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CHAPTER VIII. 

 THE SEAT. 



Classification of Seats — Differences of Seat in various kinds of Riding— The 

 Hunting Seat — The Military Seat. 



CLASSIFICATION OF SEATS. 



Speaking generally, we may class the seats appropriate to 

 different kinds of riding, under the respective headings of the 

 hunting seat, the flat race seat, and the military seat. The 

 hunting seat may be taken as the representative one for work 

 with hounds, " between the flags," hacking, and rough-riding ; 

 and the military seat for military riding and school equita- 

 tion. The seat for polo may be looked upon as a combina- 

 tion of the hunting and military seats. The old English seat 

 for flat race riding is nearly the same as that for hunting, 

 and the " crouching seat " will be noticed further on. 



DIFFERENCES OF SEAT IN VARIOUS KINDS OF 

 RIDING. 



In the Army, the necessity for uniformity of appearance 

 and regularity of movement, render routine and horse control 

 of paramount importance. Besides, in it the men are more 

 of a size and more nearly of the same age than in civilian 

 life. Hence, every mounted soldier has to assume as nearly 

 as possible one particular kind of seat (that laid down in 

 the Cavalry drill book), irrespective of individual differ- 

 ences in conformation, and has to keep his feet drawn 

 back, so that he may be ready at any moment to apply 



