GOOD AND BAD TREES. 107 



with horsehair, and interposed between the flaps 

 proper and the horse, and serve to absorb sweat, 

 and also for the further comfort of both man and 

 horse. The girthing-straps protrude over the 

 panels, between them and the flaps. A still 

 further small flap, known as a sweat-flap, is also 

 fixed between the girthing-straps and the panels. 



Now, if a tree fits a horse as it should do, it is a 

 comparatively easy matter to stuff a saddle so that 

 it fits the horse exactly. Of course it must be 

 borne in mind that saddle-trees are made somewhat 

 larger than the actual bare measurements of the 

 horse, so as to allow of this intervening stuffing. 

 A good saddler will easily stuff a saddle with a 

 (food tree to fit as it should, but the best man in 

 the world cannot make a bad tree fit well. He 

 may succeed in so arranging the stuffing that the 

 saddle will not gall a horse, but such a saddle will 

 never ride well, and must necessarily be uncomfort- 

 able to the rider ; neither can he sit down closely 

 and well ' into ' his horse, as he should do, and 

 thereby his power over his horse is lessened, as 

 must of necessity also be his pleasure and comfort. 

 Material and shape are of the first importance ; 

 the latter, perhaps, of greater importance than the 

 former, inasmuch as if the tree is good a cheaper 

 description of leather for the seat and flaps may be 



