240 HACKS AND HUNTERS 



is made of "moleskin," white in color for hacking and 

 buff (not yellow) for hunting, and the ends are rounded 

 and not pointed as is so frequently seen. 



The tails of the Pytchley coat should not be too 

 long, and the front edge of the coat where it ends at 

 the vest, should be rounded and not angular. Illustra- 

 tion facing page 132, and illustration facing page 120, 

 show a Pytchley on a man and a woman, respectively. 



The secret of a well-fitting Pytchley, or, for that 

 matter, any riding coat, is that it should fit like the 

 paper on the wall over the shoulders and back, as far 

 down as the last rib; here it should be "sprung" so 

 that it does not ride up and down. When fitting the 

 coat it is best to move the arms forward, for if when 

 doing so wrinkles are present, it is a sign that the coat 

 is not properly sprung. 



If a "high-water" mark appears across the back 

 where the corset ends, the stays are either too high, 

 or too loose, the rider too round-shouldered, or the 

 coat too tight. Any one of these faults are easy to 

 remedy. Great care must be taken that the collar 

 fits nicely and does not gap open and away from the 

 neck, which is a sign that it needs "pinching." Most 

 tailors begin pulling the coat up and down when it 

 does not fit, and manage to make the faults disappear 

 by judicious yanking about, but I always tell my tailors 

 that, as I won't have them constantly beside me to put 

 the coat into shape when I am riding, it must be made 

 to fit without the pulling. Generally when the coat 

 gaps at the collar or fits badly in the back, it requires 

 "lifting" on the shoulders. Don't let the tailor alter 

 it elsewhere, just tell him to lift it on the shoulders, 

 and see for yourself how much better it will look. Most 

 riding coats are made too long-waisted; lifting remedies 



