26 Horse and Man. 



tirely relieves his fatigue. His seat will part 

 from and return to the saddle with a gentle 

 oscillation as the horse strides along, but the 

 alteration of his balance will remove all dis- 

 agreeable concussion from the contact. 



Let the length of your stirrups be entirely 

 determined by the natural position of your 

 legs while grasping your saddle. Take your 

 gripe, with your thighs at the angle most 

 convenient for tenacious adhesion, your legs 

 vertical from the knee downwards, and your 

 feet drooping easily from the heel to the toe. 

 Then regulate the stirrup-leathers so that the 

 irons shall touch, just enough to keep them 

 steady, the hollow of the foot. You will 

 thus be sure that your stirrups are long 

 enough not to interfere with your position 

 when you do not want their assistance, and short 

 enough to give you full support when you 

 do. Feel the stirrup-iron with the hollow or 

 the ball of the foot as you please; remembering 

 only that, if you prefer the latter posture, the 

 instep must be carefully kept pliant when you 

 are not pressing upon your stirrups. 



You will easily divine from this advice that 

 I am, as to one favourite article of the ordi- 



