The seat must be understood in an extended sense as the disposition of
the various parts of the body, in conformity with the action of the
horse; and its effect is the rider’s being firm in the saddle, when he
might be otherwise thrown forward over the horse’s head, or backward
over his tail.
The fundamental seat is that intermediate one of which all others are
modifications, and in which the rider sits when the horse is going
straight forward, without any bend in his position. In describing
this, it is first necessary to consider the rider’s relation to the
horse.--He must sit on that part of the animal’s body which, as he
springs in his paces, is the centre of motion: from which, of course,
any weight would be most difficultly shaken. The place of this seat is
that part of the saddle into which the rider’s body would naturally
slide were he to ride without stirrups. This seat is to be preserved
only by a proper balance of his body, and its adaptation to even the
most violent counteractions of the horse. Turf jockeys necessarily sit
further back, that they may employ the pulls.
It is necessary to consider the horseman in various parts, and to
explain their different functions: 1st, the lower part, as being here
the principal one, namely, the thighs, with the legs as dependent on
them; 2dly, the upper part, namely, the body, with the arms dependent
on it. The thighs, from the fork to the knees, are commonly called
the immovable parts, and upon them the whole attitude depends. They
must not wriggle or roll, so as either to disturb the horse, or render
the seat loose; but they may be relaxed when the horse hesitates to
advance. The legs occasionally strengthen the hold of the thighs by a
grasp with the calves; and they likewise aid, support, and chastise the
horse. The body, from the fork upwards, must always be in a situation
to take the corresponding motion, and preserve the balance. The
position of the arms is dependent on that of the body, but they also
exercise new functions.
As a good seat is the basis of all excellence in riding, we shall
consider these parts in detail.
In relation to the thighs, the rider, sitting in the middle of the
saddle, must rest chiefly upon their division, vulgarly called the
fork, and very slightly upon the hips. The thighs, turned inward, must
rest flat upon the sides of the saddle, without grasping; for the
rider’s weight gives sufficient hold, and the pressure of the thighs on
the saddle would only lift him above it. The knees must be stretched
down and kept back, so as to place the thighs several degrees short of
a perpendicular; but no gripe must be made with them, unless there be
danger of losing all other hold. If the thighs are upon their inner
or flat side in the saddle, both the legs and the feet will be turned
as they ought to be. Thus turned, they must be on a line parallel to
that of the rider’s body, and hang near the horse’s sides, but must
not touch; yet they may give an additional hold to the seat, when
necessary, and the calves must act in support of the aids of the hands.
The heels are to be sunk, and the toes to be raised, and as near the
horse as the heels, which prevents the heel touching the horse.
As to the body.--The head must be firm, yet free. The shoulders thrown
back, and kept square, so that no pull of the bridle may bring them
forward. The chest must be advanced, and the small of the back bent a
little forward.
The upper parts of the arms must hang perpendicularly from the
shoulders, the lower parts at right angles with the upper, so as to
form a horizontal line from the elbow to the little finger. The elbows
must be lightly closed to the hips, and, without stiffness, kept
steady, or they destroy the hand. The wrist must be rounded a little
outwards. The hands should be about three inches from the body, and
from the pommel of the saddle, and from four to six inches apart; the
thumbs and knuckles pointing towards each other, and the finger nails
towards the body.[65]
[65] When in motion round the manège, or the circle, the inward hand,
or that towards which we turn, is to be a little lower than the
outward one.
When the rider is in the proper position on horseback without
stirrups, his nose, breast, knee, and instep are nearly in a line; and,
with stirrups, his nose, breast, knee, and toe, are in a line.--(Pl
XXXVI.) The man and the horse throughout are to be of a piece. When
the horse is at liberty, or disunited, as it is termed, the rider sits
at his ease; and, as he collects and unites his horse, so he collects
and unites himself. There must, however, be no stiffness of manner,
more than in sitting on a chair; for it is ease and elegance which
distinguish the gentleman.