The first attempt at mounting should be made from a high horse-block with some one to hold the head of the horse and keep him still. Turning her right side somewhat toward the horse's left, and slightly raising the skirt of her riding habit, the lady should spring from her left foot towards the saddle, at the same time raising her right leg so that it will pass directly over the second and third pommels. This accomplished, the left foot may be placed in the stirrup.
Another method of mounting from a rather high horse-block, when the pommels are high, is for the lady to face the horse's left side, and, seizing the off-pommel with the right hand and the second one with the left, to spring towards the saddle from her left foot, and seat herself sidewise. She can then turn her body so as to face the horse's head, place her right leg over the second pommel,—adjusting her skirt at the same time,—and slip her left foot into the stirrup and her left knee under the third pommel.
Should the horse-block be low and the lady short, she will be obliged to mount somewhat after a man's fashion, thus: Placing her left foot in the stirrup, and grasping the second pommel with her left hand, she should spring from her right foot, and, as she rises, grasp the off-pommel with her right hand; by means of this spring, aided by the pommels and stirrup, she can seat herself sideways in the saddle, turning her body for this purpose just before gaining the seat. In the absence of a horse-block, from which to mount, the assistance of a chair or stool should never be resorted to unless there is some one to hold it firm and steady.
When the rider is obliged to mount without assistance and from the ground, if the balance-strap, before referred to, be used with her stirrup, she can let this strap down far enough to enable her to put her foot in the stirrup easily, and to use it as a sort of stepping-stone by means of which, and a spring from her right foot, she can reach the saddle sideways. In doing this she must grasp the second pommel firmly with her left hand, in which she also should hold her whip and the reins; on rising she must aid herself by grasping with the right hand the off-pommel as soon as she can reach it. When she is seated, the stirrup can be adjusted from the off-side by means of the balance-strap.
If, however, she uses the old-fashioned stirrup-leather, and there is no assistance of any kind at hand, neither horse-block, chair, nor stool, not even a fence or steep bank from which to mount,—a situation in which a rider might possibly be placed,—then reaching the saddle becomes a very puzzling affair, unless the lady be so active that she can spring from the ground to her saddle. To try the plan of lengthening the stirrup-leather will be dangerous, because, in order to readjust it after mounting, she will have to sit on the back part of the saddle, bend over the horse's left side, and pull up the stirrup-leather in order to shorten and buckle it; while in this position, if the horse should start, she would probably be thrown instantly. Her safest course would be to lead the horse until a place is found where she can mount. If she should have to use a fence for this purpose let her be sure that the posts are firmly fixed in the ground, and that the boards are neither loose nor easily broken.
When mounting, the whip and reins should be held in the left hand, the former with the point down, so that it may not hit the horse, and the latter grasped just tightly enough to feel the horse's mouth without pulling on it. In order to arrange the folds of the riding skirt after mounting, the reins and whip must be transferred to the right hand; then, resting this hand upon the off-pommel, the rider should raise herself free from the saddle by straightening her left knee and standing on the stirrup, also aiding herself by means of the right hand on the pommel. While thus standing she can quickly arrange the skirt with her left hand.
None of the methods of mounting just described—with the exception of the first one—are at all graceful, and they should never be used except in case of absolute necessity. The most graceful way for a lady to reach the saddle, and the one that is taught in the best riding schools, is by the assistance of a gentleman. The rider's education will not be complete until she has learned this method of mounting, which, when accomplished easily and gracefully, is delightful to witness. It should be learned after the preliminary lessons at the horse-block have been taken. In using this simple manner of reaching the saddle, the rider will have three distinct points of support, namely, the shoulder of the gentleman who assists her, the united palms of his hands, and her own hold upon the pommel.
Fig. 17.—Lady ready to mount her horse.