The Seat. 2 1 



you to relax the position in which you place 

 yourself. If you cannot keep your spine con- 

 cave without stiffening it, stiffen it by all 

 means. Set yourself to endure, with patient 

 fortitude, the bumps and thumps which un- 

 doubtedly are (in a metaphorical sense) before 

 you. In a very short time the involuntary 

 rigidity of the muscles will begin to relax, and 

 the waist will regain its easy play without 

 relinquishing its necessary flexure. 



When this is the case, the first great 

 obstacle to your progress has fairly begun to 

 give way. You have now acquired the foun- 

 dation of a good seat, and require nothing but 

 practice to make it perfect. Persevere in 

 trotting without stirrups, making your attend- 

 ant increase the action of your horse as you 

 find yourself firmer and easier in the saddle. 

 When you are quite easy at a full trot, let 

 him halt and make your horse circle round 

 him to the right and left. Do not be satis- 

 fied until, by combining the steady grasp of 

 the legs and the supple play of the spine, you 

 are able to stick to the roughest goer as if 

 you were part of the saddle. Three weeks 



