SADDLE HORSES. 605 



SADDLE HORSES. 



More expensive than the hunter, he has not to recom- 

 mend him so proportionately hberal an earning capacity ; 

 nor can he successfully compete if he bear the various 

 blemishes which may not in any way detract from the value, 

 as a show proposition, of a hunter or jumper. Exhibitions, 

 as a rule, do not afford to the saddle horse more than one or 

 two opportunities at each re-union to compete, whereas the 

 hunter may probably disport himself several times. This 

 discrimination has always seemed unwise, and results in the 

 campaigning of but few saddle animals. 



When showing a saddle horse, enter the ring at a walk 

 if he goes that pace as a real hack should (if not, try to 

 conceal it by various caracoles, etc.). First or last places 

 are always the best, because the judges are generally watch- 

 ing the entrance, and a really first-class, nimble walker is 

 a desperately hard horse to forget. Be they ever so im- 

 pressed, however, with the leader, the authorities are looking 

 for something as good, or better, than he appears, and the 

 last to enter has a grand chance to make further impression, 

 especially if it can be managed that your " next-ahead " 

 gets several lengths in the lead ; for your performance, as 

 you stride briskly up to, and possibly past him, will be 

 appreciated. Lead, at the canter, should be changed in 

 "straight going" (if the horses will do it nicely), without the 

 judges' orders, and will have great effect in proving handiness 

 and manners. At the trot, stick to a fair road pace — what 

 your mount can do collectively and evenly — and never 

 mind who passes you. Judges want a fair saddle-horse 

 display, and of course preliminary instruction has taught 



