SEATS. 67 



depend to a great extent on the stability of the rider's 

 weight that is to say, on his poise or balance. In 

 addition to these two items comes a third one namely, 

 the value of poise or balance to the rider himself. Why 

 does anything tumble down from the position it has 

 hitherto occupied ? because it loses its balance : and 

 the rider that does so is sure to meet the same fate, 

 unless the friction of his seat, the stirrups, or the 

 horse's mane are called to the rescue. Can there be 

 any doubt as to the great value of poise or balance ? 

 We think not. 



As to friction, this depends, in the case of two inani- 

 mate bodies coining in contact, first, on the nature of 

 their respective surfaces, which we must leave alto- 

 gether out of question here ;* and, secondly, on the 

 absolute weight with which the upper one presses on 

 the lower one. The amount of surface of contact does 

 not increase friction, but, of course, if the whole weight 

 be brought to bear on one or two points of a rider's 

 seat, these will soon require soap-plaster. Here, how- 

 ever, we have to do with an inanimate body ; the saddle, 

 on the one hand, and a very lively one the rider's seat 

 and legs, on the other, whose muscular action may 

 form a very important adjunct to the dead weight in 

 increasing friction ; and the amount of this action does 

 increase with the surfaces in contact, because a greater 

 number of muscles are brought into action ; therefore, 

 we can never bring too great an amount of the surfaces 

 of our seat and legs into contact with the saddle. The 

 friction arising from absolute weight no rider will be 



* A very smooth surface to the saddle lessens the friction, for 

 which reason school saddles are usually covered with tan- 

 coloured buckskin, whilst many Orientals adopt sheepskins with 

 wool on, coarse rugs or mats, &c. 



