48 SADDLING. 



strong exertion, it is obvious that a loose strap (accord- 

 ing to orders) could hardly serve any such purpose. If 

 the crupper be for use, it would appear that after the 

 saddle is placed in its proper position on the animal's 

 back (the crupper being left at its full length for this 

 purpose), and previous to girthing, it should be short- 

 ened so as to retain the saddle in that place under any 

 circumstances, — not, however, that the crupper should 

 be so tightened as to inconvenience the beast, and half 

 cut his tail off; it will be tight enough to serve its 

 purpose if one or two fingers can be easily turned under 

 the strap. 



The Breastplate may be necessary in hunting or 

 steeplechasing with horses that are light behind the 

 girth, or what is vulgarly called " herring-gutted," and 

 is used to prevent the saddle from getting too far back, 

 or, as the grooms say, the horse "running through 

 his girths." Animals trained to such trying work as 

 steeplechasing, or even hunting, will become much 

 smaller in the carcass than a trooper or an ordinary 

 gentleman's hack. 



With dragoons this part of the equipment is gene- 

 rally ill -adjusted, as if to correspond with the inefficient 

 arrangement of the crupper, the breast -straps being 

 often too tight. Frequently, during manoeuvring in 

 the field or the riding- school, I have seen breast-straps 

 burst in consequence of their tightness ; and indeed it 

 stands to reason they can thus but interfere with a 

 horse's action in leaping or making more than ordinary 

 exertion. Their tightness not only renders discomfiture 

 imminent, but must drag the saddle forward out of its 

 place. 



Altogether it might be desirable that commanding 



