170 Modern Riding and Horse Education 



not recommend the back being turned to the horse's 

 head, but it has these advantages — if the animal 

 moves on it helps the man into the saddle, and pre- 

 vents his being kicked if the horse is tickled with the 

 toe in mounting. The only objection is that a play- 

 ful horse may give you a pinch in the region of the 

 coat-tails, but surely this would be an additional in- 

 centive to springing quickly into the saddle. 



As to the way the man should hold himself on 

 the horse, some writers w^ould have no directions 

 given him at first, whilst others would, so to speak, 

 place him by rule of thumb, even to the length of 

 making him hold his hands in the center of his body, 

 and exactly three inches from it! Harry Hieover, 

 a clever horseman and knowing writer, says : " You 

 don't sit bolt upright on your chair; what on earth 

 makes you do it on your horse? Leave it to the 

 soldiers." In this as in all else there is a golden 

 mean ; give too many directions and you get stiffness, 

 give none and you make balance more difficult for 

 the tyro. Explain to your charge that his difficulties 

 will be increased unless he gets his seat well under 

 him, excepting, of course, when rising to the trot, 

 or going very fast, when his shoulders should natU' 



