Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-01-01
HOW TO SIT A HORSE.
An Old Cavalryman's Pointers to an In
experienced Rider.

An Old Cavalryman's Pointers to an In
experienced Rider.
"The best riders in the world" said an
old cavalryman, who was giving green
horn some points on equestrianism, ARE
the Mexicans. Buffalo Bill's cowboys are
splendid riders, but the Mexicans are bet
ter still. And their superiority is in part
due to the kind of saddle they use. The
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 Mexican 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 being
planted firmly in his stirrups underneath
him and pointing straight ahead, parallel
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, 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.
''The position of the feet" the i'm
promptu riding-master continued, after
pausing moment to allow his casual pupil
to absorb what he had said, SIS very i'm
portant thing in learning to ride properly;
in fact, it is the thing. And yet nine
tenths of the riders you see about the streets
and county roads every day have their
toes at an angle of forty-fve degrees from
the sides of the horse As a consequence
these riders can't have a firm seat, and
don't enjoy the exercise half 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" Star re-
porter who happened to be On hand in
quired.
"To sit firmly on horse, and at the
same time to have the body erect and free
to give with the horses notion" the cav
alryman said, 'yeu must grip the animals
sides with your knees. Not with the
calves of the legs, mind. Now, if you
don't keep your toes pointing straight
ahead, or nearly 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 forward
from the hips, instead of being erect. Ex-
pertinent little when you get on your
IlUISc, anu you IL ste IL WOIhS IuSI DIS L 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 tirmer and
riding will not tire you near so quickly.
If you will notice old cavalrymen when
they walk" the gentleman continued,
"you will see that instead of spreading
their feet apart they keep them parallel.
This is the result of their riding, and it
often makes them very ungraceful on their
feet. The best and most graceful rider /
ever knew was General Ashby, who was
killed during the late war. ! never saw
any man who looked so handsome on
horseback. Off the 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 a
man riding on a flat English saddle with
short stirrups, his legs bent at the knees,
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."- Washington Star.