HINTS ON RIDING 97 



without saying that a woman should lean well forward 

 over a jump, but she can lean quite as far forward as 

 is necessary and graceful without renouncing the se- 

 curity afforded by a reasonably short leather. It will 

 be seen in illustration facing page 70 that I could 

 scarcely be farther forward in the saddle without look- 

 ing extremely ungainly, and yet I am riding at the 

 length of leather I have just advocated. Undoubted- 

 ly, there are many women who accomplish astonish- 

 ing results with very long leathers, and some with 

 very short, but I venture to say that had the same 

 amount of labor, patience, and skill been used on a 

 length more suited to the work in hand even better 

 results might have been accomplished. 



Whatever may be the controversies regarding the 

 matter on a man's saddle, on a side-saddle it is prefer- 

 able that the stirrup-iron be held on the ball of the 

 foot, even when jumping or hunting. In this position 

 not only is there less danger of the foot remaining 

 wedged in the iron in case of an accident, but also it 

 is evident that the efficacy of the rider's grip, performed 

 as already described by the ankle joint, is destroyed 

 if the foot is put "home." For in the latter position 

 the ankle joint can have no "play." 



The left foot should always be held as nearly parallel 

 to the horse's side as is consistent with ease, and the 

 heel should be held a little away from the animal. 

 (See illustration, Figs. 1 and 2.) If the foot is not ab- 

 solutely level, the heel, rather than the toe, should be 

 depressed slightly. In gripping to any extent, the 

 foot may be carried away from the horse's side, and 

 pressure thereby applied more to the inner than the 

 outer side of the iron, in which position the knee is 

 best able to adhere to the saddle flap. 



