228 HACKS AND HUNTERS 



As already stated, the bottom rings of the bit should 

 be large enough to prevent the rings of the martin- 

 gale from slipping over them and catching,* or failing 

 this, the rings f of the martingale should be made 

 sufficiently small enough to avoid this danger. Small 

 round or oblong slits of leather, called "stops/' maybe 

 slipped onto the reins for this same purpose, but they 

 are not smart-looking and it is, therefore, preferable 

 to have the rings made the proper size. Of course, 

 one is obliged to use stops when a bridle with buckled 

 reins is employed. The latter should therefore be 

 avoided for this reason if for no other 4 



All martingales, whether standing or running, should 

 be provided with a small red rubber ring at the junc- 

 tion of the martingale proper and the neck-piece, in 

 order to prevent the former from slipping too far 

 through and forming a loop, into which a horse might 

 put his foot and be thrown. 



Breastplates consist of a neck-piece which is at- 

 tached by short loops to the "D's" on the saddle on 

 each side of the withers. Their object is to prevent 

 the saddle from slipping back when riding over a hilly 

 country, and although their use is entirely optional, 

 they are very useful on ladies' saddles and on horses 

 who are not deep enough through the girth to hold 

 the saddle in place. They may be employed either 

 with or without a martingale, but in any case should 



* Since going to press, Mr. William H. Maddison has drawn my at- 

 tention to an English bridle in which the cheek-rings of the bit are hung 

 perpendicularly instead of horizontally, so that there is no possible 

 chance of the martingale rings catching. 



f The smartest rings are those made of bone. 



% With a buckled bridle an emergency stop may be made by pulling 

 out from its keeper the billet strap of the buckle. A standing martin- 

 gale may also be improvised from a running martingale by buckling 

 the rings of the latter through the rein billets of the bridoon. 



