SADDLES AND SORK BACKS. I?' 



on which they are to rest, the other parts of the saddle become mere , 



accessories, for example, the seat, flaps, pannels, etc. 



The seat is a convenience for the rider ; a blanket laid over the tree 

 of the saddle would do as well, provided there was very little back waste. 

 The seat is a part of the saddle which, so far as it relates to the 

 man, does not here concern us, but it may be a source of mjury to the 

 horse, if through the leather work stretching or stitches giving 

 way, it comes down on to the spine ; it is obvious that this is 

 only likely to occur through loss of condition or its equivalent, so 

 far as saddle fitting is concerned, viz., thin blanket or pannels. The 

 strain on a seat is considerable, and in order to support this 

 bridge of leather, there is introduced under it a sling of webbing 

 which runs from arch to arch, and so takes off very largely the strain 

 on the leather. 



Seats are strained by other methods than riding : a tight over-girth is 

 one of the chief causes of seats sinking. 



Flaps to the saddle, like seats, are not a necessity, but a convenience — 

 a blanket would do as well. The saddle flap is rarely the cause of 

 injury, and we may therefore dismi-s any further consideration of it. 



The material which goes between the saddle and the back consists of ^^^ 

 blanket and numnah, or numnah and pannels or numnah, blanket and ^'^^^^jg^" 

 pannels. The ordinary service method consists of a numnah and blanket '^^^ i^^^,],^ 

 on which the bare side bars rest, or the latter may be further protected 

 by pannels made of numnah. 



These three structures must be separately. 



Pa7inels. — Those on a plain saddle consist of a bag made of leather Pannels. 

 and serge, stufled w^ith flock and horsehair, but in military saddles they 

 have been long discarded. In face of the fact, however, that all types of 

 saddle are used in war, including those with hair pannels, it is necessary 

 the subject should receive some consideration at our hands. 



Pannels stufted with hair have one very great advantage, viz., that Stuffed 

 in course of time they get moulded to the shape of the horse's back, and pannels. 

 adjust themselves to all irregularities. This is the explanation why 

 so little attention is paid to the fit of a plain saddle ; so long as the 

 front arch is wide enough, the saddler does not trouble his head 

 any further, but depends upon the hair in the pannels completing 

 the fit, which it most certainly does. This adjustment of pannels to 

 the shape of the back is very noticeable ; the stufiing in a new pair 

 of pannels will with very little work settle down, so that the pahnel 

 becomes reduced in thickness ; and while the settling down is taking 

 place the two bags of hair are being moulded to the peculiarities of 



