GIRTHS. 145 



us have doubtless found when riding with ordinary short- 

 heeled boots, and with our feet well home, that the irons 

 sometimes catch on the insteps in this manner. Boots with 

 smooth uppers, like those of the hunting and Wellington 

 type, and thin soles, are naturally least liable to get caught. 



" Hunting stirrups vary considerably in size and weight, 

 roughly speaking as follows : -4^ in. X 4^ in., 20 to 24 ozs. 

 per pair ; 4^ in. x 4^ in., 22 to 26 ozs. per pair ; 4^ in. 

 X 4^ m -> 2 4 to 28 ozs. psr pair; 4^6 in. X 4^ in., 26 to 

 30 ozs. per pair; 4^ in. x 4^6 in., 28 to 32 ozs. per pair" 

 {Harness and Saddlery). 



SAFETY BARS AND SAFETY STIRRUPS. 

 Safety stirrups for men look so unsightly that they may 

 be considered to be quite obsolete. One of the best safety 

 bars is Weston's Patent Safety Bar and Buckb (Fig. 148); 

 another very satisfactory one is Sir Thomas Dancer's patent. 

 I never use any of these contrivances ; for I consider that 

 I obtain all necessary safety by keeping the locks of the 

 spring bars open (Fig. 121). 



GIRTHS. 



Girths, while fulfilling their duty of efficiently keeping 

 the saddle on a horse's back, should be as little liable as 

 possible to hurt the surface on which they press. Hence, 

 they should be broad, soft, and constructed so that their 

 tendency to retain sweat between them and the horse's skin 

 may be reduced as far as practicable. They can best fulfil 

 the last-mentioned important condition when they are ab- 

 sorbent and open in texture. It is evident that sweat 

 retained between the girth and the skin will have the 

 effect of the moisture of a poultice in rendering the part 

 soft and unusually liable to injury from pressure or friction. 



As a material for girths, wool is superior to cotton or 



10 



