The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1861-12-28
How TO Ride.

Extract from General McC1e]lan's
work on " Armies of Europe relating
to Cavalry instruction in the Russian
army i
The body of the rider is divided into
three paris, of which two are movable
and one immovabe : one of the first
consists of all the upper part of the
body down to the waist, the other of the
lower part Of the legs, from the knee
down; he immovable portion is from
the waist to the knees. The cavalry
soldier should sit square on the middle
of The saddle, the upper part of the body
presenting free aud unconstraincd APP
pearance, the chest not much thrown
forward, the ribs resting freely on the
hips, tie waist and loins not stifcned,
and thus not exposed to tension or cf1or;
from the mo ions of the horse The upper
part of the body should lean slightly to
the rear, IA her than forward the
thighs, inclining little forward, lie fiat
and firmly on the saddle, covering the
surcingle, of which only small part
behind the knee, should be seen; the
lower part Of the leg, hanging vertically
from the knees, touches the horse, but
without the slightest pressure; he toes
are poin cd up without constraint, and
on the same line with the knees, for, if
the toes are turned outward, it not oulv
causes the horse to be unnecessarily
pricked by the spurs Especially when
marching i'll linc,) bu! the firmness of the
seat is lost; the heels should be seven
Fights Of an inch below the toes, and
the stirrups so adjusted, that when the
rider raises himself on them, there may
be the breadth of four fingers between
the crotch and the saddle; to make this
adjustment, when the recruit has acquired
firm and correct seat he should, without
charging that seat, push the bottom of
the stirrup to the hollow of the foot, and
then, with the foot horizontal, feel a
slight support from the sturrup when
this is accomplished he replaces the foot
properly in the stirrup, and the heel
will then be seven-ei ghths Of an inch
below the toes.
To give the recruit a correct seat, the
instructor, having caused him to mount,
soizcs the lower part of his leg, and
stretches it straigh toward the fore
quarters of the horse, so as to bring the
butlocks of the rider square on the sad
die; then, res ing one hand on the man s
knee, he seizes the lower part of the leg
with the other, and carries back the
thigh and knee so as to bring the Gro CHI
square on the saddle, the thi CHS cover
ing the surcingle, the lower part of the
leg, from the knee down, also over the
surcingle, and secs that the recruit does
not sit too much Oh his crotch, but has
his but;ocks we'll under him He then
explains to the recruit that frmncss of
the scat consis in this that the rider
grasps the horse with his legs that
both thighs press equally upon the
saddle, in conformity with the movements
of the body and that the general move
ments of the body and thights must con-
form those of the horse. TO spare the
horses, and explain more readily to the
recruit the principles of the seat, he
should at first sit upon a wooden horse,
Oh which saddle is secured, on this he
should learn 10 carry the thighs back,
without leaning the body forward at
the same time he it taught how to hold
the feet, without allowing him to place
them in the s;irrups, for Ibis is one of
the most essential conditions for a good