CHAPTER XXVIII 

 SADDLE HORSES 



T^ VERY young horse should be taught to carry a man 

 ^^ on his back, for no one can tell when the necessity 

 for riding him may arise. But not every horse is fit for 

 saddle work. A horse with straight shoulders, and 

 especially with the low withers which usually accom- 

 pany a straight shoulder cannot, as a rule, carry a 

 man on his back without discomfort and even injury. 

 It will be found that such horses dislike to be ridden, 

 although they may submit to it. Whereas, a horse 

 properly shaped for the saddle almost invariably likes 

 that kind of work after he becomes used to it. It is 

 easier for him to carry a man of moderate weight, 

 say 1 60 pounds, than to haul the same man in a vehicle 

 weighing two or three hundred pounds. 



But the horse should be ridden at first by a light man 

 or boy, at a slow pace, and for short distances. He 

 must learn the knack of carrying weight, just as a 

 porter must learn the knack of carrying a heavy trunk 

 on his shoulders. This is especially true of horses not 

 saddle-bred. I have seen big, strong carriage horses 

 almost staggering under the weight of a man when they 

 were first ridden, every leg being moved and every foot 

 put down in an unnatural way. It is, of course, very 

 easy to strain a horse under such circumstances. Per- 

 haps the reason why straight-shouldered, low-withered 



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