THE SADDLE. 49 



out equably over the whole upper part of the saddle as 

 we would inert matter of any kind, we must place the 

 rider's centre of gravity exactly over the centre of the 

 bearing surface of the saddle, for this is the only single 

 point which, being loaded, transmits the pressure 

 equably to the rest of the surface. Take a small 

 common table and place it exactly level on sand, grass 

 or soft ground, then put a weight precisely in the centre 

 of the table, and measure the depth to which the feet 

 have been forced into the soil you will find it to be the 

 same for all four feet, if the surface on which the table 

 stands be equally soft throughout ; then shift the table 

 a few inches, having previously removed the weight, and 

 place this near one of the ends instead of in the middle 

 measure again and you will find that the pair of legs 

 nearest to the weight have penetrated much deeper than 

 the others ; therefore, in order to equalise the pressure, 

 the rider's weight should be placed in the centre of the 

 saddle. 



But this is not all. Place a piece of stout board about 

 two feet long on the ground, stand on one end of it, and 

 you will find that the other loses its contact with the 

 ground, and is more or less tilted up into the air the 

 board has become a lever. Now make a motion as if 

 about to jump, but without quitting your position on the 

 board ; this latter will, being out of contact with the 

 ground at the further end, be shoved onwards in that 

 direction. This is precisely what happens when a rider 

 sits at one end of the saddle, generally the hinder one : 

 this one is pressed down into the horse's back, the 

 other, generally the front end, is tilted up, and at every 

 movement of the horse and rider the whole saddle is 

 shoved forward till stopped by the withers, which it will 



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