The Seat and Balance. 77 



grees of speed, and in different directions, in order 

 to settle her firmly and gracefully on the saddle, — 

 to convince her that there is security without the 

 stirrup, — and to teach her to accompany, with 

 precision and ease, the various movements of the 

 horse. 



Nothing can be more detrimental to the grace of 

 a lady's appearance on horseback, than a bad posi- 

 tion : a recent author says, it is a sight that would 

 spoil the finest landscape in the world. What can 

 be much more ridiculous, than the appearance of 

 a female, whose whole frame, through mal-position, 

 seems to be the sport of every movement of the 

 horse ? If the lady be not mistress of her seat, 

 and be unable to maintain a proper position of her 

 limbs and body, so soon as her horse starts into a 

 trot, she runs the risk of being tossed about on 

 the saddle, like the Halcyon of the poets in her 

 frail nest, — 



"Floating upon the boisterous rude sea." 



If the animal should canter, his fair rider's head 

 will be jerked to and fro as "a vexed weather- 

 cock ;" her drapery will be blown about, instead 

 of falling gracefully around her; 'and her elbows 

 rise and fall, or, as it were, flap up and down like 

 the pinions of an awkward nestling endeavoring to 

 7* 



