40 



SIDE-SADDLES. 



safety stirrup, in order to make " doubly sure." It 

 is usually fitted with a thick fiap (Fig. 15), which 

 prevents the left leg from being brought close to the 

 saddle; but this objection can be removed by the 

 adoption of Mr. Ford's plan of gready reducing the 



Fig. 15. — Leaping head too low down. 



size of the flap of the bar, and making it fit into 

 an opening cut out of the near flap of the saddle 

 (Fig. 16). I have found this arrangement a great 

 improvement on the old clumsy flap, the lower edge 

 of w^hich is unpleasantly apt to catch on the rider's 

 boot, especially when trotting. I shall discuss the 

 failings of safety stirrups further on. 



