SEAT ON A HORSE. 33 



the generality of riders are but too apt to sit on their 

 horses in the bent attitude of the last paroxysm or 

 exertion which helped them into the saddle. Now, 

 when a man in this toad-like position rides along say 

 a macadamized road he travels always ready, at a mo- 

 ment's notice, to proceed by himself in the direction in 

 which he is pointing, in case the progress of his horse 

 should be suddenly stopped by his falling down. Indeed, 

 when a horse, without falling down, recovers by a vio- 

 lent struggle from a bad trip, a heavy rider in this 

 attitude (called by Sir Bellingham Graham " a wash- 

 ball seat ") is very liable to shoot forwards over his head 

 in a parabolic curve, ending in a concussion of his 

 brain or in the dislocation of his neck, the horse stand- 

 ing by his motionless body perfectly uninjured. 



On the other hand, when a man sits upright, justly 

 balanced on his saddle, any sudden jerk or movement 

 forwards throws his shoulders backwards. If therefore, 

 while proceeding in that position, the horse thinks proper 

 to fall, the animal in the first instance is the sole suf- 

 ferer. He cuts his forehead, hurts his nose, breaks his 

 knees, bruises his chest, while his head, neck, forelegs, 

 and the forepart of his body, forced into each other like 

 the joints of a telescope, form a buffer, preventing the 

 concussion the horse has received, from injuring, in the 

 smallest degree, the rider, or even the watch in his 



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