44 SADDLING. 



for the consequence of the attendant's usual method is, 

 that when the girths are tightened up, the saddle, in- 

 stead of being in the centre of the horse's back, is in- 

 clined to the near or left-hand side, to which it is still 

 farther drawn by the act of mounting, so that when a 

 man has mounted he fancies that one stirrup is longer 

 than the other — the near-side stirrup invariably the 

 longest. To remedy this he forces down his foot in the 

 right stirrup, which brings the saddle to the centre of 

 the animal's back. 



All this w^ould be obviated by care being taken, in 

 the process of girthing, to place the left hand on the 

 middle of the saddle, drawing the first or under girth 

 with the right hand till the girth-holder reaches the 

 buckle, the left hand being then disengaged to assist 

 in bracing up the girth. The outer girth must go 

 through the same process, being drawn under the belly 

 of the horse from the off side tightly before it is attached 

 to the girth-holder. 



With ladies' saddles most particular attention should 

 be paid to the girthing. 



(It must be observed that, with some horses having the knack 

 of swelling themselves out during the process of girthing, 

 the girths may be tightened before leaving the stable so as to 

 appear almost too tight, but which, when the horse has been 

 walked about for ten minutes, will seem comparatively loose, 

 and quite so when the rider's weight is placed in the saddle.) 



Stirrup-Irons should invariably be of wrought steel. 

 A man should never be induced knowingly to ride in a 

 cast-metal stirrup, any more than he ought to attempt 

 to do so with a cast-metal bit. 



Stirrup-irons should be selected to suit the size of 

 the rider's foot ; those with two or three narrow bars 



