The Stirrup should be such length as when the lady sits upright and
properly on her seat, with the knee being easily bent, the heel kept
back, with the toe raised a little higher than the heel, so that the
heel, hip and the shoulder, are in a line and as upright as when walking
along, for if otherwise it is unjust and not agreeable to nature; for
suppose you are riding along the road with the foot stuck out and so
forward as the horses front of his shoulder, as is not uncommon to see
girls riding in this manner along the road in the country, as tho' they
were directing with their foot which road their horse should take, I say
this method is not only very unbecoming but very unsafe, for instance if
riding carelessly along the road with the foot and leg in this attitude
being to pass some stubborn or inflexible object on the left or near
side, perhaps before you are aware or apprised of the danger you might
have your foot and leg sorely bruised, nay even dragged from your horse,
I have seen similar instances to this, happen more than once, even when
the foot has been in a good situation by ladies who unthinkingly have
endeavoured to pass objects to the left when they could as easily have
passed those objects to the _right_, which ladies should make an
invariable rule so to do at all times, if possible; for reasons which
must be plain to any one, who will think one minute on the matter;
another inconvenience will frequently arise by suffering the leg and
foot to be in this horrid form, which is, the stirrup leather will
frequently press against the leg, so as to hurt it very much, this I
have often had beginners complain of, by saying the buckle of the
stirrup hurt them, when behold I never use a buckle to my stirrups on
the left side, as they are always fastened and buckled on the off side,
for _two_ particular good advantages which arise from it; the principal
of which is, that as the pressure or bearing coming from the off side,
it greatly assists in keeping the saddle even, especially with those
ladies through a bad habit who accustom themselves to bear hard on the
stirrup which is nothing more then[+] a habit, and want of learning to
ride the right way at first.
The other reason is, you can lengthen or shorten the stirrup at
pleasure, without disturbing the lady at all, and without even
dismounting yourself, if you are riding on the road, as the business is
done on the off side the horse, nay I have altered the stirrup often
without stopping at all.
I insist upon it therefore if the stirrup does not hang perpendicular,
or the same as when left to itself and no one on horseback, the end is
totally destroyed, for what the stirrup was designed; which is in the
_first_ place to carry the weight of, and only the weight of the rider's
leg, without which support it would soon become fatigued and tired: and
_secondly_, if you accustom yourself to carry your foot properly, as
before directed, that is your heel in a line with your hip and shoulder,
letting your foot rest even in the stirrup, carrying only the weight of
your leg, with the toe a little raised, it will never fail to assist you
in your balance, if you happen to lose it to the left, it is also ready
to save you if you should happen to lose your balance to the right, by
pressing the calf of your leg strongly and firmly to the side of your
horse, and being always near your horse's side it is a quick aid in
supporting him, and to force him forward, it is also of the greatest
use, by pressing it strongly to his side, in assisting to turn your
horse to the left, and likewise in throwing your horse's croup off when
you wish to make him go into a canter, by which means he will be forced
to go off with the right leg foremost.
And _lastly_, it is of the utmost utility in supporting you in the
continuance of the Spring Trot, a pace now greatly in fashion, and
should be practised by all who accustom themselves to ride any length of
journies, as it enables them to make some degree of speed, and by
changing their paces often from walk, to trot, and gallop, their journey
becomes less tedious to them.