The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1886-07-01
For Women Who Ride.

The lady's position on horseback,
says writer in Hdrper'S Bdzar, is so
conspicuous that the fact ought to stim-
ulate the most Indifferent so TO place
and carry herself as to show her figure
to the best advantage, and this graceful
carriage Of the person will be found to
be the first step toward achieving q
firm and easy seat The posture should
be erect, the back slightly followed,
the breast thrown forward, the chin
drawn in so that the neck will be near
ly vertical. The lower limbs should
rest easily but firmly in their respective
places, the left leg hanging perpendicu-
larry from the knee downward. with
heel slightly depressed, and foot parallel
with the horses side, the right toe
raised little above the horizontal, but
not carried far enough forward to poke
up the riding-habit. The seat should
be in the middle of the saddle, not on
the right side of it with the body in
clined to the left, which is excessively
awkward, nor on the left side with an
inclination TO the right, which is equal
" awkward, and with the additional
disadvantage of being sure to cause
saddle-galls. When the body is con-
sciously balanced on the horses back,
when the shoulders are equidistant
from his ears, and when the eyes, look
ing between said ears Can excellent
habit), look straight along the road,
and not off obliquely to one side of it,
then the seat, whatever else it may not
be, is at least in the middle of the sad
die The arms should hang naturally
by the sides, with the hands few
inches apart, just above the knee, and
as low as possible without resting on it,
the nails turned down, the knuckles at
an angle of 45 deg. with the horizon,
the wrists bent inward so as to permit
of a little play of the wrist-joint at each
tug Of the horse on the reins.
All this is not very difficult so long as
the horse keeps quiet. or even when he
merely walks; but how is this much-ad-
mired statuesque repose to be preserved
at the trot, the canter, the gallop, to
say nothing of incidental shying and
capering? There is only one answer to
this question, and that is-practice.
But even practice is usually not suifi-
clent without an accompaniment infre-
quent and not always pleasant-viz.: /:
frank and unfattering criticism; and
every one who really wishes to excel
and to merit the praises which as wom-
an she is certain to receive will see to
it that this wholesome corrective is oft
en- at hand. Practice itself, to be profit
able, must be intelligent, and the cause
of any discomfort from the motion of
the horse should be sought out and re-
moved. 1t will be found almost always
to result from involuntary muscular
conTactions, especially of the waist
which should invariably be kept supple.
as it is TO a slight play of loin and thigh
that the rider must look to prevent be-
ing thrown up by each spring of the
hind-legs in cantering or galloping, In
rising to the trot bear Outwardly with
the left heel, which viii keep the knee
close against the saddle and prevent
the leg from swaying about. At the
same time be careful to rise vertically,
and = toward the left-an awkward
but very common habit which can be
detected by the plan already suggested
Of sighting between the horses ears.