THE COiEPASS STYLE UF HOEaEMANSHIP. 121 



useless — and then take the first opportunity of studying 

 those who are noted for combining an easy, natural 

 seat with grace — that is, if you are built for gracefulness 

 — some people are not. In Nolan's words, " Let a 

 man have a roomy saddle, and sit close to the horse's 

 back ; let the leg be supported by the stirrup in a 

 natural position, without being so short as to throw 

 back the thigh, and the nearer the whole leg is brought 

 to the horse the better, so long as the foot is not bent 

 beloAV the ankle-joint." 



Soon after the battle of Waterloo, by influence of the 

 Prince Eegent, who fancied he knew something about 

 cavalry, a Kussian was introduced to teach our cavalry 

 a new style of equitation, which consisted in entirely 

 abandoning the use of that part of the person in which 

 his Koyal Highness was so highly gifted, and riding on 

 the fork like a pair of compasses on a rolling pin, with 

 perfectly straight legs. For a considerable period this 

 ridiculous drill, which deprived the soldiers of all power 

 over their horses, was carried on in the fields where 

 Belgrave Square now stands, and was not abandoned 

 until the number of men who suffered by it was the cause 

 of a serious remonstrance from commanding officers. It 

 is a pity that the reverse system has never been tried, 

 and a regiment of cavalry taught riding on English fox- 

 hunting principles, using the snaffle on the road, and 

 rising in the trot. But it must be admitted that since 

 the war there has been a great improvement in this 

 respect, and there will probably be more as the martinets 

 of the old school die off. 



It was not for want of examples of a better style that 

 the continental military style was forced upon our 

 cavalry. Mr. Nathaniel Gould relates in his little book 



