320 THE HORSE 



the knee when the horse comes down after his leap, thereby throwing the 

 strain upon the muscles of the inside of the tliigh instead of on the seat of 

 honour. That such strains have been of late years very general is a well- 

 known fact, but their increase of frequency cannot be said to be coincident 

 with the introduction of the padded flap, which is at least fifty years old. 

 Padded flaps were in general use for forty years before this objectionable 

 quality was discovered, and even now they are preferred by a large majority 

 of hard riders in provincial countries. A thin man with a large knee 

 depends for his seat chiefly on the grip which this gives him of the saddle, 

 and there are many riders so made that they can scarcely touch the saddle 

 with the muscles of the thigh, or of the calf of the leg. In them a padded 

 surface is indispensable for the bone of the knee to act upon, as the smooth 

 plain flap is too hai'd and slippery for it to lay hold of. Hence, although 

 the muscular rider may well have his choice, and indeed will often do better 

 with a plain flap, this will not suit others difierently formed, and the fashion 

 should not therefore be indiscriminately followed. The plain flap costs about 

 fifteen shillings or a pound less than its rival ; but to hunting men this 

 difference in price is not often the reason for its selection, although the 

 wear and tear of saddles is by no means an unimportant article in their 

 expenditure. In choosing a saddle where the maker has not a well-known 

 reputation, the peculiar marks on the surface by which pigskin is distin- 

 guished from horse or cow-hide should be carefully examined, as an imitation 

 is now fraudulently carried out by means of copper-plates taken by the 

 electro-type process from real pigskin. A horse or cow-hide is stretched 

 upon a slab and wetted, when the heated plate is pressed by steam power 

 upon it, and every mark existing in the real skin is transferred to the imi- 

 tation hide. The fraud may, howevei', be detected by the want of depth in 

 the holes, which all show a bottom, whereas the real skin is perforated to a 

 depth beyond the reach, of the eye. Consequently, instead of a cul de sac^ 

 there is a fine valvular opening visible. 



The girths of ordinary saddles ai-e still made in pairs, and buckled up to 

 two straps fixed on each side to the tree ; but for hunting, the Fitzwilliam 

 girth, double the width of tlie oi'dinary one, and somewhat stouter in its 

 web, is considered an improvement in grass countries. It has two buckles 

 at each end, which are fastened to the usual straps ; but in addition a 

 narrow girth is provided, lying outside in loops stitched to the broad girth, 

 and keeping it in its place if by any chance both the buckles should bi'eak. 

 The Fitzwilliam girth is alone depended on for fixing the saddle, and the 

 narrow one is merely intended to keep it from dangling, and the saddle 

 from actually falling off if the foi-mer should burst, either in its webbing or 

 at the buckles or straps. 



The breastplate is provided for hunting saddles in order to avoid tight 

 girthing, which interferes sadly with a horse's wind by confining the ribs, 

 and thus preventing a full dilatation of the chest. Besides this, many 

 horses have a way of blowing themselves out while the groom is girthing 

 them up, and if they start with their saddles firmly on, they soon have 

 them so loose as to be dangerous in going up-hill. Very many well-bred 

 horses when fit to go are so light in their back ribs that their saddles easily 

 slip back if not kept in their places by their breastplates, and hence the 

 general adoption of the latter in the hunting- field. 



