882 WILD BEASTS AND THEIR WAYS CHAP. 



end, kicks you with the other, and makes you sore with its 

 middle." 



That " making you sore with its middle " brings the Mexican 

 saddle to the front. For such countries as the Rocky Mountains, 

 where no jumping is necessary, there cannot be a more perfect 

 arrangement for horse and man than the Mexican saddle. This is 

 totally opposed to European ideas. It is exceedingly heavy, 

 weighing from 25 to 30 Ibs. There is no stuffing. It is open by 

 a longitudinal slit beneath the scat, which would suggest the idea 

 that you certainly would suffer from a long ride. It has a horn in 

 front, and a high cantle behind. The stirrups are very wide, and 

 are covered with leather ; they are neither heated by the sun in 

 summer, nor rendered cold in winter, as the bare metal would be. 

 From different portions of the saddle, long strips of buckskin are 

 suspended, which are most useful for lashing anything required to 

 be carried. 



The argument in favour of weight is, that the extent of the 

 saddle covers the entire back of the horse, therefore the weight of 

 the rider is generally distributed over a large area of the muscles, 

 instead of being concentrated upon a small portion of the back. 

 The slit in the seat ventilates the back of the horse and the 

 posterior of the rider, therefore both are kept cool. The absence 

 of stuffing is supplied by a small folded blanket ; and owing to its 

 peculiar shape, the tree of the saddle rests upon either side of the 

 spine, instead of pressing directly upon the withers and the central 

 line of the back. 



When I was in San Francisco I hit upon a practical method 

 for carrying the rifle on horseback. Mr. Davies, the saddler in 

 that city, gave me great assistance. A strong leather case, that 

 will receive the rifle as far as the bend of the stock, is secured 

 through a broad strap (4 inches wide) of very thick leather, riveted 

 with copper rivets to the flap of the saddle, which in the Mexican 

 pattern projects in front of the knee. This arrangement is upon 

 the near (left) side. When the rifle is in this leather case, fitting 

 loosely, the case is forced through the retaining strap, which keeps 

 it firmly secured against the flap. A very strong belt of leather, 

 fastened also with copper rivets from the upper and broad portion 

 of the leather case, is buckled round the front horn of the saddle. 

 The rifle is now represented as muzzle downward, perpendicular. 

 The butt-end is about level with the arm-pit of the rider. His 

 bridle-hand holds the reins inside, therefore, when he requires his 

 rifle suddenly, he has only to grasp it with his right hand by the 

 neck of the stock, and draw it from its stiff and firmly secured 



