Seats. ^5 



from weight If both be exercised simultaneously nearly 

 at the same point, and in the same direction ; if not, the 

 rider will have to depend alternately on one or the 

 other, instead of both taken together, which is, of course, 

 much less advantageous. 



In some forms of seats the rider depends almost en- 

 tirely on the pressure of his knees against the fore part 

 of the saddle, and relinquishes altogether the advan- 

 tages derived from steady contact of his seat with the 

 other end of it. For riding a race or a fox-hunt this 

 may answer ; but muscular power is subject to waste, 

 and this method will never do for continuous exertion, 

 being much too fatiguing to the rider, and therefore 

 uncertain. 



Nor is this all. "Making," as Sir F. Head says, in 

 describing t/ie Jninting-seat^^ " the knee a pivot, or 

 rather hinge, and the legs beneath them the grasp," is 

 like holding a horse-pistol between the tips of the fore- 

 finger and thumb, instead of grasping it in the full 

 hand. If the weapon kicks on being discharged, it will 

 revolve on the hinge with a vengeance ; and if the 

 horse perform a similar feat, the upper two-thirds of the 

 rider's body do the same round the knee-pivot . The 

 leg, from the knee downward, is much less fitted for 

 holding or grasping than the thigh is ; moreover, it has 

 other functions to perform that interfere with this. The 

 best hunting, steeple-chase and military riders we have 

 ever seen all agreed in this one point at least — that of 

 depending on the thigh, and not the " undcr-leg," for 

 their seat ; and hence is derived the grand cardinal 

 rule for a good seat : " From the hips upward movable^ 

 in order to enable the rider to vary his balance or use 

 his weapons ; from the knee downward movable^ for 

 the use of the spur and the control of the horse's hind 

 legs ; and between these two points, hip and knee, 

 * " The Horse and his Rider," p. 31. 



