Side- Saddles. 333 



to order; but as saddle-trees are not constructed in India, 

 China, or any of our colonies, I feel certain that in these 

 countries, saddles of this movable upper crutch type have a 

 great future before them ; for, by a very simple arrangement, 

 the crutch is made to move forward or backward and to be 

 clamped at any required distance from the cantle, which, I 

 need hardly say, is the rearmost, portion of the saddle-tree. 

 In the ' trade,' the crutch to which I have given the name of 

 upper crutch, is called the ' near head ; ' and the now obsolete 

 one which used to be on the off side, the ' off head.' As the 

 leaping-head is also on the near side, I think the term ' upper 

 crutch/ or ' upright crutch ' is less liable to cause confusion 

 than the trade expression. Some persons use the word 

 ' pommel ' for ' crutch,' which is in no way a pommel, accord- 

 ing to the modern use of that part. Although the word 

 ' horn ' is quite as suitable as ' crutch/ it is rarely employed. 

 I may mention that it is the German equivalent for the crutch 

 of a side-saddle. 



While I am on the subject of side-saddles, I cannot help 

 alluding to the terribly dangerous practice of ladies riding 

 with a man's ordinary stirrup or, worse still, with a padded 

 * Victoria stirrup ' which is unconnected with a safety bar. 

 Not long ago, there was a case, one of many others, in which 

 a young lady on being thrown from her horse was fatally 

 injured by being dragged by the stirrup. At the coroner's 

 inquest, there was a good deal of evidence taken as to the 

 pony she was riding being quiet or not ; but no one at the 

 inquest made any inquiry as to the nature of the stirrup, 

 which was the cause of a very ordinary accident having had 

 such a horrible result. The best rider in the world mounted 

 on the quietest horse in existence, might by accident get a fall ; 

 but the danger of being dragged is absolutely preventable. 

 The precautions which ought to have been taken for the 

 young lady's safety had evidently been neglected ; probably 

 through ignorance. 



We were fortunate to make the acquaintance of Mr 



