490 HARNESSING. 



be slipped over the bridle and the horse fastened by a 

 pair of pillar-reins, and a blanket or sheet put on inside out. 

 When the horse is to be mounted the under girth should be 

 taken up a hole or two and the narrow outer girth buckled 

 up. The girths should not be drawn so tight as to cause 

 discomfort to the horse, nor left so loose as to allow any 

 possibility of the saddle shifting. Owing to the one-sided 

 pressure exerted on a lady's saddle, the girths must be 

 buckled a hole or two tighter than those for a man's saddle. 

 The flap girth of a lady's saddle should not, however, be 

 drawn very tight. When the horse is to be mounted the 

 servant should draw the stirrups down into place, at the 

 same time giving the leathers a twist so that the stirrup will 

 hang nearly at right angles with the body of the horse. 

 The ends of the leathers look neater when turned under 

 and drawn parallel with and close to the skirt of the saddle. 

 When a person is mounting the groom should hold the 

 horse by the bridoon reins alone with the right hand near 

 the rings of the bit, and with the left hand bear his full weight 

 on the off side stirrup leather so as to counteract the down- 

 ward pull exerted on the near side by the rider in mounting. 

 When the rider has taken his place in the saddle the servant 

 should continue his hold of the reins and assist the rider to 

 catch the stirrups ; having done this, he should stand by 

 until the rider indicates that he is ready to start. 



HARNESSING. 



In harnessing the old saying should be borne in mind 

 that " a team well harnessed and put together is half driven." 

 The horse having been made ready as described on p. 488, 

 the harness should be dusted and the metal parts rubbed 



