'HANDS' AND OTHER MATTERS 125 



> 



Every one, even the best riders, loses an iron 

 occasionally, and without this little assistance it 

 is sometimes very difficult to get hold of the iron 

 again, and even when that has been accomplished 

 it is, as often as not, the wrong side. It is a 

 matter that can be done in a moment. Do not 

 do it by merely twisting the leather round and 

 round, but do it by taking hold 

 of the leather just above the 

 iron, and giving it one sharp 

 twist. 



So that before mounting one 

 should see that one's stirrups 

 hang as in diagram XI. 



A Good Leg for Riding 



I think that nearly every one 

 who was asked what a good leg 

 for riding was, would say that it 

 should be long and thin. I know 

 that when we see a man with a 

 very small calf, his friends speak 

 of it with admiration, and say 

 " what a splendid leg for a boot he has." I 

 think we all know of many men who have large 

 calves who deprecate the fact, because they think 

 they haven't got a good riding leg. Certainly a 

 large calf doesn't look quite so well, but, I think, 

 their owners have been the better blessed of the 

 two. We do want calves in riding as well as in 



Diagram XI 



