LADIES' SADDLE. 145 



their saddles to the left. This fear disappears when 

 the hunting-horn pommel is used. The leaping-horn 

 is also of great use with a hard puller, or in riding down 

 a steep place, for it prevents the lady from sliding forward. 



But these advantages render the right-hand pommel 

 quite useless, a slight projection being all sufficient 

 (see woodcut) ; while this arrangement gives the habit 

 and figure a much better appearance. Every lady ought 

 to be measured for this part of the saddle, as the distance 

 between the two pommels will depend partly on the 

 length of her legs. 



When a timid inexperienced lady has to ride a fiery 

 horse it is not a bad plan to attach a strap to the outside 

 girth on the right hand, so that she may hold it and the 

 right hand rein at the same time without disturbing her 

 seat. This little expedient gives confidence, and is par- 

 ticularly useful if a fresh horse should begin to kick a 

 little. Of course it is not to be continued, but only 

 used to give a timid rider temporary assistance. I have 

 also used for the same purpose a broad tape passed 

 across the knees, and so fastened that in a fall of the 

 horse it would give way. 



Colonel Greenwood recommends that for fastening a 

 ladies' saddle-flaps an elastic webbing girth, and not a 

 leather girth, should be used, and this attached, not, as 

 is usually the case, to the small, but to the large flap on 

 the near side. This will leave the near side small flap 

 loose, as in a man's saddle, and allow a spring bar to 

 be used. But I have never seen, either in use or in a 

 saddler's shop, although I have constantly sought, a 

 lady's saddle so arranged with a spring bar for the stir- 

 rup-leather. This mode of attaching a web girth to 

 the large flap will render the near side perfectly smooth, 

 with the exception of the stirrup-leather, which he re- 



