66 SEATS AND SADDLES. 



knowing positions of his head, and artistic contortions 

 of his lower extremities, each and all of which have 

 their partisans and admirers. 



We set out with the declaration that we have no 

 desire or intention to set up any one kind of seat as a 

 model ; but this is no reason why we should not try to 

 find out and lay before our readers what are the real 

 essentials, leaving them to adopt whatever suits their 

 purpose best. Now the seat on horseback is maintained 

 either by balancing or by friction that is to say, the 

 greater or less amount of the rider's sitting parts brought 

 into contact with the saddle or by the support given 

 by the stirrup ; and it is easy to perceive that such a 

 combination of all three means as leaves each individual 

 one its greatest amount of efficiency, will necessarily 

 secure a much greater amount of stability than can be 

 attained by depending on one to the neglect of the other 

 two, or even depending on two in such a manner as to 

 sacrifice the third. The best and safest seat will be 

 always that which depends exclusively on no one means 

 of support, but uses them all in the best manner. 



In order to answer the question, Which of the three 

 is the most important ? it becomes necessary to review 

 the positive value of each in detail ; and first as to 

 balance. 



It has been shown, in the preceding chapters, to 

 what an extent the action of the horse depends on the 

 balance or poise of rider and bearer taken together, 

 and how every modification of the latter affects the 

 former, and therefore, that not only some one particular 

 poise must be adopted, but also maintained, for each 

 kind of riding. Again, it has been shown that the 

 stability of the saddle and the safety of the horse's back 



