e,
two!" as a signal for her to make her spring and straighten her knee
before he raises her, no such caution is necessary; for he will know, by
feeling her weight on his hands, when she is in a proper position to be
raised.

[Illustration: Fig. 68.--Ready to mount.]

Having arrived on the saddle, the lady places her right leg over the
crutch, while her attendant puts her left foot in the stirrup, adjusts
any elastic loops that may be present, and straightens her skirt, as may
be required. She then takes up the reins. It is advisable for the lady
not to touch the reins until she is securely placed in the saddle and is
ready to use them, because the act of placing her right hand on the
crutch while holding the reins in it, is liable to render the horse
unsteady, and the reins are of no use to her until she is firmly seated.

If there is only one man to help the lady to mount, he should place his
left arm through the snaffle reins, so as to prevent the animal from
getting away while putting her up.

I think all hunting men should know how to put a lady up, because
accidents in the field are constantly occurring, and some poor Diana who
has had a tumble is always grateful to any good Samaritan who renders
her this small service. A well-meaning sportsman who kindly offered me
his help on such an occasion, knew so little about the mysteries of
side-saddle riding, that he attempted to give me a "leg up," as if I
were a man!

It would be well for every school where riding is taught to be supplied
with a wooden horse, on which pupils could learn the method of getting
into the saddle, and would thus avoid becoming flurried or nervous when
mounting, especially if the horse is a stranger. Also, a dummy horse
would be an admirable subject on which to do preliminary practice in
other details of riding, such as grip, length of stirrup, leaning back
(as when going over fences), position of the hands, holding and handling
the reins, etc. In this way, beginners would learn what they had to do,
before getting on a horse.

_Mounting from the ground unaided_ depends for its success chiefly on
the respective heights of horse and rider, although a lady can be helped
considerably in this attempt by letting out the stirrup leather, which
she will have to shorten after climbing into the saddle. Unless a lady
is tall and athletic, it will be almost impossible for her to perform
this feat on a full-sized horse. This method of mounting shou