THE HOESE. 161 



the martingale of which was so placed that it was in 

 close contact with the inside of the horse's fore-arm, 

 which it must, consequently, chafe with its edge 

 every step the horse took, beside causing uneven 

 pulls with the reins. As to twisting bridle reins till 

 they will never again go even, and placing saddles 

 awry on horses' backs, until they acquire the knack 

 and will never afterwards quit it ; such slovenly 

 habits are much more common than needful. I have 

 already hinted at the disgrace to a modern horseman 

 of riding a cruppered horse, but he had better do that 

 than do worse ; now for the other extreme of a nag 

 lofty forward, with no middle piece. This last, if 

 washy, and pushed on, may chance to run through 

 his girths, leaving saddle and rider behind him, even 

 as his antagonist in form may gently cast both over 

 his head. The one then needs a posterior, the other 

 an anterior crupper; the last, a breastplate strapped 

 to the pommel of the saddle and the girths. Half a 

 century since we used to sport this, a white sash, in 

 Rotten Row, by way of flashing the slant of our hack- 

 ney's shoulder. 



Mounting. The nag being led out and held, our 

 jockey that is to be, approaches the near (left) shoul- 

 der, and gathering up the reins between the fingers 

 in his left hand, the thumb upwards, at the same 

 time, weaving the fingers into the horse's mane, he 

 acquires a holdfast and purchase. The whip is held 

 with the reins, in the left hand. With his right 

 hand he then takes hold of the stirrup, the flat side 

 of the leather being placed towards him, and into the 

 stirrup inserts his left foot. Next placing his right 



