THE BAEB AND THE BRIDLE. 23 



■general officer and his lady into a complete fix. The lady went to 

 a review, having been assisted into her saddle by her husband in 

 his mufti costume before he dressed for parade. After the review ; 

 the lady dismounted to partake of luncheon in a marquee, and, 

 .after the repast, the general proceeded to put liis wife on her horse ; 

 but the gallant steed by no means understood the dancing plume of 

 .red and white feathers in the officer's cocked hat, and he would 

 -none of him. He snorted, pawed the ground in terror, ran back, 

 <and did everything but stand still, although he had stood the 

 :marching past and firing well enough. Unluckily the groom had 

 •been sent home, and there was nobody in mufti on the ground who 

 •could put the lady on her saddle. Even when the general took off 

 his cocked hat, the horse, having taken a dislike to him, would not 

 let his master come near him. Finally, as there was no carriages on 

 the ground, the lady had to walk a considerable distance, her 

 horse led by an orderly. The above goes to show that to make a 

 horse perfect for a lady, nothing likely to occur in the way of sights 

 or sounds should be overlooked. If the horse possesses the requisite 

 power and form to fit him for a hunter, and the lady for whom he 

 is intended graces the hunting field with her presence, the animal 

 .should be ridden quietly in cubhunting time as often as possible, 

 in long trots, beside the hounds going to covert, and accustomed 

 gradually to the music of the "sylvan choir," to stand quietly at 

 the covert side, and take no heed of scarlet coats. If the horse has 

 been otherwise well broken, the above is simply a question of time 

 and patience. 



Let me now say something with regard to saddlery and appoint- 

 ments. The most important of these, of course, is the side- 

 saddle, as to the form of which considerable diversity of opinion 

 exists. 



My own experiences induce me to believe in a saddle which is as 

 nearly as possible y?a< from between the pommels to the cantle; any 

 dip in the stretcher of the tree, while it renders the lady's seat less 

 secure, has also the effect of throwing her weight too much upon 

 the horse's forehand, and thus cramping his action. When a lady 

 has acquired skill and confidence in her riding, a saddle with a 



