Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-12-02

riders, blt the meXlcals are netter still.
And their superiority is in parsdue to the
kind Of saddle they use. That low En-
glish saddle you've got there" he con-
tinued, "I couldn't ride in. II isn't fit
Tor s mSu to ride il. Now the great
beauty Of the Mexican saddle is that q
man sitting in II has his legs almost
straight down beside the horse like
clothes-pin. A Mexican on horseback
keeps his heels and shoul iers nesrlY IN
line, his feet planted firmly in his stirrups
underneath him and pointing straight
ahead, parallel with the horse. Our Nc
Clellan saddle would be as good as5EA
Mexican saddle If 1t only had the stiMpps
placed couple OF inches further back
As it is, man riding in Mcclellan ssas
die has to bend his leg st the knee iNhe
English style Now, with the knee4bent
it is almost impossible to keep your feet
pointed straight ahead.
"rais position Of the fset," the inns
promptu riding master continued, after
pausipg 8 moment to allow his casual pu-
pill TO absor5 what he had already said,
sis very important thing In lesrHing. to
ride properly. In fact, 1t Is the thing.
And yet nins-tenths Of the riders you see
about the street and country roads every
daY have their toes turned 1T an angle OF
forty-fve degrees from the sides OF the
horse. As 8 conseq hence, those riders
can't have firm seat, and don't enjoy
the ex srcise hsli IS much as tney would
if they rode property"
SHOW is it the way the toes spoint has
80 much to do with good riding?" re-
porter who hsppeaed to be on hand in
quired.
ITO sit firmly on G horse aud st the
same time to >heve the body. erect and
free to give with the horses notion" the
csVAlryman said, tyou must grip the sni,
mLl's sides with your knees. Not with
the calves of the legs, mind, nor with the
thighs, but with the knees alone. Now,
il you dom: keep your toes pointing
straight ahead, or nearly SO, it Is ina.
possible 20 get this grip with the knees,
Turn your toes out and you will iad 81
once that you grip the horse vita the
calves Of your legs and that your bbdYfs
thrown forward from the hips insfsk9 oil
being erect. Experiment s little When
you get on your horse and you'll sgAit
works lust as l say. But il yoRaEe6R,
your feet straight, hold tight wiz your
knee and sit erecs you will find Snu esh
accommodate yourself to the In1sSps Of
the horse more readily and gfkcef12y,'
your seat will bs flcmer snd hiding will
not tire you near so quickly"
"If you will notice old cayllrymen
when they walk" the gentleman contin.
ued, "you will see that instead Of spread
ing their feet Epsrt they keep them par
sllel. This is the result Of their habit Of
riding and II often makes them very un2
graceful on thair feet. The pest and
most graceful rider knew was GsDsfa
Ashoy, who was killed during t1efWar,,
l never saw any man VINO looked 50
handsome on horseback. OF heTS,
however, he walked like duck sndESyas
so clumsy that hs.couldn's get ist1A parss
lor without falling over all the4nfnituFfl
in sight. A Mexican astride his high
curved saddle with his legs hanging
straight down rides IS easily as II he were
sitting IN q rocking chaif and at the same
time it is almost impossible to unseat
him. He is clothes-pinned on to the
horse aud the latter csn't get from under
him. But s man riding on s fat English
saddle with short stirrups, his legs bent
st tina knee aud his toes turned out, has
no chance when his horse jumps sudden
". He is In q crsupsd position and is
almost sure to bs thrGwo forward on the
horses neck or ever his head" i
From informet. IN brought TO Fezs
Wor by parties recently down from tha
Panhandle 1t is leaned mat the conditi2A
CT range cattle on the bordeIsM
the neutral strip and OF NsW
Mexico is Lot go good az those
in the eastern and southern part Ct
Texas. o. account Of the insult ;iency
of pasture on the ranges in many
paris OF Colorado and New mex
leo this fsll O great many cattle
from these parts have been driven
onto the Panhandle range for the winter
But in the far northwestern part CT this
state there has not been great
deal CT rain this year, and the pastursge
is consequently somewhat ligas, baIss3
sufficient for the cattle that belong ffs.
So when these foreign cattle msde
appearance the range was soon deplasd
Of grass, and now b.ueness preysf on
the countenances Of the csttlema 8hereS
who seesa long airter before fseta WITH J