104 WOUNDS AND BEUISES. 



hs put on sufficiently evenly to properly distribute the pressure. 

 They may, however, answer well during a short ride, as at polo, 

 or during a race or steeplechase. A pad for the withers may be 

 made as follows : — Take six o^r eight pieces of felt, each about 

 four inches broad and six or seven inches long. Arrange them so 

 as to form two pads of equal thickness, about four inches apart, 

 on a piece of cricketing flannel thirteen or fourteen inches broad 

 and seven or eight inches long. Place over the whole a similar 

 piece of flinnel, and sew them together so as to form one pad, the 

 centre and thin part of which will lie over the withers, while the 

 padded sides will raise up the pommel. A folded handkerchief or 

 towel placed on the withers is of little benefit, for, as a rule, it will 

 simply prevent them being cut by the iron gullet plate, and not 

 relieve them from pressure. 



If a numnah be used, it should consist of one entire piece of felt, 

 and not have a longitudinal strip out out of its centre, as is some- 

 times done. During a long ride, the edges of this opening can 

 hardly fail to injuriously affect the distribution of weight with the 

 result of a more or less sore back. 



Riders should remember that during a long ride, as out hunting, 

 relief to the horse's back by occasionally dismounting will greatly 

 lessen the chances of saddle galls. On similar occasions it is well 

 to see to the girths of a lady's saddle and tighten them, if neces- 

 sary, after the rider has been on it, say, for half an hour, with 

 the object of preventing the saddle from shifting by reason of the 

 girths becoming slack.. When a lady dismounts for some time, 

 and it is not convenient to remove the saddle from her horse's 

 back, slacken the girths, even for a few minutes, so as to obviate 

 any ill effects which may accrue from impeded circulation of blood. 

 If, on returning from work, that part of the back on which the 

 saddle has rested, be thoroughly and quickly dried by brisk friction, 

 preferably with the hand, no harm will result from the gear being 

 removed while the animal is still warm. But if the rubbing down 

 be neglected, the result may be a tumour which might develop 

 into an abscess. 



If inconvenient to immediately- groom a horse which returns 

 hot from a ride, the girths should be loosened, the saddle raised 

 off its back, instantly replaced, and then kept on for at least 

 twenty minutes, during which time it would be all the better for 

 the horse to be walked about. 



The girths often cut a horse, from the groom having neglected, 

 when girthing up, to insert a finge-r or two of each hand (Fig. 42) 

 between the girths and the skin, and draw them from above down- 

 wards, so as to smooth out any wrinkles. Girths of raw hide or 

 cord which allow of ventilation, are often useful for avoiding galls. 



