ction of her hip joints, and not by
altering her seat, which should remain fixed, and, as it were, glued to
the saddle, at the walk, canter, gallop and jump; the trot being the
only movement at which she should rise. Having learned the meaning of
grip and leaning back, she can take a snaffle rein in each hand, as in
Fig. 71, while keeping her hands low and well apart; she can then "feel"
the horse's mouth by drawing her hands towards her through a distance of
a few inches, and then keeping them in a fixed position.

FOOTNOTES:

[150-*] The muscles of our limbs are attached at each end to bones,
between which there are one or more joints; and they act by their
power of contraction, which enables them to become shortened to about
two-thirds of their length. The full effect of this contraction can be
obtained by a muscle only when its points of attachment are separated
to their utmost extent, and it becomes diminished in proportion as the
distance between them is shortened by the bending of the intermediate
joint or joints, up to a length equal to that of the muscle in a fully
contracted state, at which limit the muscle is out of "play." The
muscles which bend the knee are attached, at one end, to the back of
the shin bone, close to the knee; and at the other extremity, to the
end of the ischium (lower part of the pelvis), which is below the hip
joints. Consequently, the more the knee is bent and the more the upper
part of the body is drawn back by the play of the hip joints, the
nearer are the opposite points of attachment of these respective
muscles brought together, and the less power will they have to hook
back the knee. Hence the more a lady leans back, when going over a
fence for instance, the less firmly will she be able to hook her leg
round the upper crutch. Therefore, ladies who adopt this hooked-back
seat, are invariably prompted by the requirements of this position, to
bend forward, and have more or less difficulty in bringing the upper
part of the body back.

CHAPTER IX.

HANDS, VOICE, WHIP AND SPUR.

HANDS.

Nearly every writer on the subject of riding is of opinion that "good
hands" are inborn and cannot be acquired. This may be so, but the worst
of hands may be greatly improved by good teaching and practice.
Continental horsemen do not, as a rule, learn how to ride across
country, but the majority of them devote much study to the various
methods of bitting and handling horses, and, as far