, the position will give her
an air of timid _gaucherie_. Leaning a little backward, on the contrary,
tends to bring the shoulders in, keeps the weight in its proper
bearing, and produces an appearance of graceful confidence.

The head should be in an easy, natural position: that is, neither
drooping forward nor thrown back; neither leaning to the right nor to
the left. The bust should be elegantly developed, by throwing back the
shoulders, advancing the chest, and bending the back part of the waist
inward. The elbows should be steady, and kept in an easy, and apparently
unconstrained position, near the sides. The lower part of the arm should
form a right angle with the upper part, which ought to descend almost
perpendicularly from the shoulder. The position of the hands, when both
are occupied with the reins, or when the reins are held in one only, we
have already noticed: the right arm and hand, in the latter case, may
depend, easily, from the shoulder, and the whip be held in the fingers,
with the lash downward, between two fingers and the thumb. The whip may
also be carried in the right hand, in the manner adopted by gentlemen:
the lady is not restricted to any precise rules in this respect, but may
vary the position of her whip arm as she may think fit, so that she do
not permit it to appear ungraceful. She must, however, take care that
the whip be so carried, that its point do not tickle or irritate the
flank of the horse.

The stirrup is of very little use except to support the left foot and
leg, and to assist the rider to rise in the trot: generally speaking,
therefore, as we have already remarked, none of the weight of the body
should be thrown upon the stirrup. The left leg must not be cramped up,
but assume an easy and comfortable position: it should neither be forced
out, so as to render the general appearance ungraceful, and the leg
itself fatigued; nor, should it be pressed close to the horse, except
when used as an aid; but descend gracefully by his side, without bearing
against it.

Although hanging by the left crutch of the saddle, over the near side,
is not only inelegant, but objectionable in many important respects, the
near crutch, properly used, is a lady's principal dependence on
horseback. The right knee being passed over the near crutch, the toes
being slightly depressed, and the leg pressed against the fore part of
the saddle, the pommel is grasped, and the rider well secured in the
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