A FEW HINTS 193 



He may as well do nothing. The rider 

 should always avoid touching the horse with 

 either foot when mounting. That is the object 

 of putting the foot into stirrup with the right 

 hand. Many horses are made difficult to mount 

 by being touched with the left toe in the act of 

 mounting whilst others are irritated by the right 

 foot coming in contact with them as soon as 

 the rider is mounted. Never bend the right 

 knee when throwing the right leg over — keep 

 the leg perfectly straight, and when the knee 

 and thigh reach the saddle, draw the heel up 

 to its proper level and place the foot in the 

 stirrup. 



There is no better definition of a correct seat 

 to be found than that given by Thompson in the 

 Book I have already quoted : — 



*' To have a good seat, it is necessary the rider 

 should sit on that part of the horse, which, as he 

 springs in his paces, is the centre of motion; 

 and from which centre, of course, any weight 

 placed there would be with most difficulty 

 shaken by that motion. As we see exemplified 

 in the case of a board placed on a just balance, 

 the centre will always be most at rest, so the 

 true seat will be found in that part of the saddle 

 into which the rider's body would slide naturally, 

 were he to ride without stirrups ; and is only to 

 be preserved by a proper poise of the body, and 

 the adaptation thereof to the counteractions of 

 the horse, though the generality of riders imagine 

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