THE SEAT ON HORSEBACK.
"Bounded the fiery steed in air,
The rider sat erect and fair,
Then like a bolt from steel cross-bow
Forth launched, along the plain they go."
_Lady of the Lake._
A correct seat is very seldom attained by the self-taught lady rider,
for her attitude on the horse is so artificial that she cannot, like the
gentleman rider, whose seat is more easy and natural, fall directly into
the proper position. Competent instruction alone can enable her to gain
the safe and easy posture which will give the least possible fatigue to
herself and to her horse. It is true that a natural rider, or she who
professes to ride instinctively, may to-day accidentally assume the
proper position in the saddle, but, as she has no rule by which to guide
herself, and is entirely unacquainted with the "whys and wherefores" of
a correct seat, she will to-morrow assume the incorrect position, so
natural to a self-taught rider, and the pleasant ride of to-day will be
followed by a rough and unpleasant one to-morrow. On the one occasion,
the poor horse will receive much praise for his easy motion, and on the
next be highly censured for the roughness of his gait, for the lady will
not suspect that the real difficulty lies in her own ignorance of a
correct attitude, and in her bad management of the poor beast.
Upon the position of the upper part of the body depends not only grace
and pliancy, and that harmony between horse and rider which is so highly
desirable and, indeed, necessary, but also the ability to manage the
reins properly; for, if the rider be not well balanced, her hands will
be unsteady, and seldom in the right position for controlling the
animal.
But the proper position of the body above the saddle depends upon the
correct arrangement of the lower limbs; if they are not in the right
position, the rider will lean too far forward, or too far back, or too
much to one side or the other. She will also lose all firmness of seat,
and, consequently, all safety in riding. This faulty position of the
lower limbs has been, and still is, the occasion of much incorrect
riding, but is a point which is seldom regarded by the gentleman
teacher. He, indeed, cannot possibly know how the legs are arranged,
when they are covered by the riding skirt, and probably seldom gives
the subject any thought; yet he wonders, after carefully watching and
correcting the position of the body, why his pupil does not retain the
erect position as directed. A lady teacher of experience is, therefore,
much to be preferred to a gentleman, unless the lady pupil is willing to
wear, while taking her lessons, trousers similar to those worn during
calisthenic exercises.
It sometimes happens that a lady, even after being carefully instructed
how to sit in the saddle, and when she seems to understand what is
necessary, will yet present a very erect but stiff appearance, as if she
were made of cast-iron, or some other unyielding material. This may be
due to nervousness, fear, tight-lacing, or affectation. Practice in
riding, loose corsets, and less affectation, will soon remedy this
stiffness.
Another faulty position is one which may be termed "the dead weight
seat," which is only possible when riding on an English saddle. It
consists in sitting or bearing chiefly upon the left side of the saddle,
the right leg firmly grasping the second pommel, and the left leg
squeezed tightly between the stirrup and the third pommel, as if held in
a vise. In this position the rider will be fastened to her horse as
closely as if she were a package of merchandise strapped upon the back
of a pack-horse. She will appear indolent and inanimate, besides riding
heavily, and thus distressing and discouraging her horse; for a
well-trained horse will always prefer to keep in unison with the
movements of his rider, but will find it impossible to do so, when she
adopts this constrained, unyielding seat. The rider will also be made
miserable, for the constant effort to keep steady by a continuous
pressure of the left knee against the third pommel will not only prove
wearisome, but will be apt to bruise her knee, as well as strain the
muscles of the upper part of the leg, and the next day she will feel
very stiff and lame. In addition to which it will be impossible for her
to rise in the English trot, or to move her body to the right in the
gallop or canter when the horse leads with his left leg. Moreover,
should the lady who thus hangs upon the pommel be rather heavy, her
horse's back will be sure to receive more or less injury, no matter how
well the saddle may be made and padded.
Although the second pommel should be firmly grasped by the right knee,
and the left knee be strongly pressed up against the third one, when the
horse is unruly or trying to unseat his rider, these supports should not
be habitually employed, but kept for critical situations, and even then
the body must be kept erect, yet flexible. A rider who depends entirely
upon the pommels to enable her to keep her seat is a bad rider, who will
soon acquire all kinds of awkward and ridiculous positions, and expose
herself to much severe criticism.
