84 HOESES AXD RIDING. 



CHAPTER XIII. 



SADDLING. 



We now come to the question of the way the horse 

 ought to be saddled. The art of making saddles has 

 progressed considerably during this century, the ten- 

 dency being to make the saddles plainer, lighter, and 

 simpler ; but there is no reason for supposing that 

 the art of making them has arrived at perfection 

 even at the present time, or that saddles are not 

 capable of being improved upon. I v^ill begin by 

 describing the different parts of an ordinary hunting 

 saddle, and then show how I think they can be 

 improved. 



The saddle consists of the pommel, which is over 

 the horse's withers ; the seat, where the rider sits ; 

 the cantle, which is the hindermost part of the 

 saddle ; the flaps, which cover the sides of the horse ; 

 the spring bars, to which the stirrup leathers are 

 affixed ; the girth straps under the flaps, to which 

 the girths are buckled; and the underneath flaps, 

 which go between the girth straps and the horse. 



