STABLE MANAGEMENT 261 



well-known plaited leather ones, in several pieces parallel to 

 each other, for they fulfil every requirement, except that 

 some people rather object to their appearance. They do 

 not heat the horse, and, taking a better grip than the 

 ordinary ones, do not need to be drawn quite as tight. 



Stirrups. 



Stirrups should have good broad foot-plates, which do 

 not tire the soles of the feet as do narrow ones ; and, 

 moreover, they keep the stirrup well forward by pressing 

 against the heel of the boot, when there will be no risk of 

 getting a sore lump at the junction of the shin and the foot, 

 which so often happens when the foot is thrust too far into 

 the stirrup. To assist in this the heel of the riding-boot 

 should always be brought so far forward that a plummet 

 dropped in front of the shin should just meet the fore-end 

 of the heel. The sides of the stirrups should be flattened 

 at their junction with the foot-plates, to obviate any soreness 

 arising in the sides of the feet when pressing against them, 

 which is likely to happen if this precaution is not taken. 

 The slight increase in weight between large and small 

 stirrups is a matter of no account when extra comfort is 

 thereby attained, for no one can balance his weight on 

 a horse to the same advantage if he is uncomfortable. 

 Moreover, small stirrups are more likely to increase the risk 

 of the feet getting fast in the case of an accident — a danger 

 that should be minimised by any means it is possible to 

 employ. Another advantage stirrups of a certain weight 

 have over light ones is that they do not sway about so 

 much after being lost from the feet when jumping a 

 fence, and are therefore more easily recovered, which also 

 makes for a saving of time. Saddles should be large and 

 roomy, as well as stirrups, for if " the joint is too big for 

 the dish " there can be no ease either for the horse or 

 the rider ; and, moreover, dangerous, and even fatal, acci- 

 dents have frequently occurred through the rider coming 

 down on the pommel or the cantle when taking a fence, 

 owing to riding in a saddle too small for him, with 



