38 Seats and Saddles. 



of the jockey It is difficult to draw a " hard and fast' 

 line, because his total weight is inconsiderable, and the 

 distances to be got over are inconsiderable ; and this is 

 precisely the reason why heavier riders, especially when 

 they have to do long distances, should not ride forward 

 like the jockey, because they are sure, sooner or later, 

 to use up their horses' fore legs by making them exclu- 

 sively bearers : even race-horses will break down under 

 the light weight, and some jocks are unfortunate in this 

 respect. 



And if this be true, it is equally so that placing the 

 weight too near the hind legs must diminish their pro- 

 pelling power, by converting them, in a greater degree, 

 into bearers ; and this may be done in two different 

 ways, one of which, having a very definite object, is 

 good in its way, w^hile the other is, to say the least, of 

 very questionable utility under any circumstances. The 

 manege or school rider educates his horse to bear an 

 increased proportion of the weight on its hind legs, 

 these latter being brought forward zuider the animal 

 with bent hocks ; but his object not being speed — and it 

 is w^ell known that manege-training diminishes speed, 

 for which reason, precisely, English riders scoff at the 

 haute-ecole^ somewhat unadvisedly, perhaps — the ma- 

 nege-rider is perfectly justified in acting as he does in 

 order to attain other objects. It is, moreover, important 

 to remark that if a horse's hind quarters be not suffi- 

 ciently strong and pliable to enable them to endure the 

 increased demand for bearing without annihilating their 

 propelling power, such a horse will be incapable of 

 high training in this sense. 



The English hussar-horse in Plate VII. is precisely 

 in this position, and having poor hind quarters, incapa- 

 ble of sustaining the weight thrown on them even with 

 perpendicular hocks, much less with his legs bent under 

 him like a school-horse, he is compelled to stretch them 



