lo LEARNING TO DISMOUNT. 



each ankle. The third way is to place your feet in both 

 stirrups, keeping them under the ball of each foot, and 

 take care to sit well in the centre of the saddle, now 

 stand straight up in your stirrups, resting the back of the 

 right hand on the pommel of the saddle, if you can clear 

 the pommel with the right hand resting on it, you have 

 the stirrups the correct length. The second and third 

 ways are the best to follow ; the first way will do in some 

 cases, but not in all, you will understand that a great 

 many men have long backs and short legs, while others 

 have the reverse ; then again, one's arm may not be as 

 long as one's leg, and on some horses you will require 

 different lengths of stirrups. A lady should learn to mount 

 her horse from the ground, and insist on being taught 

 that way, and also learn to dismount without any assist- 

 ance whatever. 



To mount correctly, the lady should take hold of the 

 four reins in the right hand, place the hand on the up 

 pommel then place the left foot in the hand of the assist- 

 ant, resting your left hand on his shoulder ; at the word 

 three, straighten the left knee, at the same time spring up 

 with the right foot on to the saddle, cross your right knee 

 over the upper pommel, place the foot in the stirrup, then 

 change the reins from the right hand to the left. The way 

 to dismount, is to hold the reins in the left hand, take the 

 foot out of the stirrup, ])ass the right leg over the pom- 

 mel, with the assistance of the right hand placed under 

 the right knee, to prevent the skirt from getting caught on 



