THE AUSTRALIAN SADDLE 155 



will go through, and thus expose the rider to a 

 risk of being dragged to death. The men of 

 to-day are less practical than those of the old 

 real frontier. 



The Australian Stock Saddle. The 

 Australian stockman has done all that was 

 possible to enlarge the bearing surface of the 

 Enghsh saddle. He has also added pads, on 

 the same principle as those of a lady's saddle, 

 to retain the knees. The first flight of horse- 

 men have their saddles made with the leather 

 inside out, because the inner surface gives a 

 better grip. By removing the stuffing down 

 the middle of the panel they make a groove to 

 take the leg. Thus by ingenious makeshift 

 they have evolved a practical equipment for 

 their sound, straight-leg horsemanship. As 

 horsemen their best stock-riders are certainly 

 not surprassed by any men of our race, and 

 when one considers that their walers are 

 larger and more powerful than the general 

 stock of North Artierica, Australian rough- 

 riding must be rated even above the American. 

 I notice, however, that when they use American 

 equipment they seem to hke it better than 

 their ow^n. 



The Recado. A careful analysis of the Argen- 

 tino equipment shows that it is the home-made 



