196 



ANIMAL MANAGEMENT. 



relation to for in that way we are more likely to see matters as they occurred, 

 side bar. Everything being in position and the girths loose, the hand is passed 

 palm downwards to the seat of trouble, and when the wound can be 

 felt with the tops of the fingers the hand is turned over, the palm now 

 being upwards, and the fingers resting on that part of the numnah or 

 pannel opposite to the injury. The place should at once be marked by 

 chalk or pencil. An examination must then be made of everything 

 in the region of this mark, especially of the saddletree. 



It frequently happens that the position of a wound on the back is 

 such that the hand cannot be passed to it in the manner just described. 

 In such cases the wound has some simple colouring matter applied to 

 it in the form of an ointment — a Httle vaseline or lard will do admir- 

 ably — and the saddle carefully placed on the back. The part corre- 

 sponding to the injury will in this way be accurately indicated. 



The same process should be employed in order to indicate the exact 

 position of a chamber. 



Where pannels are used, be they for riding or pack saddles, the 

 leather surface is a wonderful help in determining the cause of injury, 

 for the leather takes the imprint of the tree with all its irregularities, 

 so that a study of the outer surface of a pannel tells a tale which can 

 be read by the trained eye as easily as a book. 



Even the surface of the blanket in contact with the saddletree 

 carries, as we have seen, the imprint of the tree for a few minutes after 

 the saddle is removed and gives time for its inspection. 



What the imprint on either pannel or blanket tells us is this : it shows 

 beyond all doubt whether the pressure of the bar is evenly distributed 

 from front to rear and from upper to lower edge. If at some places a 

 deep depression exists, while at others the imprint of the bar is scarcely 

 seen, then it is evident that the weight is being carried on those points 

 where the depressions exist, and the part of the back corresponding to 

 these may in consequence be found damaged. The careful study of 

 saddle imprints is a wonderful help in determining the cause of trouble. 



Pack Saddles. 



The general principle of pack saddle construction is much the same 

 as that of a riding saddle, viz., a front and rear arch and a pair of side 

 bars. The metal arches are much stronger than in a riding saddle, and 

 provided with a pair of hooks to which the load is attached. 



Pannels are invariably used with pack saddles ; nothing can take 

 their place. They are large, square in shape, and stuffed with horsehair, 



