SADDLES AND BRIDLES 211 



than one, a larger and more roomy saddle is the wiser 

 choice. 



The seat of a saddle should be large enough to ex- 

 tend a few inches behind the rider, for if shorter than 

 this, much of her weight will fall on the cantle and 

 be likely to give the horse a sore back. The abso- 

 lutely level seat, so fashionable among saddlers, is 

 useful for show purposes only. For security in jump- 

 ing or hunting, there must be a slight dip which, al- 

 though scarcely perceptible to the eye, is sufficient to 

 conform to the rider's anatomy. In all cases the seat 

 should be " eased off" a trifle on the near side, just 

 behind the leaping head, in order to enable the rider 

 to get as close to the horse as possible. Close to the 

 cantle, the near side should be made a little higher 

 than the off side, so that any tendency of the rider to 

 slide down on this side may be counteracted. When 

 standing on the ground on the near side of the horse, 

 the off side of the saddle should be concealed from 

 view by the near side. 



The stirrup leather should be attached to a safety 

 bar, and under no circumstances should it be fastened 

 to the balance strap, as in old-fashioned saddles, nor 

 should the leather be a fixture to the saddle, as in some 

 men's racing saddles. 



The proper kind of safety bar releases the leather 

 if the rider is thrown with her foot caught in the iron, 

 no matter whether she falls from the off or the near 

 side of the horse; but it should not come undone too 

 readily should the rider happen to draw her foot back 

 sharply when in the saddle. If both these require- 

 ments cannot be fulfilled by the same bar, then the 

 first must be chosen rather than the second, for on the 

 surety with which the safety bar releases the leather 



