IK THE SADDLE. 19 



for a holiday. Figure 2 the upright, lithe position of a 

 good horseman. 



And now, how to get this seat. Saddle your horse, 

 nnhuckle the stirrups and take them out ; let the reins 

 lie on his neck, and call in the services of a friend to hold 

 and lead him. Diyest yourself, in this way, of all respon- 

 sibility as to his conduct. Get into the saddle in any 

 way you please (the manner of mounting is a secondary 

 consideration, and it may be learned later). Turn your 

 toes inward, press your knees against the saddle, but not 

 your calves, and open the back part of the thighs as far 

 as possible. This will bring the flat of the thighs against 

 the saddle, and give the largest possible contact with it. 

 Curve the spine inward, and throw the shoulders back. 

 This, being an unaccustomed position for you, will seem 

 awkward, and will look awkward, and you can at first 

 only maintain it at an expense of a considerable rigidity 

 of the spine. Let your arms hang listlessly by your 

 sides. Holding fast mainly by the knees, shift your seat 

 from side to side with as little swaying as possible to the 

 upper part of the body. Vary the exercise by swinging 

 the body itself from side to side and from front to rear, 

 while the seat is firm. Continue this exercise, no matter 

 how long it takes, until your trunk is pivoted in your 

 hips so that you can move it in any direction while keep- 

 ing the spine curved inward. Do not at any time hug 

 the horse's sides with the calves of the legs, but let the 

 lower legs hang loosely. The thighs should neither hang 

 too straight up and down, nor be raised too high at the 

 knee, but should take that position which gives the 

 firmest hold on the saddle. Having become perfectly at 



