250 
WILD BEASTS AND THEIR WA YS 
CHAP. 
has a horn in front, and a high cantle behind. The 
stirrups are very wide, and are covered with leather ; 
they are neither heated by the sun in summer, nor 
rendered cold in winter, as the bare metal would 
be. From different portions of the saddle, long 
strips of buckskin are suspended, which are most 
useful for lashing anything required to be carried. 
The argument in favour of weight is, that the 
extent of the saddle covers the entire back of the 
horse, therefore the weight of the rider is generally 
distributed over a large area of the muscles, instead 
of being concentrated upon a small portion of the 
back. The slit in the seat ventilates the back of the 
horse and the posterior of the rider, therefore both 
are kept cool. The absence of stuffing is supplied 
by a small folded blanket; and owing to its peculiar 
shape, the tree of the saddle rests upon either side 
of the spine, instead of pressing directly upon the 
withers and the central line of the back. 
When I was in San Francisco I hit upon a 
practical method for carrying the rifle on horseback. 
Mr. Davis, the saddler in that city, gave me great 
assistance. A strong leather case, that will receive 
the rifle as far as the bend of the stock, is secured 
through a broad strap (4 inches wide) of very thick 
leather, riveted with copper rivets to the flap of the 
saddle, which in the Mexican pattern projects in front 
of the knee. This arrangement is upon the near 
(left) side. When the rifle is in this leather case, 
fitting loosely, the case is forced through the 
retaining strap, which keeps it firmly secured against 
