THE POSITION ON HORSEBACK. 27 



say nothing of the fact that no horse looks at his ease 

 under a stiff rider. 



During the first lessons a pupil is apt to have a 

 certain unconscious fear, which causes a contraction 

 of the muscles ; and it is in order to overcome this 

 fear, and consequent rigidity, that the following gym- 

 nastic exercise is recommended : 



The pupil should be mounted on a very quiet 

 horse and led into the middle of the school, where 

 the teacher, standing on the left side, takes in his 

 left hand her right foot, and draws it very gently, 

 and without any jerk, back toward the left leg ; the 

 pupil should then place her left hand in his right, 

 and her right hand on the first pommel, and, thus 

 supported, lean back until her body touches the 

 back of the horse, straightening herself afterward 

 with as little aid from the teacher as possible, and 

 chiefly by the pressure of the right knee on the sec- 

 ond pommel. This movement should be repeated, 

 the pupil leaning not only straight back, but to the 

 left and the right, the teacher holding the right foot 

 in place and making the pupil understand that it is 

 to the fixity of contact between her right knee and 

 the pommel that she must look for the firmness and 

 consequent safety of her seat on horseback. When 

 the pupil has acquired some ease in this exercise, 

 the teacher will allow her to practice it without his 

 hold on her right foot, and will afterward withdraw 

 the support of his right hand, until finally she be- 

 comes able to execute the movements while the 



