210 HACKS AND HUNTERS 



parative delicacy of this leather the flaps of the saddle 

 are made of a single thickness of calf or cow skin, 

 stamped to imitate pigskin. The genuine article may 

 be told from the imitation by the presence of the "bris- 

 tle holes." In some saddles the seat and the "pom- 

 mels" are covered with buckskin or doeskin, as this 

 supposedly gives a firmer grip to the rider. Although 

 there is no objection to some sort of dark-colored rough 

 leather being used for this purpose on the "pommels," 

 it gives the saddle an unworkmanlike and amateurish 

 appearance when used on the seat. 



The near flap should be perfectly flat and without 

 any stuffing or padding, while the little extra flap that 

 covers the safety bar should be sufficiently small so 

 as not to catch in the top of the rider's boot. The off 

 flap should be absolutely plain and unadorned by 

 pocket or monogram. In some saddles, used expressly 

 for showing hacks, this flap is cut almost in half, al- 

 lowing the girth tugs to show. This is an ugly and 

 ridiculous] fashion and not nearly as smart or sensible 

 as a flap, which is cut quite narrow, so as to show as 

 much of the horse's forehand as possible. 



The first saddle of this description was made by 

 Bach for Miss Hopeton D. Atterbury (Mrs. Wm. 

 Quaid), and was used with great success.* Even at 

 best, however, such a small saddle, although extremely 

 smart for showing hacks, is not practical for more 

 general use, and is quite impossible to use as a hunt- 

 ing saddle. Therefore, unless a woman possesses more 



* Great care must be taken that these saddles are not made so small 

 as to render them a useless toy. Leaving off the balance strap is apt 

 to destroy the balance of the saddle and render it useless except for a 

 few moments in the show ring. In order to obviate this difficulty the 

 saddler, Knoud, makes these small saddles so that they can be used 

 either with or without a balance strap. 



