58 Scats and Saddles. 



buffer does between two railway trucks. The platings 

 should be made of steel, not too highly tempered, and 

 it ought to be possible to devise means of strengthening 

 the wood of that part of the tree we allude to without 

 increasing its bulk, and with a diminution of its weight. 

 As to military saddles, they are best made wholly of wood 

 and without any iron whatever. The necessity of attach- 

 ing a pack makes the question of neat appearance alto- 

 gether secondary, and the weight that must be carried 

 renders it imperative to economize every ounce that is 

 possible. Moreover, once introduce iron into the com- 

 position of a saddle and you must have a smith and a 

 forge to enable you to repair a broken one, which is 

 often out of the question in the field. The original 

 Hungarian saddle had not a particle of iron on it ; no 

 doubt it w^as subject to breakage, but it could be repaired 

 or a new one made at the side of a ditch, and in time 

 for the next day's march. We nineteenth-century men 

 have improved it everywhere, especially in England, up 

 to more than double its original weight, to a nearly 

 total incapacity for repair or alteration, and to being the 

 most efficient instrument conceivable for making holes 

 in horses' backs. 



Supposing, now, the under surface of the saddle to 

 have the proper form and size, the next point to be 

 determined Is, where to put the weight. As we cannot, 

 in consequence of this being a man, divide and spread 

 it out equably over the whole upper part of the saddle 

 as we would inert matter of any kind, we must place 

 the rider's centre of gravity exactly over the centre of 

 the bearing surface of the saddle, for this is the' only 

 single point which, being loaded, transmits the pressure 

 equably to the rest of the surface. Take a small com- 

 mon table, and place it exactly level on sand, grass or 

 soft ground, then put a weight precisely in the centre 

 of the table, and measure the depth to which the feet 



