24G 



MILITARY COMMISSION TO EUROPE. 



The pistol is in the left pouch ; the cloak strapped overthe pouches ; each man has a hatchet 

 in his right pouch. 



A common blanket is placed under the saddle. 



The bridle has a single head stall and a Spanish bit, (with a ring around the lower jaw,) the 

 curb reins attached by swivels, the snaffle reins to rings on the same bit ; the bit buckles to 

 the liead stall. 



Instead of a halter, a leather collar is used. 



The new saddle is the invention of Captain Cogent, director of the saddle factory at Saumur. 

 The tree is cut out of a single piece of white wood, the cantle only being glued on ; a piece 

 of walnut, the grain running across the tree, is let into the pommel, and a thin strip veneered 

 upon the front ends of the bars; the pommel and cantle are lower than in the old model; the 

 whole is covered with wet raw hide, glued on, and sewed at the edges ; no iron bolts or fastening* 

 are used. 



The staples for the stirrup leathers are fastened as usual. 



The most important feature in this saddle is the manner of arranging it so that a single 

 size may be used for all horses, or for the same horses when their condition changes. 



The annexed sketches will explain the manner in which this is effected. Two strips of cork, about 



4" broad, i," thick, and as long as the bars of the 

 saddle, are bent to the shape of the under surface of 

 the bars; to give them this shape, they are glued to 

 the bars before the tree is covered with hide ; they are 

 removed when they have taken a permanent set, 

 trimmed, and covered. 



They are covered with thick felt on the side 

 towards the horse's back, and with leather on the 

 side towards the saddle; a longitudinal slit being 

 left m the leather, in order to insert strips of felt, 

 to increase the thickness of the strips when necessary. 

 The strips are attached to the saddle by means of 

 small pins withheads, shown in figs. A,E,andF; these 

 are inserted in the holes in the iron plates G, and 

 run forward into the slots ; the pins (0) at the rear 

 end of the strips have each a hole through the neck ; 

 the small keys (M) are run through the holes (N,) in 

 the rear ends of the bars, and thus keep the strips 

 firmly in position. 



The fig. A represents the under surface of the 

 saddle, with the iron plates (G) let in ; the separate 

 fig. (Gr) represents one of these plates, with 3 holes 

 and slots to receive the pins of the strips, rivetted or 

 screwed to the bars. Figs. (B) represent a plan and elevation of a strip; fig. (E) the front 

 end of a strip, with its pins; fig. (F) the rear end, with a pin having a hole through its neck 

 to receive the key pin. 



Fig. (C) represents the cantle, N being the holes to receive the keys, andM being the keys 

 secured by a light chain. 



Fig. (D) gives a front view of the saddle. 



E 



.0 0. 



