236 HACKS AND HUNTERS 



a habit, is to see that the stirrup leather is placed at 

 the length at which the rider usually has it, otherwise 

 it will be impossible to ascertain accurately at what 

 length the skirt should be. The rider must sit naturally 

 in the tailor's saddle, exactly as she would when riding, 

 and must not draw her right foot back in a " model" 

 position. If she does this, the skirt will not be wide 

 enough to cover her foot when it is extended in its 

 natural position. Some English ladies advise using 

 their own saddles for fittings, but I do not think this 

 absolutely necessary, for in spite of the fact that sad- 

 dles differ vastly in shape and size, a good habit should 

 sit well on any kind of saddle. It would be well, how- 

 ever, to observe the pommels of the habit-maker's sad- 

 dle; as a general rule saddles in these establishments 

 are fitted with low-headed pommels, as this kind gives 

 the least trouble in " poking up" under the habit. If 

 such proves to be the case, the fitter's attention should 

 be drawn to it, and an allowance made for the differ- 

 ence in the height of the pommels. 



Every year new and horrible-looking coat models 

 appear, designed by some tailor who has never in his 

 life been near a horse. But the real horsewoman is 

 not influenced by changes of so-called fashions of the 

 day, and, if sensible, she retains the same style year 

 in and year out with but little alteration. 



The accompanying sketches (see Figs. 1 and 2) show 

 a type of coat which will prove very serviceable both 

 for hacking and hunting. If used for the former, the 

 material of which it is made may be lighter and the 

 skirt of the coat should be a few inches shorter, but in 

 all other respects the difference is so slight as to be 

 negligible. 



It will be observed that the model has no pockets, 



