The Hunter; His Conformation 31 



ity over his fore legs across a field, it is obvious that in tak- 

 ing a fence the best, the easiest, the most secure position of 

 the rider must be well back. The position of a boy on a 

 rocking-horse, or a person in a rocking-chair, best illustrates 

 my meaning. When the centre of gravity on either the 

 wooden rocking-horse or rocking-chair is forward of the 

 centre, the motion is laboured and all in one direction. If 

 a person sits too far forward in a rocking-chair, the forward 

 rock corresponds to the landing side of a jump, and assists 

 greatly in producing a spill. Seated too far back, one can- 

 not make the rocker go forward without an undue exertion. 

 This illustrates the taking-off position of a jump : the horse, 

 like the person in the rocker, must make an unusual effort 

 to carry the rider forward. This is so plain and simple a 

 condition that it seems almost absurd to mention it. How- 

 ever, it best illustrates the point under discussion. The 

 theory of slanting shoulders is that they usually (but not 

 always) have the effect of keeping the saddle well back, so 

 that the rider does sit nearly at the centre of gravity of his 

 mount. This he is able to maintain, when the horse is 

 jumping, by simply leaning well forward as the animal rises 

 to the obstacle, sitting upright when over the centre, and 

 leaning well back as the animal descends, as illustrated at 

 page 98. So far, I venture to say, the majority of my 

 readers will agree. But, I ask, what is the value of slant- 

 ing shoulders when, as sometimes happens, a horse is low 

 in the withers, letting the saddle well forward ? It is evi- 

 dent that, for keeping the rider back near the centre of 

 gravity, high, sloping withers have quite as much virtue as 

 slanting shoulders, for a horse may have the latter without 



