HORSE EQUIPMENT FOR RANGE WORK 357 



fornia county than in all Texas, and the Californian 

 knows to a certainty that "every double rig saddle cov- 

 ers a kidney set fast as big as a biscuit." The truth is 

 that there are plenty of single rig saddles that fairly 

 "eat up" horses' backs, while on the other side there 

 are as many double-rigged saddles doing the same thing. 

 In my judgment, apart from the question of roping, both 

 rigs are on the same footing in this matter. 



In roping on a single cinch saddle the tendency when 

 the rope is straight out in front or behind is to tip the 

 tree up on end and dig it either into the animal's kidneys 

 or withers. This does not occur with a dotible-rig sad- 

 dle. 



For use in a rough country there is certainly no com- 

 parison between the two styles. The double-rig saddle 

 "stays put" all day long, even on a comparatively loose 

 cinch, while the single-rig cinch must be pulled up until 

 the animal is fairly cut in two, and yet at every hill the 

 rider must stop to reset his saddle. The Californian 

 will meet this by arguing that it is hard on the horse 

 to keep the saddle in the same place, and hence to change 

 it frequently relieves his back. But as between a single- 

 cinch and a double-rig when it comes to general range 

 work, just buy a double-rig saddle weighing not over 

 thirty-two pounds and neither you nor your horse will 

 regret it. 



To my mind the low Texas tree known as the Fries- 

 seke is to be preferred to the California tree of the Vis- 

 alia type, with its sky-scraping four-inch horn. Stop 

 and think for a moment of the immense purchase it 

 brings to bear in roping. In the high arch Visalia tree 

 the rope with a 1,000-pound steer dancing at the end of 

 it is probably seven or eight inches above the animal's 



