76 SEATS AND SADDLES. 



patience, and promptitude that really constitute a good 

 race-rider, are natural gifts. What interests us more 

 especially is, that this style of riding is in perfect 

 accordance with the principles we have been advocating : 

 the saddle is placed just over the fourteenth vertebra, 

 it is of such small dimensions that the rider can only 

 sit on one spot,* and under this, or very nearly so, the 

 girths are attached and the stirrups suspended; nay, 

 still further, a surcingle passing over the exact centre 

 of the saddle is generally employed. The length of the 

 stirrups should, according to the best authorities, be 

 such as just to enable the jock to clear his saddle 

 when he stands in them, but never so long as to make 

 him depend en the reins in the least for his upright 

 position ; therefore, when he does stand in the stirrups, 

 he transfers, through them, his weight to the centre of 

 the saddle, without, of course, disturbing the general 

 equilibrium of his horse. When he wishes to bring the 

 centre of gravity more forward which favours, as we 

 have shown, the propelling action of the hind legs he 

 does this by bending his own body forward from the 

 hips upivards, and throwing forward his head, his legs 

 remaining straight down close to his horse ; and this 

 bend is altogether different from that of the rider who 

 sits far back in his saddle, with his knees drawn up to 

 the horse's shoulder. When he comes to the finish, the 

 jock sits down to " ride " his horse, just as a cavalry 

 soldier should, the great difference being that the latter 

 has but one hand to ride with. Much of the success 

 of starting depends on the rider throwing his weight 

 forward at the proper moment, and not overdoing it, as 



* Hibernice, the racing saddle may be described as having only 

 a middle, and d 1 an end at all. 



