246 RACING SADDLERY. 



9 lbs. or 10 lbs. one which is used for training work, 

 though it may be made as light as 4 lbs. all complete. 

 Some exceptionally strong riders, such as Mr. Garratt 

 Moore, are able to ride across country in a 2 lbs. racing 

 saddle, almost as well as they can do in one five times the 

 weight. Apart from the question of comfort to man and 

 horse, such a very light saddle can hardly be expected 

 to last more than one journey "between the flags ;" for 

 even if the tree escapes being broken, the gullet plate 

 will be almost certain to open out, and, consequently, 

 to press on the withers. 



The Stirrup Irons of racing and steeplechase saddles 

 should have plenty of room for the foot, so that there 

 would be little chance of its being retained in the iron, 

 in the event of a fall. I am convinced that when a man 

 gets " dragged," it is on account of the stirrup being too 

 small. I have known only one case of a rider's foot 

 getting caught by its going through the iron. This 

 solitary instance, in my experience, happened during 

 a fall, when both horse and jockey came down. It 

 seems impossible that a sufficiently large stirrup can 

 retain the foot, unless its upper part first catches high 

 up on the instep. To prevent this occurring, the steeple- 

 chase, and even the flat race, rider may have long heels 



