SADDLES AND BRIDLES
Much discrimination is required in the selection of a side-saddle. In
order to be comfortable it must fit both the rider and the horse, a
condition harder to find than one would imagine.
The best makers carry different lengths of saddles in stock. The
shortest measure eighteen inches from the front to the cantle, and the
longest twenty-four inches. With each of these different lengths there
are standard widths, and I cannot overstate the importance of a woman
choosing a saddle that is suited to her conformation. On page 140 of
this book will be found a diagram, with instructions for measurement, so
that if a good maker is not available the saddle may be ordered by mail,
but I would advise any woman who wishes to select a saddle to take some
experienced woman rider with her to the saddler’s and rely on her
advice, as I have known many women to choose the wrong size of saddle
and thus be rendered very uncomfortable. Trying a saddle in the shop is
very different from riding in it on a horse, and it takes a great deal
of experience to pick out what you require.
A side-saddle, in this country at least, costs quite a bit of money, but
a good one, with proper care, will last for a lifetime, and, with a
little adjustment, can be made to fit almost any horse. While there are
hundreds of different makes of side-saddles on the market, the really
good ones are very few.
[Illustration: LADY’S PARK AND HUNTING SADDLE]
The best English side-saddles are really in a class by themselves, and
no such saddles are made in this country except by the English saddlers,
and they use only imported English pigskin. The English, whether
imported or made here of English material, cost only a little more than
the American saddles, and they are so far superior that there is no
question in my mind but that they should be one’s choice.
In its construction a woman’s saddle differs from a man’s. As it is made
to sit on instead of to bestride, the seat is made as level as possible,
and the best saddles have, if any, only a slight dip of, say, from one
to one and a half inches. I find a saddle with this slight dip more
secure for hunting and for riding very green horses, but the saddle
should not have a greater dip than this, and many women find a level
seat without any dip perfectly comfortable. I prefer a level saddle for
all ordinary use, and the dip, if any, must come from the elevation of
the cantle, and not from the hollowing out of the seat or from the
elevation of the front. The old style side-saddle, with a “dished out”
seat covered with doeskin, has been entirely abandoned, for the safety
of the rider and the comfort of the horse.
The best makers use pigskin for covering the seats of nearly all their
saddles. In France, however, many women use buckskin and some of these
saddles are used in this country. In France these saddles are
pipe-clayed and look very smart with a light habit, and if one is able
to have two or more saddles in one’s stable, I know of no objection to
using this French type of saddle on occasion.
The saddle-flaps should also be made of genuine pigskin. Most makers use
pigskin to cover the leaping iron and pommel. Some of the best saddles,
however, have these covered with buckskin, which gives them a safer and
more clinging feeling.
[Illustration: SIDE-SADDLE WITH WIDE POMMELS AND SAFETY FLAP
When the flap is raised the stirrup comes off]
The greatest improvement in the modern side-saddle is the cutting far
back of the gullet plate, which leaves the withers covered only by the
continuation of the near flap. This form of construction not only keeps
the seat of the saddle level, but makes the rider much more comfortable,
as it enables her to have her thigh horizontal instead of the knee
being raised as it was in the old style of “dished out” saddles with a
high front. Moreover, it has the great advantage of freeing the horse’s
withers from pressure, and helps a bit toward keeping his back cool. The
cooler the back is kept the freer it will be from soreness and chafing.
[Illustration: SIDE-SADDLE WITH NARROW POMMELS AND SAFETY FLAP UP]
[Illustration: SIDE-SADDLE WITH STIRRUP ADJUSTABLE FROM OFF SIDE]
The frame of the saddle is called the “tree.” The tree of the standard
saddles is of a standard width, and the fitting of the saddle to the
horse’s back is secured not from using different sized trees but by
padding. Horses’ backs differ greatly both in width and sharpness, so
that the saddle should always be fitted to the particular horse on which
it is to be most used. This should be done by an experienced and
competent saddler, and a proper fit secured before the saddle is bought
or accepted. With a properly fitted saddle, saddle pads and cloths
should never be necessary. They look clumsy, they are liable to slip out
of place, they collect sand and dirt, and even the best of them heat the
horse’s back. If some kind of saddle pad is required on account of a
sore back, or an ill-fitting saddle, or if, for instance, one is using
one’s own saddle on a strange horse that it does not fit, by far the
best pad to use is a sheepskin, cut the same size as the saddle and worn
with the woolly side next to the horse’s back. Sheepskins are readily
washed and do not heat the horse’s back nearly as much as the ordinary
felt saddle pad.
[Illustration: THE SAME SIDE-SADDLE, OFF SIDE. SHOWING SPRING FLAP WHICH
HOLDS FLAP UP OR DOWN AT WILL, PERMITTING RIDER TO ADJUST GIRTHS OR
STIRRUP LEATHER WHILE MOUNTED]
Saddles are lined either with leather, with plain Holland linen, or with
heavy white serge. Of the three I greatly prefer the leather because it
is cooler for the horse’s back, is more easily cleaned, looks far
smarter, and is more durable. If the saddle fits the horse properly the
leather lining will never rub him, but it must be kept soft by frequent
oiling.
