HUNTING LOCALITIES 159 



and a deputy which was only employed when the good 

 saddle had had a thorough soaking. The saddle ques- 

 tion is indeed one which varies greatly according to the 

 skill and care of the stud-groom, but some ladies are 

 very particular, and not long ago we saw an acquaint- 

 ance on a railway platform whose maid was watching 

 over a pyramid of luggage, amongst which was a pal- 

 pable saddlery chest. "Where are you going?" we 

 asked, and were told that the lady was going to stay 

 in Hampshire, and that she hoped to hunt two days 

 a week with foxhounds, and two days with harriers. 

 She was taking three saddles with her, and we may 

 add that she was a consummate horsewoman, and 

 thoroughly well versed in all that pertains to stable 

 management. She knew in fact that she was not carry- 

 ing useless luggage about the country, and that 

 absolutely dry saddles are a necessity if sore backs are 

 to be avoided. 



And here it may be appropriate to remark that more 

 sore backs are caused by using a damp saddle than by 

 anything else. Broadly speaking, no saddle should be 

 used two days in succession, for a saddle can hardly 

 become thoroughly dry in a single night. Of course 

 we do not mean to suggest that if a saddle is used on 

 Monday and again on Tuesday the last wearer of it is 

 bound to have a sore back. But as a matter of fact 

 every horse who goes through a run sweats freely 

 enough to make the inside of his saddle very wet, and 

 in a general way the saddle is not really dry for at 

 least twenty-four hours. We remember many years 

 ago going, in company with a well-known artist of 

 horse and hound, to look over a pack of hounds in 

 kennel. It was at the end of the season, and a brilliant 

 spring morning, and below the saddle-room window 



