SADDLING. 489 



pommel covers the point of the withers and then drawn back 

 so as to leave the point of the withers exposed and clear of 

 the movement of the shoulder blade. By this means the 

 correct position of the saddle may be had without any dan- 

 ger of disturbing the hair beneath the saddle. If a numnah 

 or saddle cloth is used, the servant should draw the front 

 and back ends well up against the pommel and cantle with 

 the forefingers. The broad under girth should be drawn 

 up moderately tight and buckled. Care must be taken not 

 to catch any folds of the skin ; this may easily be avoided 

 by extending the forefingers under each side of the girth 

 and running them down first on the near and then on the 

 off side. If a breast-plate or running martingale is to be 

 used it should be put on before the saddle and the broad 

 under girth placed through the loop. The narrow girth 

 should pass over and not through the loop. 



The saddle being adjusted, the head-collar should be 

 taken off and hung on a peg. The curb-chain and throat- 

 latch of the bridle loosened and the reins looped over the 

 left forearm, the bridle is then raised by the right hand 

 carrying the crown-piece up in front of the horse's face 

 until the bit comes in a position to be inserted in the 

 horse's mouth with the left hand The horse may be 

 steadied by holding his forelock with the right hand. The 

 crown-piece is now carried over the horse's ears and dropped 

 into place behind them. The throat-latch should not be 

 tightly fastened, merely short enough to prevent it from 

 slipping over the horse's jaw. The left-hand figure on 

 p. 241 shows the throat. latch properly adjusted. When a 

 running martingale is used, stops should never be omitted. 



If the horse is not used immediately a head-collar should 



