THE POSITION ON HORSEBACK. 



35 



or gallop after it has been learned and practiced at 

 a walk. In this way pupils soon become conscious 

 both of the right and the wrong seats, and the differ- 

 ence between them, and it is consequently easy to 

 correct any detail in which they may find themselves 

 defective. I have done this in accordance with a 

 principle in which I firmly believe, i. e., that the 

 best teacher is he who soonest makes his pupil un- 

 derstand what is expected of her, and how to ac- 

 complish it. The former is theoretical, the latter 

 practical horsemanship, and there is a great differ- 

 ence between them. 



If the teacher finds it hard to make a pupil un- 

 derstand the foregoing position, he may help her in 

 the following manner : He should take her right 

 foot, as indicated in the flexions, and, going as far 

 back as he can, place his right elbow on the horse's 

 croup, with his fore-arm perpendicular, and his fin- 

 gers open and bent backward. He will then request 

 the pupil to lean back until she feels the support of 

 the teacher's hand between her shoulders, and to 

 allow her head and shoulders to go back of their own 

 weight, when it will be easy for him, by pressure of 

 his hand, to straighten the body until it is in the cor- 

 rect position. Some teachers adopt the Hungarian 

 method of passing a round stick through the arms 

 and behind the back; but this is only practicable 

 when a horse is standing still, or at a walk, and 

 even then great care should be used, as the rider 

 is quite helpless. It has also the disadvantage of 



