30 THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 



and if you find the support shifting in its socket, shift the groom as 

 soon as possible, and send the saddle to the saddler to be firmly- 

 fixed in. 



Why saddlers should fit these supports to turn at all, I can see no 

 g3od reason. Some men, it is true, say that in putting a lady on 

 horseback it is necessary to turn the third crutch round, so as to 

 prevent it from catching the skirt ; but for my own part I could 

 never find any necessity for this, or any difficulty in clearing a lady's 

 skirt when lifting her to the saddle. In purchasing a side-saddle, T 

 rej^eat, the greatest judgment is necessary as regards the third crutch ; 

 while it should be long enough to give a good purchase and be well 

 padded, it should be but slightly curved. A crutch that forms a 

 considerable segment of a circle is both inconvenient and dangerous 

 — inconvenient because it is a support of this description (if any) 

 that is in a lady's way in mounting, and dangerous because, if in the 

 hunting field a horse should chance to fall with his fair rider, she 

 would be imable to extricate herself from her fallen steed, inasmuch 

 as the nearly half-circular crutch would completely pin her leg to the 

 horse. It is, in fact, almost as dangerous as if a man were to strap 

 himself to his saddle (which, by the way, I once saw a very deter- 

 mined hunting man do when suffering from weakness in one leg). 

 He had no oiDportunity, however, of testing his experiment, as the 

 master of the hounds very judiciously told him that, if he per- 

 severed, he (the master) would take the hounds home. 



Nor is there any possible use in the enveloping of the leg by the 

 thick crutch of the side-saddle. With the slightest possible bend, 

 the support is sufficient if the rider sits fair and true in her saddle, 

 while plenty of stuffing is necessary to avoid bruising the leg, espe- 

 cially in leaping. These "stumpy-looking" third crutches are certainly 

 less sightly in the saddle-room than the more circular ones ; but I 

 submit that, inasmuch as it is not seen when the lady is up, it is of 

 more consequence to consult her comfort and safety than the eye of 

 the groom. 



When the lady has arranged her dress to her satisfaction, as above 

 described, the next section of the lesson should consist in teaching 

 how she should take up her reins; and here again the greatest care 



