The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1889-08-26
HOW TO SIT A HORSE
An Old Cavairyman's Pointers to an
inexperienced Rider.
washington Star

| washington start
"The hest rider In the world" said an old
cayalryman who was giving greenhorn
| some points on equestrianism, 'are the
Mexicans. Buffalo BilPs cowboys are splen-
| did 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, 81
couldn't ride in. 1t isn't fit for man to
ride in. Now, the great beauty of the Mexi-
can saddle is that man sitting in it has his
legs almost straight down beside the horse
like clothes pin. A Mexican on horseback
keeps his heels and shoulders nearly in line,
his feet planted firmly III his stirrups under
meath him and pointed straight ahead, paral-
lei with the horse. Our Mcclellan saddle
would be as good as the Mexican saddle If it
only had the stirrups placed couple of
inches further back. AS it is, a man riding
in 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
your feet pointed straight ahead.
This position of the feet" the impromptn
riding master continued, after pausing a
moment to allow his casual pupil to absorb
what he had already said, sis very impor-
tant thing in learning to ride properly. In
fact, It Is the thing. And yet nine-tenths of
| tnC Liuclo yUu Scr duOub bn6 SlItet auu cOuU-
try roads every day have their toes turned
at an angle of 45 degrees from the side of
| the horse. AS a consequence these riders
can't have firm seat, and don't enjoy the
exercise falf as much as they would If they
rode properly"
"How is it the way the toes point has so
much to do with good riding" a reporter
who happened to be on hand inquired.
10 sit firmly on horse and at the same
time have the body erect and free to give
xUifh 10 ha olrxrt
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
nearly so, it is impossible 10 get this grip
Will find at once that you grip the horse with
the calves of your legs and that your body is
thrown forward from the hips instead of
being erect. Experiment a little when you
Just as say. But If you keep your feet
straight, hold on 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
quickly. Ii you will notice old cavalrymen
when they walk" the gentlemen continued,
you will see 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 |
knew was Gen. Ashby, who was killed
during the war; l never saw 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 a
parlor without falling over all the furniture
in sight. A Mexican astride his high
curved saddle, with his legs hanging down,
rides as easily as If he were sitting in rock
gchair, aud at the same time II is almost
impossible to unseat him. He is clothes
pinned on to the horse, and the latter can't
fiat English saddle with short stirrups. his
legs bent at the knee and his toes turned out,
has no chance when his horse jumps sudden
lyle is in a cramped position, and is
almost sure to be thrown forward on the
horses neck or over his head"