232 GUIDANCE AND CONTROL. 



rider's body alternately assumes two different positions : one, 

 that of sitting down in the saddle when one particular fore 

 leg (Fig. 196) is in support; and the other, that of standing 

 in the stirrups when the other fore leg bears weight (Fig 197). 

 As a great rule, men always rise and sit down on the same 

 respective fore legs % of the horse they are riding at a trot. I 

 see from an inspection of Figs. 196 and 197, that I sit down 

 when the off fore is on the ground, and stand up, when the 

 near fore is in support. It is quite immaterial whether this 



Fig. 196. Sitting down at the trot. 



order of sitting down and rising is observed, or the reverse. 

 It is advisable, however, to acquire the not very difficult knack 

 of being readily able to change the order of rising and sitting 

 down ; because the latter action places more weight on its 

 respective fore leg than the former does. The correctness of 

 the statement that riding a horse in the ordinary manner at the 

 trot, puts more weight on one particular fore leg than on the 

 other fore leg, is amply proved by the fact that a sound horse 

 ridden in this way will not trot quite " level." Although an 