The opposite of the "dead-weight seat" is what may be termed the
"wabbling seat." This is seen where the old-fashioned saddle is used;
the rider, instead of sitting firm and erect, bounds up and down like a
rubber ball tossed by an unseen hand. This can be remedied by the
substitution of the English saddle, whose third pommel, when used
judiciously and aided by a proper balance of the body, will give the
required firmness of seat, which should be neither too rigid nor too
yielding.
[Illustration: Fig. 19.--Correct Seat for a Lady. Back View.]
=The correct seat=, universally adopted by finished riders, is the
following: The lady should seat herself exactly on the centre of the
saddle, with her body erect, and her backbone in a direct line with that
of the horse, at a right angle with it. A spectator can readily tell
whether the rider is in the centre of the saddle by observing whether
the space between the buttons on the hind flaps of her riding-jacket
corresponds with the backbone of the horse, and also with the chamber of
the saddle. (Fig. 19.) Or the lady can herself decide the question by
placing her fingers between these two buttons, and then carrying the
former in a straight line directly down to the chamber of the saddle; if
these coincide, and if she has placed herself far enough back on the
saddle to be able to grasp the second pommel comfortably with her right
knee, while the left one is just spanned by the third pommel, then she
is in a position to ride with ease to herself and horse, for she now
sits upon that part of the animal which is the centre of motion in his
forward movement, and in this position can keep in unison with the
cadence of his various gaits. Again, her weight being exactly upon the
centre of motion, she can with difficulty be unseated or shaken off by
the most violent efforts of the horse, for, whether he springs suddenly
forward, or sideways, or whirls around, the rider is in a position at
once to anticipate his movement, to keep a firm seat, and quickly to
gain her balance.
When the horse advances straight forward, the rider--sitting with head
erect and her body so placed that its entire front is directed toward
the horse's head, or, in other words, that _a straight line drawn from
one hip to the other would form a right angle with one drawn along the
centre of the horse's head and neck_--must throw her shoulders somewhat
back, so as to expand her chest, taking care, however, to keep the
shoulders in line, and not to elevate one more than the other. There
should also be, at the back of the waist, a slight inward bend which
will throw the front of the waist a little forward. The arms, from the
shoulders to the elbows, must hang perpendicularly, and the elbows be
held loosely but steadily and in an easy manner, near the rider's sides,
and not be allowed to flap up and down with every movement. The hands
must be held low and about three or four inches from the body. The
bearing of the head, the backward throw of the shoulders, and the curve
at the waist, are exactly like those assumed by a finished waltzer, and
if the reader is herself a dancer, or will notice the carriage of a good
dancer gliding around the ball-room, she can readily understand the
attitude required for a correct seat in the saddle.
The right knee should grasp the second pommel firmly, but not hang upon
it in order to help the rider keep her seat and balance. The right leg,
from the hip to the knee, must be kept as steady as possible, because
from a woman's position in the saddle, the movements of her horse tend
to throw her toward his left side, and she must guard against this by
bearing slightly toward his right. From the knee to the foot, the right
leg must be in contact with the fore-flap of the saddle, the heel being
inclined backward a little.
The left knee should be placed just below the third pommel, so that this
will span it lightly, close enough to assist in preserving a firm seat,
yet not so close as to interfere with the action of the leg in the
English trot. From the knee to the foot this left leg must be held in a
straight line perpendicular to the ground, and the knee be lightly
pressed against the side-flap of the saddle. The ball of the foot must
be placed evenly in the stirrup, the heel being a little lower than the
toes, which should be pointed toward the shoulder of the horse. (Fig.
20.)
[Illustration: Fig. 20.--Correct seat for a lady. Side view.
1, third pommel; 2, second pommel.]
If the rider will seat herself in the saddle in the manner just
described, she will find that she has a very firm seat, from which she
cannot easily be displaced; but in order to appear graceful she must be
flexible, and adapt herself readily to the motions of her horse. The
shoulders, for example, although thrown back, must not be rigid, and the
body, while erect, must be supple; the head be upright and free, and, in
the leap, or when circling in the gallop, the body must be pliant,
yielding and bending with the movements of the horse, but always
resuming afterward the easy erect position. But it must be borne in mind
that the above directions in regard to carriage apply to the times when
the horse is moving, and need not be observed in full rigor at other
times. When, for instance, the horse is standing, the rider may assume a
more easy posture, collecting herself and steed simultaneously when she
wishes him to move.
