158 



THE SEAT. 



should rest In an easy position against the horse's near 

 shoulder, as in Fig. 79. 



When the beginner has learned how to sit in the 

 saddle, she should practise leaning back, which she 

 can best do by gripping the crutches, while keep- 

 ing her legs in proper position (Fig. 84), and leaning- 



Fig. 84. — Leaning l)ack. 



her body back until she can almost touch the horse's 

 croup. When doing this for the first few times, her 

 teacher should support her, in order to give her con- 

 fidence, and the groom, if jiecessary, should hold the 

 horse, which should of course be a quiet animal. The 

 object of this practice is to show her that the move- 

 ments of her body are entirely independent of her grip 

 of the crutches, and that the forward and backward 



