CORRESPONDENCE. 211 



have known very many instances in which 

 ^adies have owed immunity from serious 

 accident to its use. As '^ H. de V. E." justly 

 says, the mechanism of the stirrup (which is 

 very simple) should not be allowed to get out 

 of order by neglect ; surely the lady or her 

 friends, particularly if so *' knowledgeable '* as 

 the writer of the article, might [They " might," 

 That they so often do not, and that danger so 

 frequently results from the neglect, is the 

 grievance and complaint of our contributor. — 

 Ed. I,S. d D, N,] take the trouble personally 

 to see that her stirrup is not out of order from 

 rast, and in no other way but one can it be so ; 

 the other way is that if the groom ignoranfcly 

 or carelessly adjusts the stirrup for use hind 

 part before, the inner stirrup cannot be 

 released, and the rider's foot, in case of a fall, 

 will be helplessly fixed in the stirrup. This 

 eventuahty, however, does not detract from 

 the real value of the safety-stirrup, for neglect 

 and ignorance will entail direful consequences 

 in all ways. Next to the safety- stirrup, I 

 quite beheve that a plain steel stirrup of 

 suitable size, with side pieces at the bottom 



14 * 



