ANGLO-FRENCH HORSEMANSHIP 



the same height in front and behind, should 

 have a slight dip in the centre, and should 

 be narrow in the fork. The first girth strap 

 should be well forward, so that the girths pass 

 round in their proper place, allowing the 

 rider's legs to hang naturally along them, so 

 that he can apply his spurs in the proper place, 

 viz., just behind the girths, to make his horse 

 bend his neck, stop or back. For the same 

 reason it is a mistake to have the girths too 

 wide ; a single strong leather girth, wide enough 

 at each end to hold two buckles, and gradually 

 narrowing down to about 2 inches at the centre, 

 answers every purpose. 



A neat, round, leather " monkey strap," about 

 12 inches long, attached by two strong steel 

 swivel hooks to the front dees of the saddle, is 

 of much use. By it, one can easily mount a 

 hogged-maned horse by catching hold of the 

 strap in the centre with two fingers and turning 

 the nails up as the spring is made. When a 

 horse is "playing up," the rider can keep him- 

 self well down in the saddle without touching 

 the horse's mouth or holding on with the legs, 

 leaving these latter free to gently and quietly 

 place the horse so that he cannot continue his 

 game ; in the case of hard pullers or snatchers, 

 the curb rein can be passed through the strap 



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