USUAL OR INSTINCTIVE EQUITATION 



saddle, while with the left he grasps a handful of 

 hairs of the mane. Rising on the toes of his right 

 foot, he places his left foot in the stirrup, and, after 

 two preparatory swings of the body up and down, 

 by bending and straightening the right knee, on 

 the third, he raises himself upon his left stirrup, 

 assisting himself by both legs and by the left hand. 

 He is now standing erect in the left stirrup, facing 

 toward the horse's right. The right hand, always 

 holding the reins, is next placed upon the right 

 panel of the saddle, the wrist bearing upon the 

 upper part, the upper part of the body is inclined 

 forward, and the right leg is passed over the horse's 

 croup and the rear part of the saddle. Finally, the 

 rider, still supporting his body by the right hand, 

 comes easily down into the saddle, abandons both 

 panel and mane, brings his right hand with the 

 reins in front of him, and without looking or any 

 help, places his right foot in the stirrup. 



All other methods of mounting are variations of 

 this, necessitated by peculiarities of either man or 

 horse. 



If the horse is tall and the man short, the latter 

 can best reach the stirrup by standing with his 

 left side close to the horse's shoulder, and facing to 

 the rear. Some riders, on the other hand, prefer to 

 face forward, their right side at the horse's left 

 flank, and the right hand, which holds the reins, on 

 the cantle of the saddle. 



Still another method, if proportions of man and 



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