COVERING OF SADDLES. 125 



thickness of cow-hide which is stamped to resemble pig-skin ; 

 and flaps with knee rolls are covered with pig-skin, because 

 cow-hide is not pliable enough to take the shape of the rolls. 

 If pig-skin is employed for the flaps of a hunting saddle, it 

 will require to have underneath it another thickness of leather 

 to which it has to be sewn, in order to give the flap sufficient 

 rigidity. A single thickness of leather for the flaps is cer- 

 tainly the neater arrangement of the two. In well turned 

 out racing saddles, the flaps will generally be of thin cow- 

 hide, split to the required thickness ; and the knee rolls of 

 pig-skin. Much care is taken in the selection of suitable pig- 

 skin for high class saddles ; the skins which have fine, regular 

 grain, and sufficient strength being most in request. Imitation 

 pig-skin is never used for the seats of the best saddles. It 

 can be easily detected by the fact that it is deficient of the 

 holes in which the bristles of the pig take their origin in the 

 real hide. 



For increasing the grip of the rider, the entire saddle or only 

 its flaps may be covered with doe-skin, which is strong and 

 durable, and answers its purpose well. It is however, ex- 

 pensive, and is more suitable for use in hot climates than in 

 a damp one like England. Imitation doe-skin, made of sheep- 

 skin, does not look very unlike its original; but it wears badly. 

 Cow-hide, turned inside out, gives a grip equal to doe-skin ; 

 but flaps made of it soon show the wear of the stirrup leathers 

 working backwards and forwards on them. 



For comfort in riding, flaps should be cut well forward as 

 in Fig. 1 1 8, so as to allow the thighs to be kept at a good 

 slope. Dealers as a rule, like the opposite shape, so as to 

 improve the appearance of the shoulders of their horses, which 

 is a matter of much more importance to them, than comfort 

 in riding. 



The question as to the advisability of having' flaps with 

 knee-tolls or plain flaps is one which has given rise to much 



