THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 125 



A " Latchford " spur of the sort before described is also requisite^ 

 and the question of the arrangement of skirt necessary to enable the 

 rider to use the spur effectively has caused considerable diversity of 

 opinion among cognoscenti on hunting matters. Some ladies have 

 an opening made in the skirt, through which the shank of the spur 

 passes ; and in order to keep the latter in its place, it is usual to 

 have a couple of strings strongly stitched on to the inside of the 

 skirt. These are tied round the ankle, and prevent the skirt to a 

 great extent from getting foul of the spur. But this method 

 decidedly involves a certain amount of risk, because, in case of the 

 horse making a blunder and falling, the lady has not the free use of 

 her leg. Again, there is a method of letting the spur shank through 

 a small opening similar to a large eyelet hole, made of strong elastic, 

 and let into the skirt, the point of insertion having been previously 

 measured when the rider is in the saddle and her left leg and foot 

 are properly placed as regards the third crutch and stirrup. But a 

 still better way is that which I have seen adopted lately by severa 

 ladies who go very straight with hounds. It is as follows. After 

 the skirt has been carefully measured and marked (the lady up), an 

 opening is made perpendicularly, large enough to admit of the lady's 

 foot passing through it. This opening should be made about six or 

 eight inches above the place where the ankle will touch the skirt, 

 when the left leg is fairly stretched down, the knee bent, and the heel 

 sunk. AVhen the instructor has assisted his pupil into the saddle, 

 he should put her foot in the stirrup, and wait until she has care- 

 fully arranged her habit ; he should then take her foot out again, 

 and the lady should lift it high enough to enable her attendant ta 

 pass it through the opening. The foot can then be replaced in the 

 stirrup, and the spur buckled on. The upper leather (by the way) 

 should be broad and slightly padded. By these means the left foot 

 and the leg from six to eight inches above the ankle will be entirely 

 clear of the skirt, which will give the rider perfect freedom of action, 

 while the opening is not sufficiently wide to admit of the skirt being 

 blown clear of the leg. This, moreover, is prevented by the leather 

 booting ; in fact, in a well-made hunting skirt there should be no 

 slack cloth for the winds to play with at all. 



