STABLE MANAGEMENT 259 



even more care in this respect than men's saddles, owing 

 to the cramped position in which a lady has to sit. 



It is equally necessary to guard against the rear part 

 of the saddle resting on the backbone, for if a lump 

 should be raised there it is seldom ever completely reduced 

 again, and so remains a constant nucleus of future trouble. 

 Animals with good flat backs are seldom affected in this 

 manner, but where the backbone forms a prominent ridge 

 the danger is ever present. The stuffing of the saddle 

 at this part should never be allowed to get flat ; and have 

 a well-marked division between the two cushions to provide 

 against the evil mentioned. The stuffing of saddles requires 

 constant watching, for it always settles down when con- 

 stantly used, and though it may be all right at first, in a 

 few weeks may present a very different aspect. 



Another source of trouble, often unsuspected, arises from 

 the arms of the tree being too short, thereby not getting 

 a sufficient grip of the sides of the horse, and allowing the 

 saddle to shift about on its back. This again is a more 

 essential point in side-saddles than in those of men. The 

 stuffing must not be allowed to work into hard lumps, for 

 these soon hurt the back, particularly if the horse has 

 a thin skin ; and when the condition is noticed the saddler 

 should take out the stuffing, re-shred it, and then replace 

 it, with the addition of some more. The ordinary lining 

 also gets threadbare with use, and holes will wear in it if 

 neglected, and these also will make a back sore. Another 

 cause of sore back is from a rider sitting in such a cramped 

 position that all his weight rests on one place instead of 

 being fairly distributed — a very common occurrence when 

 fatigue sets in after a long ride. Many kinds of lining are 

 in use, and sometimes one sort suits a particular animal 

 better than another, such as a lining of leather or of linen ; 

 the former needs to be kept very supple by constant 

 greasing ; and the latter must be kept very taut, or it will 

 form wrinkles, when it will prove instead to be a cause 

 and not a remedy of the evil. 



Numnahs play an important part in the economy of the 

 saddle-room, and are of various sorts, but the best the 



