Fox-hunting Past and Present 



sheep-skin numnah, and these should be larger than 

 the saddle to prevent sore backs. Small saddles are 

 an abomination for hunting or polo, and plain, 

 flapped saddles are always the best. If saddles are 

 placed on the ground too much, the leather is 

 worn off round the edges, especially at the pommel. 

 Either man or woman should have a safety bar 

 or patent hook to affix to his or her stirrup-leathers 

 to minimise the chances of being dragged out 

 hunting — a very dangerous experience. In this 

 case also there are many safety bars ; Champion 

 and Wilton's patent hooks do not fly off before the 

 necessity arises. They are simple and inexpensive. 

 I need hardly say that saddles and all their acces- 

 sories are of the very best from this Oxford Street 

 firm. When using above hooks, the stirrup-leather 

 must be put on with the tongue of the buckle in- 

 wards. Stirrup-leathers and girths should be daily 

 looked to ; some hunting-men have a thin strip 

 sewn inside their leathers to strengthen them. 

 Of girths, white are the smarter, but leather most 

 serviceable and strongest. They require dubbing. 

 Any and all of the works herein mentioned have 

 concise chapters on bits, bitting, according to 

 space at command. A large collection of fancy 

 bits is an expense to collect ; they don't avail 

 much. A horse, to be a hunter at all, should go in 

 a light or heavy double hunting bridle. The former 



is ^'ward" hunt or polo bridle. Then there is 



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