GETTING DOWN INTO THE SADDLE 



" As he rammed down his hat, and got home in his seat, 

 This rum one to follow, this bad one to beat." 



Whyte Melville. 



N Other words, this simply means being part 

 and parcel with your horse ; sitting in the sad- 

 dle and not on it. 



The pupil will take some time to attain this de- 

 sirable end unless he does a certain amount of rid- 

 ing without stirrups during his course, and when 

 he is using them they should not be fitted too short. 

 There is a general tendency nowadays in this direc- 

 tion, and it is not, in my opinion, to be encouraged 

 for beginners. For an exaggerated example of this 

 we have only to go to the flat-racing stable. Here 

 boys practically commence riding with their thighs 

 horizontal, with the result that we have such good 

 judges as Messrs. Richard Marsh, Tom Cannon 



Senior, and S. Darling deploring the deterioration 



69 



