RIDING ON EXMOOR. 361 



have their advantages, and probably an acceptable 

 pattern could be selected which would meet the case. 

 At present everyone pleases himself, save that the 

 cloth cap is left for the use of small boys. White 

 linen coats are frequently worn both by men and 

 ladies, and are very comfortable in hot weather if one 

 can ensure getting home early. It is never safe to 

 wear very thin clothes on Exmoor, however hot the 

 weather may be, for the moment the sun goes down 

 the temperature on the open moor falls with extra- 

 ordinary rapidity, and a cold breeze springs up which 

 may chill the too lightly-clad rider to the bone. 



A yearly increasing number of ladies, and nearly 

 all the small girls on ponies, ride on cross saddles, 

 and those that do so are loud in praise of the comfort 

 and convenience resulting. The advantages to those 

 who find they can comfortably ride in this way are 

 obvious ; a cross-saddle only costs about half the 

 price of a side-saddle ; a lady can use the saddle 

 belonging to the horse, whereas it was always 

 necessary to make elaborate arrangements to ensure 

 that the lady's own saddle should fit the horse, it 

 being as essential for the avoidance of sore backs 

 that the saddle should fit the lady as that it should 

 fit the horse ; but, above all, in a country like West 

 Somerset, where many of the gates are awkward to 

 open, facility in mounting and dismounting is a matter 

 of first-class importance. 



Falls are pretty frequent, especially in the tail of 

 the field, but Exmoor is soft, and any serious damage 



B B 



