Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-12-27
HOW TO SIT ON A HORSE.
An Old Cavalryman's Pointers to an In
experienced Rider.

experienced Rider.
''The best riders in the world,n said
an old cavalrymyman. who was giving
a greenhorn some points on equeS-
trianism. ''are the Mexicans. Buffalo
Bills cowboys are splendid riders. but
the Mexicans are better still. And
their superiority is in part due to the
kind of saddle they USE That low
English saddle you've got there he
continued. Il couldn't ride in. Itisn't
fit for a man to ride in. Now the
great beauty of the Mexican saddle is
that man sitting in it has his legs
almost straight down beside the horse,
like a clothes-pin. A Mexican on
horseback keeps his heels and shoulders
nearly in line, his feet planted firmly
in his Stirrups underneath him and
pointing strai CHIT ahead, parallel with
the horse. Our Mcclellan saddle
would be as good as the Mexican sad
die if ii only had stirrups placed a
couple of inches further back. As it
is, man riding in a Mcclellan saddle
has to bend his leg at the knee in the
English style. Now, with the knee
bent it is almost impossible to keep
y
''This position of the feet the i'm
promptu riding-master continued, after
pausing a moment to allow his casual
pupil to absorb what he had already
SAID, sis a very important thing in
learning to ride properly. In fact, it
is the thing. And yet nine-tenths of
the riders you see about the street and
country roads every day have their
toes turned to an angle OF 45 degrees
from the sides of the horse. As con-
sequence, these riders can't have a
firm seat, and don't enjoy the exercise
half so much as they would if they
rode properly"
''How is the way the toes point has
so much to do with good riding?" a
Star reporter who happened to be on
hand inquired.
ITO sit firmly on horse and at the
same time to have the body erect and
free to give with the horses motion, D."
the cavalryman SAID, ''you must grip
the animals sides with your knees.
Not with the calves of the legs, mind.
nor with the thighs, but with the knees
alone. Now, if you don't keep your
toes pointing straight ahead, or near
ly so, it is impossible to get this grip
with the knees. Turn your toes out
and you will find at once that you
grip the horse with the calves of your
legs and that your body is thrown for
ward from the hips instead of being
erect. Experiment little when YOU
get on your horse and you'll see it
works just as say. But if you keep
your feet straight, hold tight with
your knees and sit erect you will find
you can accommodate yourself to the
motions of the horse more readily and
gracefully, your seat will be frmer and
riding will not tire YOU near so quick
ly. If you will notice old cavalrymen
when they walk" the gentleman con-
tinued, ''you will find that instead of
spreading their feet apart they keep
them parallel. This is the result of
their habit of riding, and it often
makes them very ungraceful on their
feet. The best and most graceful rider
L knew was Gen. Ashby, who was
killed during the war. | never saw
any man who looked so handsome on
horseback. OFF a horse, however. he
walked like duck and was so clumsy
that he couldn't get into parlor with
out falling over all the furniture in
sight. A Mexican astride his high
curved saddle with his legs hanging
straight down rides as easily as if he
were sitting in rocking-chair, and at
the same time it is almost impossible
to unseat him. He is clothes pinned
on to the horse, and the latter can't
get from under him. But man riding
on Il fiat English saddle with short
stirrups, his legs bent at the knee and
his toes turned out, has no chance
when his horse jumps suddenly. He
is in a cramped position, and is almost
sure to be thrown forward on the
horses neck or over his head"