SEATS. 87 



to above namely, that in trotting after the English 

 fashion the horse endeavours to accommodate the 

 strong and weak pairs of legs to the rise and fall of the 

 rider in the saddle ; and if so, it is worth the attention 

 of practical men. 



It is, however, quite clear that if we desire to train 

 horses to perfectly equal action on both sides as is 

 necessary for military purposes, where all must be 

 brought as nearly as possible to one standard of action, 

 or for draught, where the team should trot alike it 

 will be better to employ the * ' bobbing up and down 

 system " than English riding. The Americans under- 

 stand and apply this in the training of their great 

 trotters : few English horses can compete with them, 

 because their trot is uneven. But of course there is 

 no use in attempting a combination of "wash-ball," or 

 "tongs across a wall," with" bobbing;" it will never 

 succeed in anything except shaking the rider's lungs 

 out : the nearly perpendicular tread on the stirrup, with 

 an elastic ankle to break the jolt, is imperative. The 

 Orientals, who use shovel- stirrups, and stand straight 

 on the entire sole of the foot, never attempt trotting 

 their paces are walk or gallop. Arab horses have, 

 however, a tremendous trot if you can bring them to 

 it ; but you must sit like wax, and have the delicate 

 hand of a first-rate pianist to do the trick ; for nothing 

 stronger than a single hair from a fair lady's head is 

 fit for a rein. 



There exists in many minds a strong prejudice on 

 the subject of its easing the horse to tuck up the rider's 

 legs, and that nothing tires it so much as a long dangling 

 weight under its belly. In the first place, it comes 

 to this, that a giant should not mount a pony ; then, 



