156 



LADIES' RIDING. 



the flaps down. It will also enable the lady to mount 

 without any assistance, if she lets out the stirrup to 

 its full length, and then shortens it when she is in the 

 saddle. I fail to see the advantage, from a mechanical 

 point of view, of the "balance strap," except the very 

 doubtful one of squeezing the horse's side when the 

 rider puts her weight on the stirrup, which must tend to 



Fig. 15. 



Ficr. 16. 



make the animal unsteady. I find, as a rule, that ladies 

 like the roller bar arrangement better than the other, 

 perhaps, because few have tried the spring-bar plan 

 advocated by Colonel Greenwood. 



The stirrup iron may be made to open at the side 

 (Fig. 15); have one side completely removed ; be simply a 



