SADDLES AND SADDLING. 147 



of these ridges. With these saddle cloths on, there 

 is no need of severe girthing, as the saddle cannot 

 slip. These saddle cloths are cut exactly in the 

 shape of the saddle, and having the same color, 

 look very neat, besides saving the saddle and the 

 horse's back. 



Girths are made of all kinds of material, such as 

 leather, hemp, hair, etc., all answering their respective 

 purposes quite well, so far as the first saddling of the 

 horse is concerned. But the trouble begins, after 

 the horse has been in motion for some time, when, 

 by natural causes, the girths become loose, permit- 

 ting the saddle to slip forward, or to turn side- 

 ways. This is especially the case with ladies' saddles 

 on horses with low withers, or flat and light barrels, 

 and we have either to take the risk of having our 

 horse's back bruised somewhere, and our safe seat 

 endangered, or, are obliged to dismount on the road 

 to readjust the saddle. 



A really practical saddle girth is " Neiu adjustahle 

 saddle girth,'' which is plain, simple, and fits any 

 saddle. Fig. 25. The whole arrangement is on the 

 double pulley principle, and consists of only one broad 

 girth in two sections, overlapping each other, and con- 

 nected by a pulley.' About six inches from these over- 

 lapping ends are the pulleys in the shape of a square 

 double buckle, laced together by a strap. The outer 



