RIDING TO HOUNDS 239 



the natural instinct to rid themselves of the 

 discomfort. It is especially liable to occur with 

 ladies' horses, as it is at all times necessary to 

 girth them tight, to prevent the saddle from 

 shifting its place. As a man's weight is more 

 evenly distributed, it is not necessary to draw the 

 girths so tight, while if the saddle should slip 

 back, a breast-plate will correct this tendency. 



A horse seldom hurts himself by a fall at water, 

 and very often clings for a second with his fore- 

 legs on the further bank, before he rolls over, 

 giving an active man time to spring off in safety. 

 A lady has but small chance of doing this, as she 

 cannot so quickly extricate herself from the 

 hindrances of the stirrup and pommels. In a 

 ditch country it is certainly an argument in 

 favour of ladies riding on a cross-saddle. In a 

 deep ditch the rider sometimes gets pinned under 

 the horse, and is utterly unable to move, and is 

 then in great danger of being badly injured by 

 the animal in its struggles. If it is impossible to 

 extricate the rider before the horse can be moved, 

 especially if his head is in proximity to the 

 animal's hoofs, a saddle should immediately be 

 taken off another horse, and placed over the 

 unfortunate man's head, to shield him from blows 

 and kicks ; and such a precaution may easily save 

 him from disfigurement or even death. It is 

 often difficult to get a horse out, if he is wedged 

 on his back, and very probably digging will have 

 to be resorted to. A great deal of assistance can 

 be given him, in his endeavours to help himself, 

 by pulling at his tail, or even his head, and no 

 injury will be done if it is remembered to pull 

 the tail either straight, or sideways ; while the 

 head must never be raised above a straight line 



