SADDLE AND BRIDLE 19 



the centre, and should be narrow in the fork, it should 

 not be thickly stuffed, as the nearer the rider is to his 

 horse tlic better. The first girth strap should be well 

 forward, so that the girths pass round in their proper 

 place, allowing the rider's legs to hang naturally along 

 them, so that he can apply his spurs in the proper place, 

 viz., just behind the girth groove, to make his horse 

 bend his neck, stop or back. For the same reason it 

 is a mistake to have the girths too wide ; a single 

 strong leather girth, wide enough at each end to hold 

 two buckles, and gradually narrowing down to about 

 2 inches at the centre, answers every purpose. 



A neat, round, leather " monkey strap," about 

 12 inches long, attached by two strong steel swivel 

 hooks to the front dees of the saddle, is of much use. 

 By it, one can easily mount a hogged-manned horse by 

 catching hold of the strap in the centre with two fingers 

 and turning the nails up as the spring is made. When a 

 horse is " playing up," the rider can keep himself well 

 down in the saddle without touching the horse's mouth 

 or holding on with the legs, leaving these latter free to 

 gently and quietly place the horse so that he cannot 

 continue his game ; in the case of hard pullers or 

 snatchers, the curb rein can be passed through the 

 strap and held on the other side, when giving the 

 horse a lesson in obedience. The swivel hooks should 

 be on fairly large rings so that the strap can turn 

 upwards and lie against the bow of the saddle. When 

 the reins are through the strap the rider must bear in 

 mind that if he is thrown forward over the horse's 

 head and holds on to the reins he will pull the horse's 

 nose into his chest and perhaps turn him over. 



