230 WOMEN'S SADDLES. 



iron framework of the saddle). The right leg is placed over the upper 

 crutch and the left leg presses against the lower crutch which is technically 

 called the leaping head. The leaping head should be placed so that it may 

 press, when required, against the rider's left leg a little above the knee ; and 

 it should be sufficiently separated from the upper crutch to afford along with 

 it a firm purchase. The shorter the rider's limbs the nearer should the leap- 

 ing head be placed to the upper crutch. If the two be wide apart from each 

 other, a woman whose limb is short will probably be able to touch the leap- 

 ing head only with the point of her left knee, and will consequently have a 

 very insecure seat in such a saddle. The leaping, head should be attached 

 to the saddle by a screw and may have two or more socket holes, so that the 

 rider can regulate the angle and position of the leaping head as she sees fit. 

 The screw should be thick and the thread particularly deep so that the leap- 

 ing head may not work loose, which would cause it to be very uncomfortable. 

 The leaping head should be sufficiently long and strong to give a firm bear- 

 ing for the leg. With the object of having it appear 'smart' and neat, 

 many saddlers make the leaping head too short and weak for safety in rough 

 work or on difficult horses. If the upper crutch be very long, it will poke 

 the skirt up and give it a bad appearance. At the same time, if it be too 

 short, it will afford an insecure grip on the leg. Hence in a saddle intended 

 merely for purposes of show, the upper crutch may be shorter than in one 

 for real work. 



" The stirrup-leather may be attached to the near side by a bar, 

 which may or may not be of the safety kind ; or it may pass over a 

 roller bar and be connected by a buckle (in reach of the lady's hand when 

 she is mounted), with a strap called a balance strap, which comes from the 

 off side of the cantle. The former plan possesses the great advantage of 

 not requiring the leather, after it has once been put to the proper length, to 

 be altered for different animals, or for the same horse when he gets a little 

 slack in his girth from work. The latter theoretically has the commenda- 

 tion of allowing the rider to lengthen or shorten her stirrup as she wishes 

 after she is mounted without having to shift the position of her legs. In 

 practice, however, the undoing of the buckle and the pulling up of the strap 

 (if the leather has to be shortened) demand, as a rule, too much strength 

 of fingers and arm for a lady of ordinary physical powers to accomplish 

 easily. The balance strap, which appears to have a good effect in keeping 



