326 The Book of the Horse. 



"Vieille Moustache'' (whose book* should be in the hands of every young riding-master) 

 observes about the third pommel, it "should never be removed, as is too frequently done 

 when the saddle is cleaned." This removing wears out the screw, and the crutch will not 

 remain in its proper position, wobbling about to the great discomfort of the rider. " Some men 

 say that in putting a lady on horseback it is necessary to turn the third crutch round ; but 

 for my own part I could never find any difficulty in clearing a lady's skirt when lifting her 

 into the saddle." 



On the other hand, a lady of great authority on the subject has all her saddles, which 

 are made by one of the first houses in London, with three different holes for the hunting- 

 horn crutch. 



At any rate, whatever be the shape of the hunting-horn, let every young lady, as soon as 

 she has completed her elementary lessons with a master, who has saddles of all dimensions, go 

 to a competent side-saddle maker, and be as carefully measured as a man would be for a set 

 of leather breeches. 



One of the latest improvements in the hunting-horn crutch is to reverse the thread of 

 the screw, making it turn from left to right, instead of in the usual fashion of screws from 

 right to left. The effect of this alteration is that the pressure of the left knee fixes instead 

 of unfixes the screw. 



The seat of a side-saddle should be ample, not only for the convenience of the rider, but 

 for the comfort of the horse. The larger the surface the greater the adherence, and the less 

 the strain upon the girths. 



The average weight of a side-saddle for a full-sized woman and horse is eighteen pounds ; 

 nothing is gained by diminishing this weight to compensate for the increased risk of that 

 curse of the lady's horse, " a sore back." Although eight pounds are an all-important con- 

 sideration in riding a race, they would not have an appreciable effect on the powers of a 

 lady's horse in a whole day's work. Besides, there is no rule more absolute than that a lady's 

 horse should always be equal to a stone above her weight. 



The stirrup-leather of a side-saddle is attached to the saddle by an iron ring ; without 

 that spring-bar attachment which is intended to release the stirrup-leather of a man's saddle 

 if the rider's foot should stick fast in the stirrup. 



The ladies' stirrup-leather sometimes forms a girth, to which, in ignorance of mechanical 

 principles, absurd retaining powers have been attributed. 



In the latest and simplest form (patronised by a royal lady), the stirrup is sewed to a 

 single strap, which, passing through the ring-bar, descends until it comes out within a couple 

 of inches of the bottom of the flap, and passing round the belly of the horse, is buckled a 

 single tongue on the other side, thus keeping both flaps of the saddle close, and dispensing 

 with the old leather girth. By this arrangement the horsewoman can shorten or lengthen her 

 stirrup from the right side without assistance, and without disturbing tlie stirrup-leg. In the 

 course of a long ride the stirrup-leather becomes almost imperceptibly longer, in consequence 

 of the girth of the horse diminishing as he gets rid of his food, for he is an animal of quick 

 digestion ; therefore, the lady or her attendant should remember to take up the stirrup-leather a 

 hole after an hour or two's ride. 



A stirrup-leather an inch too long often brings on a sore back for the horse ; not to speak 

 of a fall for the rider deprived of accustomed support. The quietest horses will now and then 

 give an unexpected start, especially while returning home in the dark. 



• "The B.^rb .md the Biidlc." 



