THE SEAT—GENERAL HORSEMANSHIP

The most important thing in horsemanship is the acquirement of a stable seat, for without it not only is the rider insecure, but it is impossible that the hand should act with lightness and precision if his seat is so feeble that under any circumstances he should depend upon the reins for maintaining his position on the horse.

Whether it be for pleasure, sport, or war, a man has one seat that is the best possible. This is readily obtained, even upon mounting the horse for the first time; but to keep it exactly under the more or less vigorous movements of the horse requires long practice and a suppleness of the body in every part, that comes from carefully followed exercises in the saddle.

The seat about to be described was that of the earliest riders, represented by Pheidias, described by Xenophon, employed by the Bedouins and other Eastern horsemen, when no cumbrous trees with a dip of varying parts of a circle interfered with a position that was safe, natural, and rational,—the seat in use before those saddles which held the rider between high pommels and high cantles demanding a standing posture in the stirrups that prohibited the grasp of the knees and thighs and the pliancy of the body which gives friction and balance to the mounted man.

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I may say here that the saddletree was not used until the Romans introduced it sometime in the fourth century, and the stirrup followed in the seventh century, first as an aid in mounting and finally as a support. The Greeks and their ancestors and the horsemen of the Euphrates Valley rode upon cloths and skins, without stirrups and without trees. The first mention of the horse that we find upon the monuments is supposed to date about 3800 years before our era. The first representation of the horse is upon a little wooden disk now in the British Museum, in which two horses attached to a chariot by harnesses that closely resemble those now in use are shown; and this work is ascribed to Aahmes I. (about 1700 b.c.) and suggests that the animal was introduced into Egypt by the Hyksos (possibly Bedouins), as they had possession of the country previously. I cannot find any representations of mounted men earlier than the sculptures upon the Assyrian monuments, attributed to the middle of the seventh century b.c. It would seem from the inscriptions and from historical writings that, both in war and in the chase, the horse was in very early times first and most frequently used in harness; and there can be no doubt that in ancient days chariots were employed in charging bodies of the enemy just as modern cavalry are used. The residents of mountainous countries, I venture to say, were the first to use cavalry. Wherever the ancient rider is shown upon the monuments, before the introduction of the saddletree, he has exactly the seat of the modern, the only possible seat upon a flat or treeless saddle.

The variations which appear in the seats of modern horsemen are observable in the positions of the lower parts of the leg from the knee down, and such may be passed over as negligible quantities, for the principles are everywhere observed; and while it is doubtless better that there should be no deviations from the canons of the art in any particular, circumstances sometimes demand trifling changes, as when the soldier's kit requires the lower parts of his legs to be carried unduly to the rear of the perpendicular, or when the cross-country rider drives his feet home, to secure the irons, and so obtains rigid, insensible bearing instead of the lively, springy contact of the balls of the toes. It is like walking on the heels. For the best results, that pressure only should be given to the tread of the stirrup that will hold the iron with an elastic touch; any undue weight will force the seat, as can plainly be understood. This forcing of the seat is usually avoided by the rider carrying his feet to the rear when the horse springs in jumping, and then he depends upon his true seat without the aid of the stirrups; where this is not done, the rider does not stick very closely to his saddle, as many of the photographs of leaping horses show. I do not say that it is not necessary on occasion to ride with the feet home, but I do say, that it gives a stiff seat, and that it should only be followed when the necessity arises; certainly not for pleasure riding, where that mode, as well as the crop, are unsuitable.

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On page 200 of that admirable work, "Horses, Saddles, and Bridles," General Carter gives a photographic illustration of the American military seat, which is an absolutely perfect representation of the seat about to be described. The photographs of the best riders of the various countries reproduced here exhibit the same type; and it will be observed that where the most violent exertions of the horse are to be expected the saddle is of the English form, for in it the friction and balance which insure firmness are found in the highest degree.

The flat race jockey is a striking exception to what has been said of horsemen's seats, and the ridiculous and tottering pose he assumes is to throw as much of the weight as possible on the shoulder of the sprinter, in order that the drivers of the hind quarters may have free play. But when the Jock comes to steeplechasing, he lengthens his stirrup leather and rides like a man.

