7 8 THR O UGH STABLE AND SADDLE-R O OM. 



the leg. In order to prevent this, in a great mea- 

 sure, the best description of kneecaps are provided 

 with short bands of indiarubber, which give with 

 the expansion of the leg-muscles when in action. 

 The lower strap should be fitted on loosely enough 

 to allow of the breadth of two fino-ers between it 

 and the lea-. 



The reader will, from the above and other 

 explanations which I have given, see how very 

 necessary it is to know why and wherefore articles 

 should, or should not, be of this or that de- 

 scription, and that there is a reason, and a good 

 one too, for their adoption or rejection. People 

 who are uninformed on these matters may probably 

 go to a shop, purchase an article, and hand it 

 over to their servants for use, believing that they 

 have done the best they can regarding its selection ; 

 yet all the time they are but setting a trap, as it 

 were, to catch an accident, or cause an evil worse 

 than the very one which they seek to prevent, 

 and all for the want of a little knowledge. 



A good horse is a treasure, to be preserved in 

 health as long as possible ; he has probably, too, 

 cost a large sum of money ; yet, for the sake per- 

 haps of only an extra shilling or two, or a little 

 extra trouble in the purchase and selection of the 

 articles required for his use, etc., he may be ruined 



