16 HOW TO BIDE. 



over the horse's backbone, which must remain altogether out of contact. 

 The notion of making one portion come into closer contact than another, 

 " giving a gripe," with the intention of preventing the saddle slipping, is 

 altogether erroneous, because it is the sum total of the pressure which pro- 

 duces the cohesion between two surfaces ; its being concentrated on one 

 point or line does not increase this amount, but is very likely to make a 

 hole in the horse's back. 



As regards size or extent of surface, the meaning is, that the greater 

 this is with a given weight, the less will be the pressure on any given 

 point, and consequently the less risk of sore back, provided always that 

 the pressure be equally distributed over the whole surface. To make a 

 saddle a yard long, and put the weight altogether at one of its extremities 

 is not the way to attain this very desirable object. 



There must be some limit to the size of a saddle, for its own absolute 

 weight is a matter of serious consideration. Let the size be proportioned 

 to the Aveight to be carried, and if you have a tender-backed horse, make it 

 a little bigger than would be otherwise necessary. Of course a jock can 

 ride his race on a thing that is more a contrivance for hanging up a pair of 

 stirrups than a saddle, whilst a two-hundred-pound rider must divide his 

 weight over as large a surface as convenient. 



The way in which the weight of the saddle may be decreased without 

 its useful under surface being narrowed is to use, for the tree, materials 

 combining great strength and moderate elasticity with the least possible 

 weight. If the plates supporting the tree be made thin and light, they 

 bend, and then retain the wood in a distorted shape. The platings should 

 be made of steel not too highly tempered. There should be little, if any, 

 padding under the flaps, as increased thickness between the rider's leg and 

 the horse brings the former away from the latter. 



Supposing, now, the under surface of the saddle to have the proper form 

 and size, the next point to be determined is, where to put the weight. As 

 we cannot, in consequence of this being a man, divide and spread it out 

 equably over the whole upper part of the saddle as we would inert matter 

 of any kind, we must place the rider's centre of gravity exactly over the 

 centre of the bearing-surface of the saddle, for this is the only single point 

 which, being loaded, transmits the pressure equably to the rest of the surface. 



Take a small common table and place it exactly level on sand, grass, or 



