140 



SADDLERY. 



"Persian-side" for the side iron shown in Fig. 145. I adopt 

 the expression employed by the trade journal, Harness 

 and Saddlery. 



Moderately large and fairly heavy irons, say i^lbs. the 

 pair, are most comfortable and certainly look best in the 

 hunting field and for ordinary work. Light irons are always 

 more difficult than heavy ones to pick up in the event of the 

 horseman losing them. When they are small, besides the 

 danger of getting hung up (dragged), the rider may find it 



Persian Side Iron. 



Fig. 146. 

 Spade Side Iron. 



Fig. 147. 

 Round Leg Iron. 



awkward to get his feet into them, if he has any clay 

 adhering to the soles of his boots, which often happens 

 in the field, when a man has to dismount or to walk 

 previous to mounting. 



I feel convinced that when a man gets dragged, the 

 accident nearly always arises from 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 rider came down. One of the best proofs we 



