1 64 



ANIMAL MANAGEMENT. 



Saddle 

 tends to 

 work 

 forwards. 



Numnah 

 tends to 

 work back. 



Blade- 

 bone 

 pressure. 



movements is to drive the saddle forwards, and, as we shall see later 

 on, nothing but a special mechanical contrivance can prevent this taking 

 place. 



But no matter what the shape of the horse may be, the saddle has 

 always a tendency to work forwards. 



This may be explained by looking at any back, which shows that 

 there is a small though distinct fall from the loins to the play of the 

 shoulders ; besides this there is the weight of the rider, which must be an 

 important element in determining whether the saddle will maintain its 

 position or be carried forward. 



Nothing, however, influences the question so much as the shape of 

 the ribs ; if these are unduly curved and prominent, suddenly expanding 

 behind the brisket, it is impossible for a girth to get a grip on the skin, 

 and the saddle soon finds its way on to the root of the neck. 



It might be thought that if the natural tendency of a saddle is to work 

 forward, that the same must hold good for a numnah, saddle cloth, or 

 blanket placed under the saddle. But the fact is otherwise ; these have a 

 natural tendency to work backwards and come out at the rear of the 

 saddle, and that, we think, is explained by the direction of the hair, the 

 blanket or numnah slipping with the hair and not against it. Whatever 

 the explanation may be, the facts remain that the tendency of a saddle 

 is to work forward and of a numnah to work backwards, and 

 one of the functions of a girth is to prevent this occurring. 



The working forward of a saddle is a serious evil. We have previously 

 referred to the blade-bones and their movements, but the time has now 

 arrived when these must be studied with a little more detail, so that we 

 may fully realise what are the disadvantages of blade-bone pressure. 



At every movement of the forelegs the blade-bones are working to 

 and fro ; when the foreleg and shoulder advances that portion of the 

 blade-bone in front of the saddle goes backwards, on the principle of 

 the see-saw movement previously alluded to, and conversely when the 

 blade-bone in front of the saddle is travelling forward the foreleg is 

 passing backwards. 



Blade- bone movement is of the utmost importance; if a saddle be so 

 fitted as to interfere with it the stride of the horse is shortened, he 

 becomes tired before his time, and further, being unable to properly get 

 the leg forward, he stumbles. 



To ride on a horse's blade-bones throughout a long day's work is to 

 ask him to perform his work at a mechanical disadvantage, and to 

 imperil the safety of his knees, a fact which must be remembered in 

 considering the correct position for the saddle. 



