SADDLE-CLOTHS. 147 



that the point of the tongue may lie flush with the buckle 

 (Fig. 149), and that it may not be liable to be pulled through, 

 as it would be, if it had not the centre bar to support it 

 (Fig. 150). If the centre bar be absent, the point of the 

 tongue of the buckle, on account of its being necessarily 

 raised, will stick into the flap of the saddle and will soon 

 wear it out, and it will also be liable to tear the girth 

 strap when the horse is being ungirthed. Without the 

 centre bar, the girth has to be pulled tighter when girthing 

 up, than with it. 



SADDLE-CLOTHS 



Are generally made of felt, and their primary object is to pre- 

 vent the panel from soaking up sweat and becoming thereby 

 soiled and more or less spoiled. The term numdah, or 

 numnah, which is applied to felt saddle-cloths, is derived 

 from a Hindustani word that signifies " felt." A saddle- 

 cloth should be as thin as efficiency in serving its purpose 

 will allow it to be, so that it may give as little " play " as 

 possible to the saddle. Although the fitting of the saddle 

 should, as far as practicable, be limited to the adjustment 

 of the shape of the tree and to regulating the amount of 

 stuffing in the panel ; the use of a thick numnah with an 

 improperly shaped or deficiently stuffed saddle, is often a 

 valuable make-shift when necessity gives no other choice. 

 A felt numnah has often been the means of saving horses 

 from sore backs, especially abroad, when the stuffing of 

 saddles has got worn down, and there are no saddlers at hand 

 to restuff them. Hence this valuable piece of furniture will 

 be found in probably every stable abroad. Sheep-skins are 

 largely used in some countries ; but they do not look so neat 

 as a well-cut felt numnah. A numnah should be a little 

 longer than the bars of the saddle, say two inches in front 

 and rear, so that the edges of the numnah may not give rise 



10* 



