SADDLES AND SORE BACKS. I73 



Is the saddle blanket to be used as a horse blanket ? We are aware 

 that this question has been authoritatively settled in favour of the one 

 blanket performing both services ; but it appears to be opposed to all 

 experience. 



No ordinary human skill or foresight can prevent some blankets 

 working off in the night, getting under the horse's feet, and becoming 

 torn, muddy, and wet. All these are inseparable from the use of any 

 cover for a horse's body, and especially one which has to be kept on without 

 a proper body roller, and often without a pad. It frequently happens 

 that, having found from experience the most suitable method of 

 folding a blanket, a stitch or two is placed in it to keep the folds 

 in position ; this may be a most useful expedient, but is of no use if the 

 blanket is also to be used as a horse cover. There can be no doubt 

 that in practice the saddle blanket will not, for the reasons stated 

 above, be used for two distinct and antagonistic purposes, but that 

 reason and experience dictate a saddle blanket shall remain a saddle 

 blanket. 



If a blanket be placed under a saddle, especially one with bare side Fixing of 

 bars, it gradually works out behind ; to prevent this the blanket does not blanket by 

 rest directly on the back but on a numnah, which gives it a grip ; the i^ur"nah 

 numnah is buckled in front and rear to both arches of the saddle, and in ^^^^P"^- 

 this way the blanket is confined. 



The saddle blanket is not a square : the length is five feet five inches. Folding 

 the width four feet eight inches, and the method of folding usually adopted the 

 in the Service is to make three folds of equal width in the length of the blanket, 

 blanket, turning over two feet of one end and passing the opposite end 

 into the pocket thus formed ; it is then placed on the horse's back with 

 the thick end near the withers. The size when folded is two feet by one 

 foot eight inches. 



There are several methods of dealing with the blanket, which will be 

 referred to in the section on sore backs, but the general principles may 

 be conyeniently noticed here. 



1. The distance from front to rear numnah strap is twenty inches. 



It is obvious that the folds of the blanket shall be made of 

 such a width as to conveniently fit into this space without 

 wrinkling. 



2. The more folds placed in a blanket the more the channel between 



the two side bars of the saddle is filled up. In consequence ot 

 this, pressure is exercised upon the spine and withers, which may 

 get pinched and inflamed. If it is necessary to place many folds 

 in the blanket, they should be put under the side bar and 



