SADDLING. 95 



two in a short time, and endanger the rider. I was 

 once told by a liverj-stable keeper that he did not 

 use saddles with stirrups made in this manner simply 

 because he found that the stirrup-leather used to get 

 cut in two, and yet he never took the trouble to 

 ascertain the cause of this and remove it. 



I have given a drawing of what I consider the 

 best form of men's stirrup, and of one with three 

 bars, to show the difference, and also a drawing of 

 Latchford's ladies' stirrup. 



BEEASTPLATE. 



There are one or two adjuncts to the saddle 

 which are not part of the saddle, and can be used or 

 not, as the rider finds it necessary or convenient. 



The first I shall mention only to reject it, and 

 that is the crupper. Any horse requiring a crupper 

 should not be used for riding. The second is the 

 breastplate, which should always be used for hunt- 

 ing, and might as well always be used for riding, as 

 there would then be less likelihood of its being for- 

 gotten some time when it was required. 



The breastplate is made of leather, and consists 

 of a strap passing between the horse's fore legs and 

 looping round the girths, the loop being made to 

 take up or let out by means of a buckle and some 

 holes in the strap ; the other end terminates in a 

 ring at the horse's chest ; from this ring a leather 

 loop goes round the horse's neck, and from this loop 



