ACCESSORIES 45 



between the seat and the stuffing. It is claimed 

 that they are lighter than ordinary side-saddles. 



Q. What are the chief improvements in side- 

 saddles ? 



A. Doing away with the off-side crutch has 

 largely increased the safety of ladies in a fall 

 when hunting ; but it had its advantages in other 

 ways, which are now absent. Ladies often found 

 it a relief to place some of their weight on it by 

 resting their hand there when tired ; and by this 

 action the balance of the body was kept more in 

 the centre of the saddle, whereas now a tired 

 lady is apt to throw most of her weight on the 

 pommels and the stirrup, and so drags the saddle 

 on to the near side. The consequence of this is 

 a wrung wither on the opposite side, which has 

 undue pressure thrown upon it. 



Another advantage that has been lost is that an 

 extra screw-hole on the off-side enabled the third 

 pommel to be quickly changed, so that the rider 

 could continue her homeward journey on the 

 reverse side to the ordinary way, a great relief 

 both to herself and the horse. Perhaps in these 

 days of apron-skirts this method might have 

 disadvantages of its own it did not formerly 

 possess ! 



Q. Is it not a wise precaution for ladies to use 

 safety-stirrups ? 



A. Most certainly ; no precaution of this 

 kind should be omitted whereby the danger 

 attendant on a fall may be minimised. It is a 

 great advance in this direction that the old round 

 skirt, so often the cause of a lady being " hung 

 up," and meeting with a serious accident in 



