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Is that sort of an odd seat?

Couvi wrote: ↑Mon Jul 12, 2021 5:43 pm Is that sort of an odd seat?

Yes, common though, especially in Australia among stockmen; where it bled into their mounted services, I believe.It was sometimes referred to as a "stockman's seat". It was never regulation in the U.S. Army and was much derided by the young turks of the forward seat; they called it the "barber chair seat". Their argument was that it was tiring for the rider over long distances to brace against the cantle (to absorb shock) and detrimental to the horse to have all one's weight on the its loins. On the first point it could be argued that stockmen spent a lot of time in the saddle and found it suited them. The second criticism is irrefutable.

I recall a movie in which Gary Cooper uses that seat. He's portraying someone who didn't ride much.

Sandy

I occasionally see some working stockmen still sit like that, although its rapidly becoming a thing of the past.

Seeing the photo reminded me of one I have, added below a member of C troop 13th cavalry circa 1907, similar seat and like in the photo of Nelson Miles he has a Whitman saddle.
Kurt.

Kurt Hughes wrote: ↑Fri Jul 16, 2021 1:57 pm Seeing the photo reminded me of one I have, added below a member of C troop 13th cavalry circa 1907, similar seat and like in the photo of Nelson Miles he has a Whitman saddle.
Kurt.
IMG_20151124_0001AA.jpg

The pith helmet on that one really threw me. At first glance, I thought it was a British trooper.

Sandy has it right. Myles seems to be in an exaggerated form of the old "chair" seat that fell into disrepute when better understandings of bio-mechanics entered the mounted services.

Plus these are static poses - this might be an affectation, rather than a reasonable depiction of the person's actual riding form.

Actually, come to think if it, that pose idea is quite likely the case. Of course, it does nevertheless show what he thinks a fine horseman should look like.

Actually, this style of riding lives on.

The link is a photo taken in 2017 at the TN Walking Horse National Celebration in Shelbyville, TN. It's the Presentation of the Colors. You will find a few riders to ride this way, but not all.

https://mtsusidelines.com/2017/09/03/ph ... /img_5657/