The novice in riding should never be allowed to touch rein or whip until
she has acquired a good seat, and a correct balance. During her first
lessons, some one should ride by her side and lead her horse, while she,
folding her hands in front of her waist, should give all her attention
to gaining a correct seat; or, she may practice circling to the right by
means of the lunge line, which will prove excellent training, and will
teach her to bear toward the off or right side, for it has already been
stated that the motion in the side-saddle has a tendency to impel the
rider toward the left, and this tendency must always be guarded against
by bearing the body a little to the right. Circling to the right, when
riding in the track of the riding-school, is also a useful exercise for
this purpose, but as riding-schools are not always to be had
conveniently, the lunge line will be found very useful, many riders,
indeed, considering it even better than riding in the ring, as it keeps
the horse well up to his gait.
During a few of the first lessons, that the rider may not fall from the
saddle, the stirrup-leather may be somewhat shortened, but as soon as an
idea of the proper balance has been acquired and the reins and whip are
placed in her hands, the stirrup must be lengthened, as this secures a
firmer and more easy seat. This leather will be of the correct length
when, by a little pressure on it with her foot, and a simultaneous
straightening of her knee, the rider can spring upward about four or
five inches from the saddle; but it must never be so long as to render
the third pommel nearly, if not quite, useless.
It is better to have the first lessons in riding rather short, so that
the pupil may become gradually accustomed to the exercise. As soon as
she begins to feel at all fatigued, she should at once dismount, and not
try to ride again until the tired feeling is wholly gone. These
intervals of fatigue will gradually become less and less frequent, until
at last the rider will find herself so strong and vigorous that riding
will no longer require any fatiguing effort. In the case of an active,
healthy woman, accustomed to exercise of various kinds, these short
preliminary lessons may not be necessary; her muscles will be already so
well developed that she will not be easily fatigued by exercise of any
kind. But for a lady who has always been physically inactive, these
short lessons at first are absolutely necessary. The general system of
such a person has become enfeebled, her muscles are weak and flabby, and
any sudden or long continued exercise would tend to produce very
injurious results, so that riding, unless begun very gradually, would
probably do her more harm than good.
But after reading all the directions just given about riding, the reader
may ask what need there is of so much study and circumspection to enable
a woman to mount a horse and ride him, when hundreds of ladies ride
every day, and enjoy doing so, without knowing anything about the make
of the saddle, or the position they ought to take when seated in it.
Although it seems almost a pity to disturb the serenity and
self-complacency of ignorance, we shall be obliged, in justice to those
who really wish to understand the principles of good horsewomanship, to
point out some of the mistakes of those who think that riding is an
accomplishment which can be acquired without instruction and study.
It is not too sweeping an assertion to state that, of one hundred ladies
who attempt a display of what they consider their _excellent_
horsewomanship in our streets and parks, ninety-five are very imperfect
riders; and the five who do ride well have only learned to do so by
means of careful study and competent instruction. They have fully
appreciated the fact that nature never ushered them into the world
finished riders, any more than accomplished grammarians or Latin
scholars, and that although one may possess a natural aptitude for an
accomplishment, application, study, and practice are positively
necessary to enable her to attain any degree of perfection in it. Yet
the idea unfortunately prevails very largely in this country that women
require very little instruction to become good riders, and the results
of this belief are apparent in the ninety-five faulty riders already
referred to.
Let us now watch some of the fair Americans whom the first balmy day of
spring has tempted out for a horseback ride, and notice the faulty
positions in which they have contrived to seat themselves in their
saddles. With regard to their beauty, elegance of form, and style of
dress, nothing more could be desired; but, alas! the same cannot be said
of their manner of riding.
[Illustration: Fig. 21.--Crooked Position in Saddle. Miss X.]
Take Miss X. and Mrs. Y., for examples. These ladies have the reputation
of being fine and fearless horsewomen, and certainly do ride with that
dash and confidence which long practice in the saddle is sure to give,
but we regret to say that we can bestow no further praise upon them.
Miss X. has taken a position that is almost universal with American
horsewomen, and is exactly the one which a rider nearly always assumes
when seated sideways on a horse without a saddle. Instead of sitting
squarely, with the entire front of her body facing in the direction
toward which the horse is going, she sits crosswise. It will be seen by
looking at Fig. 21, that the central vertical line of her back, instead
of being directly in the centre of the saddle, is placed toward the
right corner of it, and that her shoulders are out of line, the left one
being thrown back, and the right one advanced forward. This position
makes it impossible for her to keep in unison with her horse when he is
moving straight forward at an easy pace. When he changes his gait to a
canter the rider will, for a short distance, appear to be more in
harmony with him, because he is now turning himself slightly to the left
and leading with his right fore-leg, a position which is more in unison
with that of his rider. But, after a short time, the horse gets tired of
this canter, turns to the right, and leads with his left fore-leg. This
change entirely destroys the apparent harmony which had before existed
between the two.
