244 HORSEMANSHIP. 



himself as much as possible against danger. His 

 position in the saddle should resemble that which 

 Ave have recommended for the road, with the excep- 

 tion of the length of his stirrup leathers, and the 

 position of his foot in the stirrup irons. The for- 

 mer, the length of stirrup leather, should depend 

 on the form and action of his horse, as w^ll as the 

 nature of the country he has to ride over. With 

 a horse very well up in his forehand, with his 

 haunches well under him, and going perfectly col- 

 lected and within himself, his stirrup leathers may 

 be lono^ enouo'h to admit of the knee beino^ very 

 nearly straight, and the foot resting on the ball. 

 But, on the other hand, if his horse be somewhat 

 low in his forehand (which many first-rate hunters 

 are.) with very powerful action in his hind-quar- 

 ters ; if ridden in hilly countries, or if at all dis- 

 posed to be a puller, he will require to be at least 

 two holes shorter in his stirrups ; and his foot will 

 be firmer if placed " home"' in them, instead of 

 resting on the balls. Above all things, he must 

 acquire a firm, close, and well-balanced seat in his 

 saddle, which is not merely necessary in leaping, 

 but in galloping over every description of ground. 

 A swagging seat in the last mentioned act is suffi- 

 ciently bad to make a great difference to a hunter 

 in a severe chase ; but when we picture to our- 

 ►selves a horse alighting on the ground, after having 

 cleared a high fence, and his rider alighting two or 

 three seconds afterwards in his saddle, so far for- 

 ward, perhaps, as to fall beyond the pillars of sup- 

 port, or backwards behind the centre of action and 



