The Seat. 15 



or to foresee all your horse's movements ; and 

 the former alternative, I need scarcely add, is 

 much the easier of the two. 



What, then, ought to be your first step ? 

 Look at a cookmaid skinning eels. She knows 

 that the strongest man in England could not 

 effectually grasp an eel with a slippery hand, 

 and therefore she commences operations by 

 carefully sanding her fingers. You know, or 

 if you choose to try you will soon find out, 

 that the strongest pair of legs cannot, if clad 

 in cloth overalls, effectually grasp a leather 

 saddle. Begin, therefore, by clothing your 

 legs in leather. Breeches and top-boots are, 

 or used to be, the characteristic garb of the 

 English horseman ; but the Napoleon legging 

 will be found, by those who dislike the 

 trouble of changing their dress whenever they 

 ride, as adhesive to the saddle and almost as 

 neat to the eye. 



Grasping with the legs may appear a very 

 simple exercise of muscular force ; but there is 

 a right and a wrong way of doing everything, 

 and you will stick much more tenaciously to 

 your saddle if you begin by finding out the 

 most effectual method of applying your 



