EQUIPMENT AND NECESSARIES 31 



It must be sewn on to the bits, nothing looks worse 

 than buckles. 



Breastplate. — This, in most countries and with a 

 well-shaped horse, is of little practical use, but it is 

 periodically fashionable, and it sets off the forehand 

 of a horse. 



Having got these three articles, the next thing is — 

 " How to put them on ? " 



No doubt every man who rides, and every groom, 

 thinks he knows all about it ; but it is surprising 

 how very many of both do not know, and how 

 many more of the former do not see when the horse 

 is brought out with both saddle and bridle badly put 

 on and badly fitted. 



Plates III. and IV. show the same mare with a bad 

 saddle and bridle badly put on, and a good saddle 

 and a bridle properly put on and fitted. To the 

 uninitiated there may not appear much difference 

 in these pictures, so we had better go through the 

 various points. 



I n Plate III. Figure i , the saddle is an old and badly 

 shaped one, it has ugly knee rolls which will prevent 

 the rider easily getting his leg back into its place 

 after a " peck," or forward when he wants to avoid a 

 tree in a fence. It is too short in, and has too much 

 stuffing in the flaps. It is insufficiently stuffed both 

 under the pommel and the cantle, and therefore 

 down on the mare's withers and backbone : this is 

 bound to give a sore back in two places. 



In Figure 2 of the same plate the bridle has most 

 horrible buckles which join it to the bits, and the 



