SEATS. 73 



come back towards the horse's tail, the rider's body is 

 carried forward by every movement of the animal, 

 because it rests only on two points instead of three, 

 and this may be styled the " muff school of eques- 

 trianism." 



Whatever difference of opinion may exist as to where 

 the rider should sit in his saddle, or however necessary 

 it may be to vary the exact position of the seat according 

 to the object in view, there can be no doubt whatever 

 that the only firm and steady seat is on the triangle : 

 the Monboddo bone must neither be overweighted nor 

 made too conspicuous. 



The seat therefore, as such, depends on balance or 

 poise, on the amount of surface brought into contact 

 with the saddle, both of which in their turn depend on 

 whether the rider's weight rests on three, two, or only 

 one corner of a triangle, and all this is necessarily modi- 

 fied by the position of the stirrup. We have endeavoured 

 to show the relative value of each element in succession, 

 and now leave the reader to make such a combination 

 of them as best suits his purpose, reminding him merely 

 that, although he may safely modify first principles, 

 he never can totally despise them without committing 

 an absurdity. 



A question presents itself here which, although apper- 

 taining more properly to the department of practical 

 instruction, is so intimately connected with the matters 

 we have just now been discussing, that it is impossible 

 to pass it over without a few words it is this : Should 

 we give our first instruction in riding with or without 

 stirrups ? The advocates of beginning without stirrups 

 say, you must first give the pupil a seat, and then when 

 he has acquired balance and a hold of his horse, you 



