90 HACKS AND HUNTERS 



back in a cramped style so that the calf of the leg is 

 brought around the upper crutch and the right leg 

 touches, or almost touches, the left. (See illustration, 

 Fig. 4.) This latter position is not only fatiguing, but is 

 apt to cause rubbing under the right knee, where it 

 squeezes the saddle. To say nothing of the fact that 

 with this seat the body is brought too far forward, and it 

 predisposes the rider to fall over the off shoulder of the 

 horse should her mount swerve suddenly to the left. 

 The left leg should hang perpendicularly from the 

 knee to the ankle, but whether the knee is much or 

 little bent depends, in a woman's saddle as in a man's, 

 entirely on the length of the leather. 



This brings us to the much-mooted question as to 

 whether it is best to ride by grip, by balance, or by a 

 combination of both. Some excellent horsemen and 

 horsewomen recommend using very long leathers and 

 riding entirely by balance; others advocate using short 

 leathers and maintaining the seat by grip. I per- 

 sonally am in favor of the happy medium — riding by 

 the proper distribution of balance, plus grip. Balance 

 above the waist, occasional grip below. 



Those persons claiming that the " balance" seat, 

 pure and simple, is not only the most graceful, but also 

 the most secure, are apt to cite as an illustration of 

 their contention the marvellous feats of the Western 

 cowboy, who rides with extraordinarily long leathers 

 and yet is able to sit an outlaw bucking bronco while 

 holding a playing-card between his knees and the sad- 

 dle. Granted that this is true, nevertheless, the de- 

 duction that is drawn from it is wrong. To begin with, 

 the cowboy does not ride entirely by balance, he grips, 

 as need may arise, and his grip is at times so power- 

 ful that he is able to make a horse squeal by the pres- 



