16 HINTS ON HORSEMANSHIP 



the steeplechasing length, which should be a couple 

 of holes shorter still. 



Variations between the three, naturally, often 

 occur. These are dependent upon the action of 

 the horse, and the particular variety of exercise 

 about to be performed, but this fact does not 

 affect the three main headings I purpose to deal 

 with. This question of length is regarded by 

 some students of such importance that one of 

 my friends actually has small steel slips of varying 

 thickness which he inserts on the top of the tread 

 of the iron so as to be able to make finer adjust- 

 ments than would be possible with the ordinary 

 holes in the stirrup leather. (The holes are usually 

 one inch apart, so that one hole makes the differ- 

 ence of half an inch in the length of the leather.) 

 Personally, I do not think it is necessary to make 

 such very fine adjustments, as any slight altera- 

 tion can be made by the angle at which we carry 

 the heel, but I mention this in order to show the 

 value that some enthusiasts place upon having the 

 length exactly right. 



In order to understand the reason for these 

 three distinct lengths, we must first consider the 

 action of the horse. At a walk the horse is at 

 no moment in suspension, that is to say, there is 

 no moment at which all four legs are off the ground. 

 He is merely progressing in a similar manner to 

 the wheel of a carriage. His legs act as the spokes, 

 and the base of his shoulders and stifle act as the 

 hub. And as long as we only proceed at a walk 

 the length we ride is merely a question of comfort. 



