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SADDLES 



steel plates are afterwards riveted on the gullet or 

 " head," and also on the cantle. The expression, 

 "straining the tree," means fastening four pieces 

 of linen web — two lenofth-wise and two cross-wise 

 — whose purpose is to support the seat. A piece 



CHAMPION AND WILTONS STEEPLECHASE SADDLE 



of canvas is afterwards nailed on top of the "webs," 

 and a piece of serge laid over the whole. The 

 stuffing or padding having been well worked in 

 between the canvas and the serge, the saddle is 

 ready to be covered with hog-skin. The cost of 

 putting a new tree into a saddle is about £2. 

 For flat-racing the tree weighs only about 6 oz. 



