ON HUNTING. 43 



continually, thus driving the blood from the surface and reduc- 

 ing circulation, irritating the skin and causing galls. Every 

 saddle will not fit every horse. The principal place to look for 

 trouble is just in front of the saddle under the arch of the 

 pommel. When you are on the horse's back raise yourself 

 till standing in the stirrups and then see if your fingers will 

 go in underneath. It is no use doing it when you are sitting 

 back in the saddle, because your weight towards the 

 back cocks up the saddle in front and deceives you into 

 thinking all is right. If there is not plenty of clearance, 

 the horse's withers will be pinched. Remember, a saddle 

 may fit a horse early in the season when he is fat and 

 lusty, but as he fines down with work the same saddle will 

 want re-stuffing. The ridge of the spine all along the back must 

 not be touched even ever so lightly. Even a roller, that 

 broad band which goes round the horse in the stable to keep his 

 clothing on, will, if it touches the spine, often injure the 

 horse's back. The proper weight -bearing place is on either 

 side of the backbone on the muscles of the back and loins. 

 Therefore, see that the saddle is so stuffed that the channel 

 all along is well clear of the spine, and that the portions down 

 the sides under the flaps are so padded out as to fill the hollows 

 in rear of the shoulder blades. If, when the saddle is taken off 

 — mind, do not take the saddle off till the horse has been in 

 the stable some time and cooled down, and let the groom 

 dress him all over before he takes the saddle off — there are 

 seen wet patches, the rest of the hair being dry, you can take 

 it that the saddle presses here unduly. Therefore, have the 

 saddle padded, not where the wet spots are, but round them, 

 to lift the weight off the wet spots. A saddler can pad a 

 saddle anywhere quite quickly ; he just makes a slit in the 

 flannel lining, puts in some flocks and stitches it up again. 

 What to do with saddles when they come in from hunting 

 should come under horsemastership, but as we are on the 

 subject, it will be well to dispose of it now. Saddles should be 

 thoroughly dried before the fire or in the sun. When quite 

 dry, the saddle should be beaten well with a stick. Those 

 thick canes with knobs on are best ; this beating raises 

 the flock and removes any lumps. Knead the padding, 

 as it were, with the hands and brush the flannel. Often wash 