The lady, knowing nothing about the position of a horse when galloping
or cantering, is ignorant of the fact that he always turns a little to
the right or left according to the leg with which he leads, and that she
ought to place her body in a corresponding position. She has but one
position in the saddle,--the crooked one already described,--and this
she maintains immovably through all the changes of her horse's gaits.
[Illustration: Fig. 22.--Crooked Position in Saddle. Mrs. Y.]
Let us now turn to Mrs. Y., who is even a more faulty rider than her
companion. She has likewise taken a crosswise position in the saddle;
but having given a peculiar twist to her body so that, by turning her
right shoulder backward, she can look to the right, she seems to imagine
that by these means she has placed herself squarely upon the saddle.
(Fig. 22.) As she is riding a racking horse and seated on a two-pommeled
saddle, she holds the reins firmly in her left hand and by a steady pull
on them she balances herself and keeps her horse up to his gait. But
this steady pull will soon ruin the tenderness and sensitiveness of any
horse's mouth, and this is the reason why racking horses generally have
very hard mouths, many of them requiring to be well held up or supported
in their rack by the reins. As this pulling upon the reins also gives
considerable support to the rider, many ladies prefer a racking horse.
Now notice Mrs. Y., who is attempting to turn her hard-mouthed
racker. Instead of doing this by an almost imperceptible movement of the
hand, her left hand and arm can be distinctly seen to move, and to
fairly pull the animal around. Her right hand--probably acting in
sympathy with the left, so tightly clasped over the reins--holds the
whip as if it were in a vise intended to crush it. In odd contrast with
the rigidly held hands is the body with its utter lack of firmness.
It can be seen at a glance why the lady will only ride an easy racker,
for it is well known that on a good racker or pacer the body of a rider
in a faulty position is not jolted so much as in other gaits. For this
reason also the rack and pace are the favorite gaits of most American
horsewomen.
Nearly every lady who rides has an ambition to be considered a finished
horsewoman, but this she can never be until she is able to ride properly
the trot and gallop, can keep herself in unison with her horse, whether
he leads with the left or right fore-leg, and has hands that will "give
and take" with the horse's movements and bring him up to his best gait.
From this point of view, Miss X. and Mrs. Y., then, are by no means the
"splendid riders" that their friends suppose them, but having all the
confidence of ignorance they ride fast and boldly and with a certain
_abandon_ that is pleasing; but by those who understand what good riding
is, they must always be regarded as very faulty riders.
[Illustration: Fig. 23.--Incorrect position of legs and feet. Side
view.]
Another common fault, against which we have already warned the reader,
is that of riding with too short a stirrup-leather, thus pressing the
left knee up against the third pommel, carrying the left heel backward
and slightly upward, and dropping the toes of the left foot more or
less down toward the ground, while those of the right are raised and
pointed toward the horse's head. (Fig. 23.) Although the lower limbs are
concealed by the skirt, it can easily be told whether they are in the
position just described, from the effect produced upon the upper part of
the body, which then leans too far forward and too much to the right
(Fig. 24); while the rider, in her efforts to balance herself, inclines
her shoulders to the left. This is a very awkward as well as a very
dangerous attitude, because, by thrusting her leg backwards, the action
of spurring is imitated, and, if the horse is very high-spirited, this
may cause him to become restive, or even to run away. Should the leg,
moreover, as is very apt to be the case, be firmly and steadily pressed
against the animal's side, he may suddenly pirouette or turn around to
the right, especially if he has been accustomed to carrying gentlemen as
well as ladies. This short stirrup-leather and improper use of the third
pommel should be carefully avoided.
[Illustration: Fig. 24.--Incorrect Position when Legs and Feet are
wrongly placed.]
The use of too long a stirrup-leather is apt to be the mistake of those
who ride upon the old-fashioned saddle, but is a fault which has become
much less common since the English saddle has been more generally used.
