208 HOW WOMEN SHOULD RIDE 



nearer one is to the animal's back, the 

 greater will be the control. It enables 

 one more readily to detect the stiffen- 

 ing of the muscles when mischief is 

 contemplated, and to be prepared to 

 thwart it. It should not have any 

 superfluous straps, stitching, or at- 

 tempts at ornamentation : the simpler 

 the style the better; even the slit on 

 the saddle-flap for the pocket is now 

 frequently dispensed with. A safety 

 pommel -band is sometimes fastened 

 from the extreme upper forward end of 

 the right saddle-flap to the top of the 

 right pommel, thence to the left. This 

 lessens the likelihood of a skirt becom- 

 ing caught. 



On no account should a slipper stir- 

 rup be used, but a safety stirrup without 

 any padding, and one which does 



Stirrup 



not work by having the bottom 

 drop out, as these are apt to come to 



