17 



health, need not trouble themselves much 

 about it. They know that, when necessary, 

 they can take a good firm grip with their 

 knees, but there are many who have no 

 such certainty. The grip of the knees is 

 required when jumping, or when the horse 

 makes a sudden movement ; it should not 

 be constantly applied, for then the muscles 

 would soon become useless from fatigue, 

 but the rider should always be ready to 

 apply it on the slightest warning. The 

 power to grip can only be acquired by 

 practice, and until that power is possessed 

 there should be the greatest caution as to 

 where one rides, and as to the kind of 

 animal ridden, It may be incidently men- 

 tioned that an apparatus called "Savigear's 

 Eiding Grip Test," indicates the amount 

 of pressure, in pounds, that a horseman can 

 exert on the saddle with his knees, and 

 that to ride safely he should be able to 

 grip from seventy to a hundred pounds. 



The following quotations from " The 

 Book of Aids," are made verbatim in order 

 that they may be thoroughly relied on by 

 military riders. The comments deemed 

 necessary for the purposes of this Guide 

 are inserted in brackets. 



