SADDLES AND SORE BACKS. 175 



Nine layers of blanket under the side bar can only be required for 

 horses losing muscle, and where the back waste is great, there may 

 not be sufficient to keep the saddle at its proper height above the spine. 

 In such cases twelve layers may be employed, but it is better to 

 use hay, grass, straw, rushes, and such like, placed between the 

 folds of the blanket under the side bar, rather than twelve layers of 

 blanket. 



The disadvantage of having too many folds under the side bar, apart 

 from the risk of the ribs being bruised, is the difficulty of keeping them 

 in position, unless the blanket is stitched at one or two points. 



One man can fold a blanket, but it is better done by two ; the folds 

 are then made with greater regularity, and there is less chance of a 

 blanket being placed on the back with wrinkles in it. 



Numnahs are generally made of felt, though leather has been tried. Numnahs. 

 The use of a numnah is not to make the saddle fit or render it soft to the 

 back (incidentally it does both), but its function is to absorb the sweat 

 and prevent it passing into the blanket or pannels. This is where the 

 leather numnah failed ; it was not absorbent, and in addition presented 

 the disadvantage of becoming dry and hard under the influence of 

 sweat. 



The Girth. — Various considerations cause the service girth to be made The girth, 

 of leather, rather than webbing, cord, or raw hide. The last three, however, 

 may have to be used and are excellent as long as they last. 



A soldier's saddle has to be kept more firmly girthed up than a 

 civilian's, owing to the greater weight, much of it top-heavy. To avoid 

 undue oscillation this weight has to be steadied, and a girth too tight for 

 a hunter may be absolutely necessary with a troop horse. 



In order to give further assistance in steadying the weight, the girth, 

 instead of being secured to a central attachment, is buckled into straps 

 which come from either end of the saddle. This V attachment is an 

 immense advantage where great weight is concerned. 



The girth passes around the brisket, and owing to the shape of the Conforma- 

 latter, it lies in a kind of hollow formed by the brisket and belly. Some tion v;ith 

 briskets are so shaped that no hollow place exists for the girth, and with reference 

 such horses the girth works forward against the elbow owing to the ^°^, • 

 brisket running up instead of down. Under ordinary circumstances it is ^' '^^' 

 the edge of the girth pressing against the brisket which keeps the saddle 

 back ; if the girth gets no such purchase against the brisket the saddle 

 goes forward. 



A brisket which runs up towards the elbow instead of down, 

 is frequently associated with a prominent arching of the rear ribs and a 



