174 ANIMAL MANAGEMENT. 



not under the arches, the blanket being folded from each side and 

 not from the centre. In this way the channel of the saddle is 

 not filled up ; by any other system it is. 



When speaking of the front arch, we impressed the necessity of it 

 being wide enough to admit the blanket, numnah and whatever else may 

 be placed under the saddle. 



No more folds should be placed in a saddle blanket than are necessary. 



What thickness of material shall be placed beneath the saddle ? This 

 is governed by two conditions, (a) the amount of flesh on the back, (d) the 

 amount of work a horse is performing. Assuming that the conditions 

 are service conditions, viz. : a moderate amount of flesh on the back and 

 an immoderate amount of work to be performed, then the golden 

 rule is to have ample material beneath the saddle in order to 

 prevent the parts becoming bruised through heavy weight and long 

 hours. Weight transmitted through a thick blanket and good numnah 

 is distributed ; that which is transmitted through a thin protection is 

 concentrated. 



It is well to draw attention once more to the fact that the blanket 

 must lie level and unwrinkled between the two straps of the numnah ; 

 further, as these straps are twenty inches apart, the distance from front to 

 rear of any folded blanket must fall within this limit. 



There can never be less than three layers of blanket beneath the 

 arch, as a blanket has to be folded twice to make it fit into the above 

 space. Three layers of blanket beneath the arch is, then, the minimum, 

 while six layers beneath the side bars would also be a minimum. The 

 latter would be obtained by laying a blanket folded in three layers across 

 the back, and then turning up one extremity and placing it under the 

 side bar, but not carried up so high as to fill in the arch. No matter in 

 what way a blanket is folded, this is the fewest number of layers which 

 can be put in it. 



It is most desirable there should be as few layers of blanket beneath 

 the arches as possible ; the necessity for this has previously been dealt 

 with. 



A blanket may be folded six layers throughout, by folding first in 

 three and then doubling it. Three layers under the ai ches and six 

 under the side bar has been described ; three under the arches and nine 

 under the side bar is obtained by folding up both ends twice. 



In putting nine layers under the side bar, it must not be forgotten 

 that the ribs are left very exposed, and that there is nothing but the 

 numnah to prevent the ribs from being bruised by the girth attachment 

 and girth buckles. 



