MANUAL FOR NONCOMMISSIONED OFFICERS. 115 



his back by tossing the part of the blanket over the right arm 

 tc. the off (right) side of the horse, still keeping hold of the 

 middle points; slide the blanket once or twice from front to 

 rear to smooth the hair. Being careful to raise the blanket 

 in bringing.it forward, place the blanket with the forefinger of 

 the left hand on the withers and the forefinger of the right 

 hand on the backbone, the blanket smooth ; it should then be 

 well forward with the edges on the left side ; remove the locks 

 of mane that may be under it ; pass the buckle end of the 

 surcingle over the middle of the blanket and buckle it on the 

 near side a little below the edge of the blanket. 



TO PUT ON AND TAKE OFF THE W^ATEKING BEIDLE. 



180. The instructor commands : BRIDLE. 



Take the reins in the right hand, the bit in the left; ap- 

 proach the horse on the near side, slip the reins over the 

 horse's head and let them rest on his neck ; reach under and 

 engage the snap in the right halter ring; insert the left thumb 

 in the side of the horse's mouth above the tush and press open 

 the lower jaw ; insert the bit and engage the snap in the left 

 halter ring. The bit should hang so as to touch, but not draw 

 up, the corners of the mouth. At the command unbridle, pass 

 the reins over the horse's head and disengage the snaps. 



TO SADDLE. 



181. (a) (McClellan saddle.) For instruction the saddle may 

 be placed four yards in rear or front of the horse. The stir- 

 rups are crossed over the seat, the right one uppermost ; then 

 the cincha and cincha strap are crossed above the stirrups, the 

 strap uppermost. The blanket having been placed as previ- 

 ously explained, the instructor commands: SADDLE. 



Seize the pommel of the saddle with the left hand and the 

 cantle with the right, approach the horse on the near side 

 from the direction of the croup and place the center of the 

 saddle on the middle of the horse's hack, the end of the side 

 bar about three-finger widths behind the point of the shoulder 

 blade; let down the cincha strap and cincha, pass to the off 

 side, adjust the cincha and straps, and see that the blanket 



