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the loins during progression, which can be perfectly felt by 

 placing a hand behind the saddle, and if weight rests here, 

 the friction produced by the rolling movement of the loins 

 very soon produces injury. 



Though we have said the weight is carried on the ribs, 

 yet, of course, it is necessary for the ribs to possess a 

 sufficient covering of muscle. 



Where the muscular development of the back is small 

 and the ribs easily felt through the skin, we know for 

 certain such a horse cannot carry weight for long without 

 an injury resulting. In fact, the muscular development of 

 the back is everything ; as it increases or decreases in 

 amount so the back alters in shape, and every alteration in 

 shape means an alteration in the bearing surface of the 

 saddle. As the muscles waste a gutter forms on either 

 side of the spine, and the processes of the vertebrae project 

 in an ominous manner. As the muscles develop the 

 gutter disappears, and eventually the processes of the spine 

 are lost to view. 



It is owing to muscle waste that sore backs are so largely 

 produced, as the exciting causes (pressure and friction 

 previously alluded to) have so much more scope for action 

 on the skin and framework, when once the natural clothing 

 of the skeleton begins to waste away. It is this muscle 

 waste which in army animals has to be replaced artificially 

 if backs are to be kept free from injury. In connection 

 with this it is of the utmost importance to bear in mind, 

 that when the general vitality of the body is lowered by 

 exhaustion and muscle waste, this loss of resistance extends 

 to the skin, which then becomes far more susceptible to 

 pressure and friction. 



We do not intend here to deal with military saddles 

 — that question is fully dealt with elsewhere* — but the 

 principles of fitting deduced from the foregoing are very 

 obvious, and apply to any saddle either in civil or military 

 life. 



Fitting a Saddle. — In fitting a saddle we should see that 

 * ' Saddle and Sore Backs ' : War Office Publication. 



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