52 SIDE-SADDLES. 



little liable as possible to hurt the surface on which 

 they press. Hence they should be broad, soft, and 

 constructed so that their tendency to retain sweat 

 between them and the horse's skin may be reduced as 

 far as practicable. They can best fulfil the last-men- 

 tioned important condition when they are absorbent 

 and open in texture. It is evident that sweat retained 

 between the girth and the skin will have the effect of 

 the moisture of a poultice in rendering the part soft 

 and unusually liable to injury from pressure or friction. 



" As a material for girths, wool is superior to cotton 

 or leather, because it is softer, more absorbent, and 

 does not become so hard on drying after having become 

 wet. The only drawback to ordinary woollen girths is 

 that they are not sufficiently ventilated, an objection 

 .which has been overcome in specially constructed 

 woollen girths that are sold by many good saddlers. 



" The plan of giving ventilation by slitting up a 

 broad leather girth into several narrow straps, or by 

 using a number of cords of cotton or of plaited or 

 twisted raw hide often acts well ; but its adoption may 

 give rise to girth-galls, if care is not taken to smooth 

 out, when girthing up, any wrinkles there may be in 

 the skin underneath the girth. It is evidently more 

 difficult for the pressure to be evenly distributed by 

 these cords, than by a broad girth which consists of one 

 piece. 



" Great care should be taken to keep girths clean 

 and soft, and to oil them from time to time, if they be 

 of leather. 