The man may find his own best seat in the following manner: mounting the horse, he should sit down in the saddle, taking his weight upon his buttocks, while he holds his body erect, the shoulders held back squarely, his chin slightly withdrawn, while his arms hang down loosely. He should then, without disturbance in any other part of his body, raise his legs upward and inward until the points of his knees meet above the crest of the horse. From this position he will drop his legs slowly until the inner sides of his thighs and the flat inner surfaces of his bent knees take every possible point of contact with the saddle, the lower parts of the legs hanging without stiffness. There can be no question with regard to the height and position of the knees. Should they be too high, the upper surfaces of the thigh will have contact with the saddle; should they be too low, the under surfaces of the thigh will find the saddle, when the points of the knees take this hold. The jockey seat is the extreme type of the first-named condition, the armor-clad knight an extreme type of the latter. The length of the stirrup leathers will be right when the tread of the iron strikes the heels. When the rider's feet are inserted in the stirrups, it will be found that without effort they are parallel with the sides of the horse, and very slightly in rear of the perpendicular. From this erect position upon his buttocks, together with the grasp of the knees and thighs, the rider has the strongest and best possible seat that can be obtained through weight, balance, and friction; and from it the upper part of the body may, without affecting his stability, be bent forward or back, or swayed from side to side, as circumstances may require, while the lower parts of his legs are free to apply the calf or the heel with rapidity and precision to the sides of the horse. How much of this bending or this swaying of the body may sometimes be required is exhibited by the photograph of the Italian cavalry officer who rides down the face of a cliff, or by that of the rider who makes a wheel, or pirouette volte, at a rapid pace. From this seat the soldier may rise high enough to give force to the blow of his sabre; the hunter may send his feet home in the irons without lengthening the leathers, and every horseman will have the greatest security in the saddle that his skill in riding makes possible.

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There must be no rigidity; from that elastic touch of the ball of the foot, throughout his whole body, the man must be supple and unconstrained. Stiffness in any part will destroy the essential harmony, and prohibit grace and ease.

Dancing and calisthenics go far in producing that suppleness, facility, and agility so necessary for excellence in horsemanship, and gymnastic exercises upon the back of the horse are of great assistance in acquiring balance and firmness of grip. Some of these more important mounted exercises are now given, and others will occur to the man who cares to take the trouble to ride well. I may say here that I know men who have been riding from twenty to thirty years and through carelessness and want of instruction are but little better horsemen than mere beginners.

A very quiet horse should be saddled and bridled and taken to some retired place, if it be a bit of soft ground there would be no harm, or be brought into the riding-house where there are no other horses except those being used for a like purpose.

The man will then mount and take the position of "the seat without stirrups," his arms hanging down loosely. He should then, without disturbing the position of the seat, and without struggling, bend forward until one or the other shoulder touches the crest of the horse, regaining the erect position slowly and gently. He should in a like manner lean backward, until his shoulders rest upon the croup of the horse, and then rise as before.

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The rider will then lose his seat, to the right or to the left, as far as he may without falling, and regain the saddle by a twist of the body and buttocks and grasp of the thighs, without taking any assistance from his hands. This exercise is valuable in giving the rider the power of regaining his seat, should it be by chance disturbed, without pulling on the mouth of the horse.

From the seat before described, the rider will carry his right leg over the crest of the horse, then he should turn to the left so that both legs are hanging on the near side of the horse, then carry the left leg over the croup of the horse, which brings his face to the rear, then carry over the right leg to the far side of the horse, and finally resume the seat by carrying his left leg over the crest of the animal. In a similar manner the turn should be made to the right, and in neither case may aid be sought from the hands.

None of these exercises are difficult; after more than fifty years' work in the saddle I do them with ease, and a boy or a young man should find themselves perfect after a few trials. Beginners should practise them daily, and no horseman who hopes to keep up his suppleness in the saddle should neglect them for any length of time as long as he rides. It is not necessary to be a contortionist, nor will it answer to be an ossified freak.

I dare not say how old a man may be and yet retain all of those powers which make him a skilful horseman. I know many riders who are well up in the "sixties," who do not appear to have lost any of their adroitness. That master of the art, De Bussigny, is no longer very young, although no one would believe the fact on seeing him on a horse. I saw James Newsome riding and training when he was far past seventy. I remember being present when that gallant gentleman, Count Taubenheim, equerry to the late king of WÜrtemberg, already past ninety years of age, rode in a quadrille before the present emperor of Germany and gained deserved applause for his admirable performance.

We have inherited from the English many undesirable prejudices, among them the belief that no "foreigner" can sit a horse. In every country of continental Europe the majority of men who are accustomed to ride are thorough horsemen, some of them of the highest distinction, because upon the continent riding is looked upon and practised as an art which requires application. The English breed the best horses in the world, they manage those in harness marvellously well, and there are no bolder or more determined horsemen; but it must be acknowledged that there are riders in Italy, Germany, France, and Austria who equal them in boldness and determination and surpass the best of them in dexterity and knowledge of the art. The literature of the various countries bears out what has been written above, for until very recently the English works on horsemanship were crude beyond belief, and any improvement that has taken place is due to the influence of foreign authors.

