66 SEATS AND SADDLES. 



Again, it has "been shown that the stability of the 

 saddle and the safety of the horse's back depend to a 

 great extent on the stability of the rider's weight that 

 is to say, on his poise or balance. In addition to these 

 two items comes a third one namely, the value of poise 

 or balance to the rider himself. Why does anything 

 tumble down from the position it has hitherto occupied 1 ? 

 because it loses its balance : and the rider that does so 

 is sure to meet the same fate, unless the friction of his 

 seat, the stirrups, or the Jiorse's mane are called to the 

 rescue. Can there be any doubt as to the great value 

 of poise or balance 1 We think not. 



As to friction, this depends, in the case of two inani- 

 mate bodies coming in contact, first, on the nature of 

 their respective surfaces, which we must leave altogether 

 out of question here ; * and, secondly, on the absolute 

 weight with which the upper one presses on the lower 

 one. The amount of surface of contact does not increase 

 friction, but, of course, if the whole weight be brought 

 to bear on one or two points of a rider's seat, these 

 will soon require soap - plaster. Here, however, we 

 have to do with an inanimate body, the saddle, on the 

 one hand, and a very lively one, the rider's seat and 

 legs, on the other, whose muscular action may form a 

 very important adjunct to the dead weight in increas- 

 ing friction ; and the amount of this action does in- 

 crease with the surfaces in contact, because a greater 

 number of muscles are brought into action ; therefore, 

 we can never bring too great an amount of the surfaces 



* A very smooth surface to the saddle lessens the friction, for 

 which reason school saddles are usually covered with tan-coloured 

 buckskin, whilst many Orientals adopt sheepskins with wool on, 

 coarse rugs or mats, &c. 



