174 THE COMPLETE HORSEMAN 



the footiest man on hossback," especially if you 

 see the horse well marked high up on his sides as 

 you often will. 



Saddles and their component parts next call 

 for attention. These are girths, stirrups, and 

 stirrup leathers. 



Girths are to keep the saddle in its place and 

 are made of wool, leather or cotton. Wool is 

 perhaps to be preferred but I have used all kinds 

 of girths and do not remember ever to have had 

 any trouble with girth galls. Personally I like 

 leather girths, but if they are used they must be 

 kept soft and pliable, and frequently oiled. I 

 have long used a patent leather girth made by 

 Pulvermacher & Co., Pontefract, and it answers 

 well. Great care should be exercised in girthing 

 a horse up, and I am of opinion that more girth 

 galls are due to negligence in this respect than to 

 the material of which the girths are made. One 

 broad girth is to be preferred to two narrow ones 

 and a very favourite girth is the Fitzwilliam, 

 which looks well and keeps its place admirably. 



Stirrup leathers should always be of the best 

 leather, strong and at the same time pliable. 

 They are easily adjusted and it is a good plan to 

 have the holes fairly close together, as on a long 

 hard day considerable relief is experienced by 

 altering the length of the stirrup leather a trifle. 

 There are several clever patent contrivances to 

 avoid hanging on the stirrup, none of which I like 

 though I have tried several. '' Can't you manage 

 to fall off without help ? " that good sportsman 