The objection to too long a stirrup-leather is that, when the foot is
pressed upon it, the leg at the same time is straightened, and extends
down so far as to cause the rider to sit too much to the left of the
saddle. As the pressure and weight are thus thrown wholly upon the left
side, the saddle is very likely to turn, and if this faulty position be
persisted in, it will be certain to injure the horse's back and may give
rise to fistulous withers.
Besides looking very awkward and inelegant, when stooping forward in the
saddle and rounding the back without the slightest curve inwardly, the
rider will also run great risk, if her horse stumbles or makes any
sudden movement, of being unseated, or at least thrown violently against
the front of the saddle, as it is almost impossible for her, under such
circumstances, to adapt herself to the change in his motion quickly
enough to preserve her equilibrium. In all violent movements of the
horse, except rearing, the body must be inclined backward, so as to keep
the balance. When he is moving briskly in his ordinary gaits, the body
must be kept erect; and when he is turning a corner rapidly, it should
be inclined backward somewhat, and toward the inner bend of the horse's
body; or, in other words, toward the centre of the circle, of which the
turn forms a segment.
Here come two ladies who have evidently received very limited
instructions in the art of riding. Notice how the head of one is thrust
forward, while the other, though holding her head erect allows it to be
jerked about with every motion of her horse. It shakes slowly when the
animal is walking, but as he quickens his pace to a canter, it rocks
with his motion, and, during his fast pace, the poor head moves so
rapidly as to make one fear that the neck may become dislocated, while
the arms dance about simultaneously with the movements of the head in a
way that reminds one of the toy dancing-jacks, pulled by an unseen hand
for the amusement of children. The head should, in riding, be kept firm
and erect, without stiffness, the chin being drawn in slightly, and not
protruding high in the air, because the latter gives one a supercilious
look. The head and shoulders should adapt themselves, in their
direction, to the movements of the head and fore-legs of the horse, and
the arms should be held as steady as possible.
But here come several ladies who have taken lessons at the riding-school
and may, therefore, reasonably be expected to be finished riders; but
such, alas! is not the case. They have been trying "to walk before they
could creep," or, in other words, their lessons in riding have been
conducted too hastily. They have begun to try a canter or a rapid gallop
before they knew how to sit correctly upon their horses, or even to
manage them properly in a walk. This desire to make too rapid progress
is more frequently the fault of the pupil than of the riding teacher.
Most teachers have an ambition to make finished riders of their pupils,
and take much pride in doing so, especially as such a result adds
greatly to the prestige of their school. This ambition is often
defeated, however, by the impatience of the pupils, who are not
satisfied to learn slowly and well, but overrule the teacher's
objections and undertake to gallop before they have acquired even the
first principles of horsewomanship. Moreover, many of these ladies never
take any road lessons, so highly important to all who would become
thoroughly accomplished in this art; nor do they remain long enough
under instruction in the school, but seem to think that a few short
lessons are enough to make them finished riders. They often refuse to
learn the English trot, although this is a very important accomplishment
for the beginner, as it enables her to gain a correct idea of the
balance. Or, if they do attempt to learn it, they insist upon circling
only to the right, as this is easier than going the other way.
Again, many pupils will insist upon riding the same favorite horse,
instead of leaving the selection to the judgment of the teacher, who is
well aware that it is much better for the lady's progress that she
should ride a variety of horses with different gaits. He is often driven
to his wit's end when two or three ladies who patronize his school, and
whom it is an honor to have as pupils, express a desire to ride the same
horse on the same occasion. Should he favor one more than the others,
the latter will become highly offended, and the poor man in his
perplexity is often obliged to resort to some subterfuge to pacify them.
It is not difficult, then, to understand why some ladies, although they
have taken lessons at a riding-school, are, nevertheless, not finished
riders, their faults being due, not to the instruction but to their own
lack of judgment or inattention. It is true that occasionally the
teacher, although he may be an excellent instructor for gentlemen, is
not so good a one for ladies, or he may become careless, believing that
if he gives them well-trained horses to ride very little else is
required of him. Or, again, he may think, as many foreigners do, that
very few American ladies know how a woman should ride, and are satisfied
with being half taught.
It cannot be too strongly impressed upon riding teachers that in every
riding-school where ladies are to be taught there should be at least one
lady assistant. A gentleman can give all the necessary instructions
about the management of the horse and the handling of the reins better
than most ladies; but, in giving the idea of a correct seat and the
proper disposal of the limbs, the presence of a lady assistant becomes
necessary; in these matters she can instruct her own sex much better
than a man can.