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In America there has been, until very recently, but little interest in horsemanship except in some of the Southern states, and among soldiers and the few devoted to polo and hunting; but the horse shows, now so general throughout the country, have excited great interest in the horse; the riding-schools offer intelligent instruction, and between them there will be fostered, let us hope, a taste and inclination for good horses and riding. This subject will be treated at greater length in the following chapter.

The German foot-soldier is very stiff in his movements, at least on parade, and there is a certain stiffness about the trooper that detracts from his appearance in the eyes of the critic, but his seat is firm, and he handles his horse with precision. His officer is usually a very fine horseman, riding boldly and easily and with a knowledge of the niceties of the art. Steeplechasing and racing are practised largely throughout the German Empire; they are encouraged by the authorities and are participated in by nearly all of the younger army men. Every one who has there witnessed these sports has seen some magnificent examples of ready and skilful horsemanship. I must confess to sharing the favorable opinion of the late emperor regarding the German lieutenant. How he finds time with such conscientious devotion to his manifold duties to make his frequent and splendid appearances in public is marvellous. He is, perhaps, a little haughty with strangers, and undoubtedly more than a little arrogant with civilians, failings due to his education, but he is devoted to his profession, a high-minded gentleman, and brave cavalier. No cavalry ever made a better record than did that of Germany in the last war with France.

In France, from a very early period, a widespread interest was taken in systematic horsemanship that has not abated, and both the military and civil life furnish many excellent horsemen. In the Bois, in the exhibitions on the Champs-ÉlysÉes, at the races and steeplechases about Paris, and elsewhere, one may see good riding under the most favorable circumstances. The troopers of the French army are less rigid in their saddles than are the Germans, and they move with a rapidity and precision that must make them a formidable force in the attack. The French are now disposed to disavow their obligations to Baucher, but the fact is that all that is good in their systems was invented or formulated by that master, although they did not follow him through the useless refinements of his later years, and all modern methods, military or civil, are founded upon Baucher's method. No country has furnished such instructors in the art of horsemanship as did France in Pluvinel, La Broue, Sollisel, GueriniÈre, Baucher, Raabe, and D'Aure, or the equal of any one of them.

While the average rider of Italy may not surpass his brethren of other countries, the Italian army of to-day furnishes the most daring and the most skilful horsemen in Europe. Much of this excellence is due to the instruction and exercises of the military riding-school in Rome, and the admiration which the feats of these officers have gained, has aroused the emulation of those in the other provinces of the empire, and, it may be said, great interest among horsemen throughout the world.

In considering the horsemanship of continental Europe, where nearly everybody who rides is, or has been, in the army, one's mind naturally turns to the military; but this is not so of England where the majority is with the civilians, and there we look upon the hunting-field, the steeplechase course, the polo grounds, or the pleasant Row.

The British horseman is a sportsman, and a good sportsman, for, although he does not often have to submit to defeat, he takes it like a man and is ready with equal mind for another trial. His insular prepossessions have awakened so much animosity in the minds of other nations that they find it hard to be just to him; and after all these years of reciprocities he is about as greatly misunderstood by European nations as they are by him. As a consequence, he jeers and sneers at all foreigners, and they deny that he is a fair-minded sportsman or a good horseman. I am speaking now of the general public who form, or at least express, national opinions, for it is known that there is often good feeling between those members of the various nations who meet on the same social plane.

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An English sportsman, at his best, is a bold, strong, determined rider, and this can be said of a greater proportion of British horsemen than of those of any other country; but he despises all refinements, and many things which upon the continent are considered essentials; he looks upon circus tricks as beneath his notice; the consequence is that he falls behind in a field in which he should be first. His primary object in riding is to get across a difficult country, and do it quickly, and he succeeds; he is encouraged by his favorite authors, who know nothing beyond this, to believe that nothing remains. I think that the observer who has seen the sportsman ride will be disappointed with the horsemanship of British troopers; he will, I think, see that the officers, as a rule, ride well and gracefully, but that the men do not ride as skilfully as they should, their instruction being turned over to riding-masters who follow primitive regulations. However, there can be no doubt that the British soldier will always maintain that high reputation for valor which even his enemies grant.

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