48 BIDING AH^D TEAIH-IIfG SADDLE-HOESES. 



Upon the seat depends the security of the rider, not 

 only as regards his remaining upon the horse, but in per- 

 mitting him to use that lightness and delicacy of touch 

 that is required to manage and control the horse. It 

 has often been said that this desired lightness of touch is 

 a rare gift, wholly denied to strong men. But if a man 

 has a seat that is independent of any support from the 

 reins, he may acquire a light touch upon the mouth of 

 the horse as readily as he may make a fine stroke with a 

 pen. 



Each man has a seat peculiar to himself, and that wiU 

 be his seat for all purposes, whether in the field, upon the 

 road, or in the school. 



It will be obtained in the following manner : — 



After having reached the saddle, disengage the left foot 

 from the stirrup. Then bearing the weight of the body 

 upon the buttocks, make the inner sides of the thigh, 

 from the knee up, grasp the saddle. The body must be 

 held erect, the shoulders thrown ba,ck, and the chin 

 drawn in ; and the elbows should be carried close to the 

 sides. 



The legs, from the knee down, should hang without 

 stiffness, and the feet will, without effort, find their 

 proper place, parallel with the body of the horse. 



The length of stirrup-leather will be found when the 

 tread of the iron strikes the heel of the boot immediately 

 above the junction of the sole. The toes will be raised 

 aud inserted in the stirrups as far as the balls of the feet. 



The stability of the seat is dependent upon the weight 

 of the body,, the balance, and the grasp of the thighs. 

 The erect seat xipon the Tjreech, that we have described. 



