•THE HORSE. 165 



fit be over. The proper starting pace, the walk, 

 being continued at the rider's option, the intimations 

 above described, or a gentle touch on the horse's 

 buttock with the whip or stick, will cause him to ad- 

 vance to his next pace, the slow or jog-trot, the best 

 pace of the horse perhaps, to those who ride for their 

 health's sake, granting the motion be not too rouoh. 

 In the walk, the slow trot, and the canter or slow 

 gallop, the rider sits on his saddle as in his easy chair; 

 in the speedy trot he makes more use of his knees, 

 hitching, or his body rising and falling in unison with 

 the motion of the horse : in the swift gallop the rider 

 stands in his stirrups, chiefly depending on the grasp 

 of his knees and thighs. Formerly it was the prac- 

 tice to ride a galloper with stirrup leathers too short, 

 whence the seat was unsteady, and too much depend- 

 ence was placed for support on the reins. It is ob- 

 viously impossible to lay down a precise rule in this 

 case, The length at which to ride a racing pace, 

 whether trot or gallop, must be left to the judgment 

 and convenience of the rider, with the remark that, 

 of the extremes, riding too short is the worst. Rising 

 in the trot, and lifting and working the horse along 

 with the reins in the gallop by the jockey, are, no 

 doubt, practices purely English. 



Beyond the slow trot the motion of few horses is 

 sufficiently smooth and easy to encourage the rider to 

 sit upon the saddle, nor is the appearance of such a 

 seat very seemly ; it is preferable then, if more speed in 

 the trot be desired, to advance to that degree in which 

 the rider may rise in his stirrups ; in order to perform 

 this easily and gracefully, the rate must be somewhat 



