KEPOET OF CAPT. GEORGE B. M'CLELLAN. 85 



THE SEAT. 



The body of tlie rider is divided into three parts, of which two are movable and one immov- 

 able ; one of the first consists of all the upper part of the body, down to the waist, the other of 

 the lower part of the legs, from the knee down ; the immovable portion is from the waist to the 

 knees. — (PI. 1, fig. 4.) The cavalry soldier should sit square on the middle of the saddle, the 

 upper part of the body presenting a free and unconstrained appearance, the chest not much 

 thrown forward, the ribs resting freely on the hips, the waist and loins not stiffened, and thus 

 not exposed to tension or effort from the motions of the horse ; the upper part of the body should 

 lean slightly to the rear, rather than forward ; the thighs, inclining a little forward, lie flat and 

 firmly on the saddle, covering the surcingle, of which only a small part, behind the knee, should 

 be seen ; the lower part of the legs, hanging vertically from the knees, touch the horse, but 

 without the slightest pressure ; the toes are pointed up, without constraint, and on the same 

 line with the knees, for, if the toes are turned outward, it not only causes the horse to be 

 unnecessarily pricked by the spurs, (especially when marching in line,) but the firmness of the 

 seat is lost ; the heels should be f (seven-eighths) of an inch below the toes, and the stirrups so 

 adjusted that, when the rider raises himself on them, there may be the breadth of four fingers 

 between the crotch and the saddle ; to make this adjustment, when the recruit has acquired a 

 firm and correct seat, he should, without changing that seat, push the bottom of the stirrup to 

 the hollow of the foot, and then, with the foot horizontal, feel a slight support from the stirrup ; 

 when this is accomplished, he replaces the foot properly in the stirrup, and the heel will then be 

 ^ of an inch below the toes. 



To give the recruit a correct seat, the instructor, having caused him to mount, seizes the 

 lower part of his leg, and stretches it straight towards the fore quarters of the horse, so as to 

 bring the buttocks of the rider square on the saddle ; then, resting one hand on the man's knee, 

 he seizes the lower part of the leg with the other, and carries back the thigh and knee so as to 

 bring the crotch square on the saddle, the thighs covering the surcingle, the lower part of the 

 leg, from the knee down, also over the surcingle, and sees that the recruit does not sit too much 

 on his crotch, but has his buttocks well under him. He then explains to the recruit that the 

 firmness of the seat consists in this : that the rider grasps the horse with his legs ; that both 

 thighs press equally upon the saddle, in conformity with the movements of the body ; and that 

 the general movements of the body and thighs must conform to those of the horse. To spare the 

 horses, and explain more readily to the recruit the principles of the seat, he should at first sit 

 upon a wooden horse, on which a saddle is secured, (PI. 1, fig. 3 ;) on this he should learn to 

 carry the thighs back, without leaning the body forward ; at the same time he is taught how to 

 hold the feet, without allowing him to place them in the stirruj)s, for this is one of the most 

 essential conditions for a good seat. 



Position of the hands and arms when riding with the snaffle. 



Both arms free, and without the slightest stiffness in the shoulders ; the elbows bent ; the 

 upper part of the arms a little forward of the vertical ; the fore arms resting against the sides, 

 without pressure ; both hands raised a little above the elbows, but not higher than the eyes of 

 the horse ; the hands five or six fingers' breadth apart, the outer hand higher than the inner ; 

 the units on the prolongation of the fore arms ; the thumbs on top, and not turned inwards ; the 

 manner of holding the reins is shown in PI. 1, figs. 1 and 2. 



