The Saddle. 63 



cingle has become looser., the saddle has assumed a 

 more intimate contact with the horse's back throughout, 

 and is sure not to shp or wound. 



The Hungarian Puszta rider, or cattle-herd, and most 

 Orientals, never use anything but a surcingle, the great 

 advantage of which is that, having loosed it to let their 

 horses graze, they can tighten it with one pull, and are 

 in the saddle and well under way whilst one of us is still 

 fumbling at a multiplicity of straps : and moreover, their 

 saddles remain where they put them ; ours seldom do so 

 except by chance. Civilian riders would not approve 

 of the surcingle ; the same end may, however, be 

 attained by putting the girth-straps in the middle of the 

 •iaddle, aizd sitting as ?iearly as possible over t/ie?n. 

 For military purposes girths might be altogether dis- 

 pensed with and only a surcingle used. 



There is an idea prevalent that if the girths are placed 

 as far back as indicated here (over the false ribs), they 

 must interfere with the movement of the horse's chest 

 and lungs much more than if placed well forward over 

 the true ones. This is, however, precisely contrary to 

 fact: the true ribs are firmly supported at both ends to 

 make room for the lungs by being drawn forward : the 

 lars:est volume of lung^ lies directly beneath them ; the 

 greatest expansion is required and takes place here. 

 Under the false ribs lie the thin lobes of the lungs, 

 which increase their volume in a much less degree ; 

 they are, therefore, supported only at one end, and ex- 

 pand but little, serving chiefly as supports for the dia- 

 phragm or midriff''. But any one who has not yet arrived 

 at the dignity of a " corporation" may easily convince 

 himself of the truth of this by putting on a tight-fitting 

 waistcoat and playing cricket in it: he will soon find 

 the top buttons gone, and much less frequently the 

 lower ones, whilst a waist-belt will prove a convenience. 

 The point from which the stirrup is suspended has 



