26 



HINTS ON HORSEMANSHIP 



knee is almost resting on the stirrup leather itself. 

 In position C the knee is actually behind the leather 

 — an obviously impossible position for riding in. 

 From this rough diagram it is clearly demonstrated 

 that in position A the rider is riding a comfortable 

 and suitable length, but that as his body slips back 

 his position, as far as reaching the stirrup iron is 

 concerned, becomes more 

 and more difficult as the 

 angle of the knee joint 

 increases. Should he at- 

 tempt to rectify it by 

 bringing the iron back, 

 the result, diagram- 

 matically, would be as 

 shown. 



Here the only position 

 at w^hich he can put his 

 weight on to a perpen- 

 dicular leather is position 

 A. In the others it is 

 clear that he would 



never be able to put his weight upon them for 

 one moment. Directly he did so they would 

 swing forward instantly to the perpendicular. 



Consequently, as we wish to raise our knees, the 

 body slips back in the saddle, and the stirrups 

 must be correspondingly shortened, as the next 

 diagram shows. If we shortened our stirrups with- 

 out sitting further back in the saddle, we should 

 find our knees protruding in front of the flap of 

 the saddle. It is difficult to make any accurate 



Diagram II 



