FIELD TRAINING 63 



got him out of the stable yet, and there are several 

 things to do before getting on his back. 



When he comes up to the door, or is brought 

 out of the stable, the eye should run quickly over 

 him and note whether all is right. It soon becomes 

 a habit, and a very necessary one it is, to see it at 

 a glance, whether or not the saddle fits, if the bit 

 and bridoon are in the right place {vide p. 32), 

 the curb laid evenly and hooked on correctly {vide 

 p. 2)'-))> ^^^ throat-lash not too tight, and the gwths 

 fairly so, and the nose-band not too high. Regard- 

 ing the stirrups, see that they hang right {vide p. 

 -^T^, and that the spring which is made to keep 

 them on the bar is down, as shown in Fig. i, Plate 

 XL This last may mean all the difference be- 

 tween being dragged or not, between life and death 

 in fact (of this more anon). Whether the leathers 

 are approximately the right length may be proved 

 by placing the tips of the finger of the right hand 

 on the bar of the saddle, and with the left hand 

 raising the stirrup to the right arm-pit. The length 

 of the leather which brings the bottom of the 

 stirrup just clear of the side will generally be found 

 approximately right for most men. The word 

 "approximately" is used because horses differ and 

 saddles vary ; were it not so, every one could tell 

 to a hole, before getting on, whether his stirrups 

 were the right length, simply by noting when they 

 were so, how far the bottom of the stirrup came 

 down his arm when held as described above, and 

 as shown in Fig. 2, Plate XL As, however. 



