PANELS. 127 



knees come. He should get the flaps, which should in this 

 case be thin, made pliable with a little kidney fat or saddle 

 dressing after they have been damped with water, and he will 

 then find that after he has ridden a few times in the saddle 

 thus prepared, there will be a comfortable recess formed in 

 each flap for the knees. Knee-rolls have been objected to on 

 the ground that their employment is apt to cause sprains oi 

 the leg and back, especially on landing over a drop-jump ; but 

 such occurrences are so rare that they may be disregarded. 

 Apart from the fact that plain-flap saddles are more fashion- 

 able, I like them for hunting and all ordinary work better than 

 those with knee-rolls ; because they last longer, are somewhat 

 cheaper, show off a horse's fore-hand better, and give all the 

 grip needed by a man who can ride. If a man has any doubt 

 about his ability to remain, he should of course cast aside all 

 sentimental ideas as to the appearance of himself or of his 

 horse, and choose the saddle in which he feels most secure. 

 As a great rule, an indifferent rider will perform better in a 

 saddle with knee-rolls, than in a plain-flap one ; because he 

 will almost always turn out his toes under provocation, and 

 by doing so, he will remove his knees from the flaps of the 

 saddle, in which case, the knee-rolls would be of far more help 

 to him than the recesses in the plain flaps. In a light racing 

 or chasing saddle, no recesses would be formed, and con- 

 sequently knee-rolls are of service. 



PANELS. 



The legitimate object of a panel is to prevent the bars 

 of the saddle from hurting the horse's back by reason of 

 their hardness. In all cases the presence of the panel has 

 the disadvantage that it removes, to a greater or less extent, 

 the seat of the rider from the back of the animal, and thus 

 diminishes the close connection which should exist between 

 the two. Hence, the fitting of the saddle should be accom- 



