210 LADIES ON HOKSEBACK. 



put together in Birmingliain and Walsall on 

 the slop system ; they will please the eyes of 

 an inexperienced purchaser, but are formed 

 with little regard to the requirements of the 

 poor animals who suffer under them, or of 

 their riders' comfort, and it is probable that 

 these are the saddles against which ladies are 

 very properly warned. It is really indis- 

 pensable for a lady's comfort in riding that 

 she should have a good saddle, made by a 

 competent and conscientious saddler, whoso 

 business it is to see that it is suitable- 

 Considering the number of years that a good 

 saddle with care will last, it is inconceivable 

 Ihat the comparatively small additional price 

 should be grudged for a perfect and satisfactory 

 article by a maker of repute, instead of the 

 machine-made slop rubbish, by which many a 

 good animal is injured and the temper of his 

 rider seriously chafed. Enough about saddles 

 for the present, so I will go to the next point 

 under discussion — the stirrup. Your lady 

 rider must have been very unfortunate in her 

 use of the safety-stirrup, which, in my opinion, 

 does in practice usually justify its name. I 



