8o 



Horses and Horsemastership. 



there must always be, but the muscles must be kept, so 

 to speak, under close control, in order that the greatest 

 amount of friction may be at any moment brought into- 

 play. A well-known authority, in describing a good 

 seat, says : " From the hips upwards movable, in order 

 to enable the rider to vary his balance or use his. 

 Aveapons ; from the knee downwards movable for the use 

 of the spur and the control of the horse's hind legs, and 

 between these two points, hip and knee, fixed for the 

 seat."" The principle is correct, but practice and conse- 

 quent advancement in knowledge will reveal to what 

 extent the grip of the thighs can be safely relaxed under 

 normal circumstances. 



The part played by the stirrups becomes, in the case- 

 of an accomplished rider, a very minor one indeed, so 

 much so that you will often find a rough-rider quit them 

 when he has a particularly tough job in hand. Never- 

 theless, I am of opinion that it is best to begin with the 

 aid of the stirrups, and not to attempt riding without 

 them until the seat has become fairly safe. 



Of course, the stirrups are extremelv useful, if not. 

 indeed, an absolute necessity, when weapons, such as the 

 sword or the lance, have to be used. 



As to the proper length to which thev should be 

 adjusted, the general rule is that the leathers and 

 stirrups should reach from the tip of the second finger,. 



