step in learning the rise with pre- 

 cision. Having accomplished it, the pupil should not lower herself 

 again to the saddle until the instructor gives her the word "two," 

 when she should lower herself as slowly as she rose. 



