THE SADDLE. 49 



determined is, where to put the weight. As we can- 

 not, in consequence of this being a man, divide and 

 spread it out equably over the whole upper part of the 

 saddle as we would inert matter of any kind, we must 

 place the rider's centre of gravity exactly over the 

 centre of the bearing surface of the saddle, for this is 

 the only single point which, being loaded, transmits 

 the pressure equably to the rest of the surface. Take 

 a small common table, and place it exactly level on 

 sand, grass, or soft ground, then put a weight precisely 

 in the centre of the table, and measure the depth to 

 which the feet had been forced into the soil you will 

 find it to be the same for all four feet, if the surface 

 on which the table stands be equally soft throughout ; 

 then shift the table a few inches, having previously 

 removed the weight, and place this near one of the 

 ends instead of in the middle, measure again and you 

 will find that the pair of legs nearest to the weight 

 have penetrated much deeper than the others ; there- 

 fore, in order to equalise the pressure, the rider's weight 

 should be placed in the centre of the saddle. 



But this is not all. Place a piece of stout board 

 about two feet long on the ground, stand on one end 

 of it, and you will find that the other loses its contact 

 with the ground, and is more or less tilted up into the 

 air the board has become a lever. Now, make a mo- 

 tion as if about to jump, but without quitting your 

 position on the board; this latter will, being out of 

 contact with the ground at the further end, be shoved 

 onwards in that direction. This is precisely what 

 happens when a rider sits at one end of the saddle, 

 generally the hinder one : this one is pressed down into 

 the horse's back, the other, generally the front end, 

 D 



