, or gallop.

[Sidenote: Medium for common riding.]

The English hunting seat is, in point of length, the medium of those
mentioned; and perhaps that seat, or something between that and the
military seat, is the best adapted to common riding. It unites, in a
greater degree than any other, ease, utility, power, and grace.

CHAPTER VI.

MOUNTING AND DISMOUNTING.

Directions to place a lady on her saddle.--Directions to mount at a
halt.--In movement.--To dismount in movement.--To vault on at a
halt.--Circus for practising these movements.--To pick a whip from
the ground.--To face about in the saddle.

[Sidenote: To mount a side-saddle.]

To mount, a lady should place her left hand on the pummel or leaping
horn, the right hand on the off side of the cantle, or as far towards it
as possible, and should seat herself between her two hands; she should
give the left foot, this should be kept precisely under the weight; if
it is given forward (which is the common error) each person is pushed
backward one from the other. This should be practised on any piece of
furniture; the man should use both his hands, and in this way a weak
person may put up the heaviest weight. You may put a man of fifteen
stone on the top of a door with the greatest ease,--try if you can do
this in any other way.

[Sidenote: To mount at a halt.]

[Sidenote: Or in movement.]

To mount, a man should place his left shoulder to his horse's left
shoulder, so as to look to the horse's rear; take your whip, reins, and
the mane in the left hand, with the right hand take the lower part of
the stirrup-leather between the fore-finger and thumb, the little finger
on the upper part of the stirrup-iron; take a hop forward facing the
saddle and turning your toe to the horse's front _without touching his
side_, take the cantle with the right hand and up. If the horse moves
on, he only spares you the previous hop, and by walking or running
backward with him you may mount almost at a gallop. In taking the right
stirrup, avoid touching the horse with the spur, or even pressing him
with the leg. If he has been made shy by such usage, place your left
hand on the pummel, and with the right hand place the stirrup on the
foot, keeping both legs from the horse's sides.

[Sidenote: To dismount in movement.]

[Sidenote: To vault on or over in movement.]

[Sidenote: To vault on at a halt.]

To dismount in movement, lay the reins on the neck, one or b