190 MODERN FARRIER. 



belongs to the rider only; and holding a horse by 

 the curb (which is ever painful to him) is evidently 

 improper when he is to stand still. 



Another thing to be remembered is, not to ride 

 with your arms and elbows as high as your shoul- 

 ders; nor let them shake up and down with the 

 motion of the horse. The posture is imbecoming, 

 and the weight of the arms (and of the body too if 

 the rider does not sit still) acts in continual jerks on 

 the jaw of the horse, which must give him pain, and 

 make him unquiet, if he has a tender mouth or any 

 spirit. 



Bad riders wonder why horses are gentle as soon 

 as they are mounted by skilful ones, though their 

 skill seems unemployed : the reason is, the horse 

 goes at his ease, yet finds all his motions watched ; 

 which he has sagacity enough to discover. Such a 

 rider hides his whip, if he finds his horse is afraid of 

 it ; and keeps his legs from his sides, if he finds he 

 dreads the spur. 



Avoid the ungraceful custom of letting your legs 

 shake against the sides of the horse ; and as you are 

 not to keep your arms and elbows high and in mo- 

 tion, so you are not to rivet them to your sides, but 

 let them fall easy. One may, at a distance, distin- 

 guish a genteel horseman from an awkward one ; 

 the first sits still, and appears of a piece with his 

 horse ; the latter seems flying off at all points. 



It is often said with emphasis that such a one has 

 no seat on horseback ; and it means, not only that 

 he does not ride well, but that he does not sit on 

 the right part of the horse. To have a good seat, is 

 to sit on that part of the horse which, as he springs, 

 is the centre of motion ; and from which, of course, 

 any v*^eight would be with most difficulty shaken. 

 As in the rising and falling of a board placed in 

 cquilihrio, the centre will be always most at rest, 

 the true seat will be found in that part of your 

 saddle into which your body would naturally slide 



