160 HINTS ON HORSEMANSHIP 



train, and to avoid being thrown backward, he 

 would have to lean forward, and in so doing would 

 have to bend his knees. This simile was used in 

 order to show the necessity for short stirrups. 

 But this case is somewhat different. It is like 

 a man standing on a springboard, with some one 

 underneath causing it at irregular intervals to 

 spring up after it has been pulled down. In 

 such a case it would be unnecessary for the man 

 standing on the end of the board to bend his 

 knees. He would probably keep his balance best 

 by keeping his head very erect, and his legs straight 

 and stiff. So when riding a buck-jumper, as the 

 action is upward and not forward, it is preferable 

 to ride with a long stirrup rather than a short 

 one. 



If we look at the attached sketch of a bucking 

 horse, my point will be more clear. 



Here we can see the upward as against the 

 forward movement, and the rider takes the strain 

 by firstly fixing his thighs firmly against the knee 

 rolls, and by holding sometimes on to the " mon- 

 keys," as short straps attached to the pommel of 

 the saddle are called. Occasionally they even 

 hang on both in front and behind. 



In ordinary riding across the prairie or bush, 

 when long distances have to be covered, but when 

 there is no jumping such as we know it in England, 

 they all ride long, and lean well forward. This is 

 undoubtedly a correct attitude for the work they 

 have to do. They have thoroughly grasped the 

 principle that the weight should be kept off the 



