THE FITTING AND CONSTRUCTION. 225 



without the girth being unduly tight. Therefore the tree 

 should be fitted before being covered. It should be wide 

 and high enough to raise the seat well off of the horse's spine 

 and withers, and be shaped so that all parts bear evenly. 

 If the horse has very high withers, the saddle should be cut 

 back at the pommel and the points of the tree sloped forward. 

 The gullet plate in all well made saddles is strong enough to 

 bear the weight of the rider without spreading ; but in 

 inferior ones, or in those that have been bent by the horse 

 being turned in a small place after the girths have been 

 tightened, the original shape is often so changed that the 

 withers become chafed from the pressure which is in conse- 

 quence brought upon them. The stuffing should be of 

 curled horsehair, comparatively thin and free from lumps. 



" I can strongly recommend the method adopted by Mr. Nicholls, the 

 London saddler, of covering the pannel of a saddle with leather on that por- 

 tion which rests on the back. The part of the pannel which lies usually 

 between the flaps and the horse's sides is replaced by a simple thickness of 

 leather, an arrangement which allows the rider's knees to get much closer 

 than they usually can to the animal's sides. With such saddles the pannels 

 always remain dry and elastic." Captain Hayes, " Riding" p. 234. 



Whenever the opportunity presents itself it is advisable, 

 when purchasing a horse, to buy the saddle as well, provid- 

 ing it fits and is in a good state of preservation. An old 

 saddle is softer and more comfortable than a new one until 

 the latter is " broken in." On this point, Charles Brindley 

 says in " The Pocket and the Stud," p. 96 : 



" Whenever I bought a horse, if the saddle he had been accustomed to 

 be ridden with pleased me, I generally bought that also if I could." 



Three girth-tugs are usually fastened to the tree between 

 the flaps and the sweat-flaps on both sides of the saddle. 



