THE LADY'h seat. 117 



rider, as its situation in the saddle will differ, to some 

 extent, according to the length of the lady's legs. I 

 hope my plain treating will not offend American friends. 



The first step is to sit well down on the saddle, then 

 pass the right leg over the upstanding pommel, and 

 let it hang straight down, — a little back, if leaping; 

 if the foot pokes out, the lady has no firm hold. The 

 stirrup must then be shortened, so as to bring the bent 

 thigh next to the knee of the left leg firmly against the 

 under side of the hunting-horn pommel. If, when this 

 is done, an imaginary line were drawn from the riders 

 backbone, which would go through the centre of the 

 saddle, close to the can tie, she is in her proper place, 

 and leaning rather back than forward, firm and close 

 from the hips downwards, flexible from her hips upwards, 

 with her hands holding the reins apart, a little above the 

 level of her knee, she is in a position at once powerful 

 and graceful. This is a very imperfect description of a 

 very elegant picture. The originals, few and far between, 

 are to be found for nine months of the year daily in Rot- 

 ten Row. A lady in mounting, should hold the reins in 

 her left hand, and place it on the pommel, the right hand 

 as far over the cantle as she can comfortably reach. If 

 there is no skilful man present to take her foot, make 

 any man kneel down and put out his right knee as a 

 step, and let down the stirrup to be shortened afterwards. 

 Practice on a high chest of drawers ! 



After all the rules of horsemanship have been per- 

 fectly learned, nothing but practice can give the in- 

 stinct which prepares a rider for the most sudden starts, 

 leaps, and "kickings up behind and before." 



The style of a man's seat must, to a certain extent, 

 be settled by his height and shape. A man with short 

 round legs and thighs cannot sit down on his horse like 



