RIDING ENTERING FOR A RACE. 



ing establishments, both train and jockey their own 

 steeds, let me advise you not to^give ' 4 up"~your own 

 natural-formed seat for one you have never tried;be- 

 fore. Do not stick your back up like an angry cat, 

 striving to imitate William Buckle, or any other cele- 

 brated rider ; but keep your middle person from the 

 waist to the knees firm, yet flexible, grasping well 

 with your thighs, and resting the weight mostly in 

 the saddle, not in the stirrups ; and if you have occa- 

 sion to use the spur, apply it as far under the belly 

 as the legs can reach. The management of the arms 

 is even of greater consequence : you may have as 

 strong a seat as a first-rate hog- hunter, and yet ride 

 a horrible race, from not keeping a steady unjerking 

 pull (not a dead pull) on the mouth. The man who 

 has trained the horse is the only individual who can 

 direct the most advantageous way in which he should 

 be ridden ; though the person that has daily acted 

 as jockey, if not a goose, must, of course, be able to 

 form some opinion likewise. If you are about to 

 ride a hard-mouthed horse, always put a bit and curb 

 on ; and this should have been done in training : for 

 if in taking his exercise-gallops he once runs away, 

 he will be continually attempting the same trick : for 

 having now got to know his speed, he will be on the 

 look-out to break away with you in any part of the 

 race, perhaps swerve, or bolt ; and he will rarely strug- 

 gle honestly when challenged for the rally in ; but, 

 while he should always be prevented from all chance 

 of running off, you need not go into the other ex- 

 treme, and throw him out of his stride, either at 

 starting, or during the race, by an endeavour to 

 restrain him too much when from over- eagerness you 

 see he will not suffer it ; it is better, in these cases, 



