LADIES SADDLE. ]43 



their saddles to the left. Thus fear disappears when 

 the hunting-horn pommel is used. The leaping-horn 

 is also of great use with a hard puller, or in riding down 

 a steep place, for in either case it prevents the lady from 

 sliding forward. 



But these advantages render the right-hand pommel 

 quite useless, a slight projection being all sufficient 

 (see woodcut) ; while this arrangement gives the habit 

 and figure a much better appearance. But every lady 

 ought to be measured for this part of the saddle, as the 

 distance between the two pommels will depend partly 

 on the length of her legs. 



When a timid inexperienced lady has to ride a fiery 

 horse it is not a bad plan to attach a strap to the outside 

 girth on the right hand, so that she may hold it and the 

 right hand rein at the same time AvitJiout disturbing her 

 seat. This little expedient gives confidence, and is par- 

 ticularly useful if a fresh horse should begin to kick a 

 little. Of course it is not to be continued, but only 

 used to give a timid rider temporary assistance. I have 

 also used for the same purpose a broad tape passed 

 across the knees, and so fastened that in a fall of the 

 horse it would give way. 



Colonel Greenwood recommends that an elastic web- 

 bing girth, and not a leather girth, should be used, and 

 this attached, not as is usually the case, to the small, but 

 to the large flap on the near side. This will leave the near 

 side small flap loose, as in a man's saddle, and allow a 

 spring bar to be used. But I have never seen, although 

 I have constantly sought, a lady's saddle so arranged 

 with a spring bar for the stirrup-leather, either in use, or 

 in a saddler's shop. This mode of attaching a web 

 girth to the large flap will render the near side perfectly 

 smooth, with the exception of the stirrup-leather, which 



