THE FIELD 125 



pommel of which stands up too high, is in equally bad 

 taste. Gaudy girths, too, are to be avoided, as are 

 those bits which are "coated" with some shiny pre- 

 paration, and which are said to involve less cleaning 

 than steel bits. All saddlery for hunting should be 

 procured from a really good saddler, who is in the 

 habit of supplying hunting men. Any saddler, no 

 matter how good he may be, should be avoided if he 

 does not do a hunting trade, for he will not know the 

 niceties of the business. A good man should then be 

 looked for and found, and if he is an honest tradesman 

 his advice will probably be worth following, firstly 

 because he is honest, and secondly because it would 

 be against his interest to turn out a customer badly. 



A really well-made London saddle, which is com- 

 fortable and roomy and yet of no great weight, is a 

 joy for ever, but a clumsy thick saddle is not only 

 uncomfortable and stiff, but a cause for constant dis- 

 satisfaction. If a man can do without knee-rolls so 

 much the better, for a plain flap saddle is neater and 

 much more sporting than one which is padded out 

 under the knees. And apropos of knee-rolls, it is a 

 fact that some few London saddlers can put them on 

 so neatly that they are hardly noticed, while the 

 average country saddler invariably puts in so much 

 stuffing that the knee-pad bulges out in unseemly 

 fashion. Bits, stirrup irons, and curb chains should 

 all be of the best steel, and should be kept well 

 polished. A dull bit or irons look slovenly, and it is 

 a remarkable fact that even if one little thing in a 

 general turn-out is untidy or dirty, that will instantly 

 catch the eye. And it is not every groom who can 

 clean a saddle properly, though at a superficial glance 

 it may appear to be all right. The inside of the saddle 



