28 HINTS ON HORSEMANSHIP 



ward; and the next point is to try and ascertain 

 how much they should be shortened, and how we 

 should know when they are of the right length. 



All books on horsemanship advocate keeping the 

 lower portion of the leg back. Personally, I prefer 

 to say that the knee should be " pointed." I con- 

 sider this a better way of expressing the same 

 thing, because when one is sitting in the saddle 

 we should feel as if our knees were pointed, and 

 as if they were the foremost portion of our whole 

 body. It is only when the knee is "pointed" 

 that the full action of the muscles of the knee 

 joint can come into play. It is by this action of 

 the knee joint that we are able to obtain the 

 absorption of all shock or jolt to the body. When 

 trotting along a road, as long as the knees are 

 properly pointed we find the knee sliding very 

 slightly up and do^n on the saddle with each 

 stride of the horse. This applies still more so at 

 the gallop, and in its most marked degree when 

 landing after a jump, when the shock of impact 

 is most severe. ! 



Bearing this point in mind, how do we know 

 when we are riding the proper length ? The answer 

 is, that we should ride the longest length possible 

 consonant with being able to keep the knee pointed. 

 If we are riding too long, then we cannot get our 

 bodies far enough forward, and if we cannot get 

 our bodies far enough forward we are " left behind " 

 when the thrust comes. If we are " left behind " 

 our bodies are leaning back, and if our bodies are 

 leaning back, provided we still maintain the proper 



