92 HOW WOMEN SHOULD RIDE 



deep and full, so that the lungs and 

 heart may have plenty of room to ex- 

 pand. It should be well supplied with 

 muscle where the forelegs are joined to 

 it, and these should be straight, with the 

 feet pointing straight ahead. The toe 

 should be under the point of the shoul- 

 der. High withers are preferred to low 

 ones, but if they are too high they place 

 a side-saddle at an uncomfortable angle, 

 which needs an objectionable amount 

 of padding at the back to rectify the 

 fault. The back should not sink per- 

 ceptibly, but it may be somewhat long- 

 er in a woman's horse than in a man's, 

 as her saddle occupies so much more 

 space ; but the ribs should be long in 

 front and short back of the girth, run- 

 ning well up to the hips. This con- 

 formation will prevent the saddle from 

 working forward ; a tendency to slip back 

 may be checked by using a breast-plate. 



