The Saddle. 67 



enough if stirrups were always suspended at the same 

 perpendicular distance from the upper surface of the 

 saddle, and also right under the rider's seat, and if 

 men's arms and legs al-jcays bore a fixed proportion to 

 one another; all of which "ifs" turn out on nearer in- 

 spection to be algebraical jv's — that is, very variable 

 quantities. To adjust the stirrups precisely^ the rider 

 had better first mount, and then, letting these instru- 

 ments loose altogether, shake himself down into the 

 loivest part of the saddle, wherever that may be situ- 

 ated ; his assistant may then adjust the stirrups to a 

 convenient length. There is no use in attempting to 

 ignore this lowest pointy because every motion of the 

 horse tends invariably to throw him into it, and if he 

 does persist in ignoi'ing it, he will find himself a mere 

 stuTup-rider, which is, in its way, quite as bad as a 

 •ein-rider, the combination of both being the very 

 climax of bad riding — in fact that monkey-like fashion 

 of clinging to your steed vulgarly termed " sticking a 

 horse." For the absolute length of the stirrup no 

 special rule can be given applicable to all circum- 

 stances and to all kinds of riding; in speaking of the 

 different kinds of seats in a subsequent chapter we 

 shall have to return to this point. The only general 

 rule that can be given is, never make your stirrups so 

 long as to render your tread on them insecure^ nor so 

 short as to allow them to cramp up your legs and de- 

 prive them of the requisite power of motion, making 

 you depend on the stirrups and not on your seat for 

 your position in the saddle. The Orientals all ride in 

 the short stirrups in which they can stand resting on 

 the entire sole of their feet on account of the shovel 

 shape and the size of this contrivance ; but their stir- 

 rups are hung directly under their seat, and in a very 

 different position from that which they occupy in our 

 saddles (see Plate IV). Short stirrups on an English 