[Illustration: DIAGRAM FOR MEASURING SIDE-SADDLE]
In my opinion, linen is next best, but it does not wear as well as
leather, and serge, which is in general use and is found in most
saddles, is not as good a material for lining as either leather or
linen. It is not durable, it becomes very dirty, it is hard to dry, and,
unless it is kept clean and dry, it rubs the horse’s back badly.
As a substitute for a leather lining and in order to prevent the serge
lining from chafing a tender back, many riders adopt the expedient in
vogue in India and use a leather saddle cloth called “numnah.” These are
good for use in hot weather and keep the horse’s back much cooler than
would the serge lining, and save chafing. They are cut the exact size of
the saddle and fastened to it by straps which pass under the flap. They
must be kept soft by constant oiling, otherwise they fail in their
purpose.
[Illustration: 1. DOUBLE GIRTH]
[Illustration: 2. FITZ-WILLIAM GIRTH]
[Illustration: 3. CORDED GIRTH]
The girths are made either of webbing or of leather. The Fitz-William
girth is the safest and neatest for a woman. This consists of one very
broad girth, some five inches wide, with two buckles at each end which
engage the two outside billets on either side of the saddle. This girth
goes next to the horse’s body, and another girth, about half as wide and
a trifle shorter, passes over the first girth--on which it is held in
position by a leather loop just below the buckles--and terminates in a
single buckle which engages the middle of the three billets on either
side of the saddle.
The advantages of this type of girth are that it is very strong and
safe, and it is much easier with it to girth the horse as tight as is
necessary for the side-saddle than it is with two or three separate
narrow girths, each independent of the other, such as are commonly used
in livery stables and riding schools.
In girthing with the Fitz-William, first the wide girth is drawn tight,
and then the narrow girth, and it will be found that the narrow girth
can be tightened on the wide one so that, after it has been drawn, the
wide one can be taken up two or three holes, and then the narrow one can
be taken up again, and so the horse cannot, by inflating himself,
prevent tight girthing.
For the show ring, for hunting, and for park riding the girths must be
either of leather or of white webbing.
For country use brown webbing girths are permissible, but they never
look well and are liked chiefly by lazy grooms.
Needless to say, white girths must be kept scrupulously clean and
pipe-clayed.
I do not approve of braided horse-hide girths, nor of the Western
“cinch” for use with the conventional English side-saddle. The “cinch,”
of course, is a very useful device for use with a cowboy’s saddle, but
there is no justification for its use with the side-saddle.
[Illustration: ADJUSTING STIRRUP FROM OFF SIDE]
The balance strap, which is the strap running from the girth billets on
the near side to a ring fastened on the off side of the cantle, serves
to hold the saddle in position. It must not, however, be strapped too
tight or it will pull the saddle too far over to the right and fatigue
the horse unnecessarily. Some of the best English side-saddles now are
so made that, when ridden by a very good rider, a balance strap is not
necessary. This is a great advantage, as many horses are ticklish and
the balance strap annoys them, and, besides, the side-saddle without a
balance strap is smarter, on the general principle that the less
unnecessary harness there is on a saddle-horse the better.
It is most important that the bridle and reins should be made of the
very best quality of leather throughout, and of course, when they are,
they are not cheap, but, on the other hand, they last so much longer
that it is economy to buy the best at the outset. Cheap leather may give
way at a critical moment, and, in any case, the low grade of leather
will become hard and stiff, will crack, and will not take the proper
polish. The leather, both of bridle and reins, should be thin and
pliable, but this should be the result of pressing and working by the
strapper. The reins especially must always be pliable, as thick reins
tire and hurt both the hands of the rider and the mouth of the horse,
and with them one cannot have that lightness and firmness of touch by
means of which alone a horse should be controlled by a woman. I cannot
insist upon this too strongly, as many fine mouths have been ruined
through the use of thick and heavy reins.
The reins for a woman’s use should be a little narrower than for a
man’s, and should be in proportion to the relative size of her hands.
Women with very small hands may find it necessary to have reins
especially made for them. The width of the reins should be such that,
when held in the position described, the fingers can be fully bent and
the edges of the reins held between the second joint of the fingers and
the cushions of the hands. If they are too wide, the fingers cannot be
fully closed, which presents a very awkward appearance. If a rider has
very long fingers the reins should not be too narrow, for, if they are,
they cannot be grasped on the edges, and they slip through the fingers.
Therefore, women with exceptionally long fingers usually find it better
to use a man’s bridle.
With the Weymouth curb and bridoon a double bridle is, of course, used.
This is illustrated in the cut and the names of the various parts given.
The buckles should be leather covered and should be square rather than
round. The cheek pieces and bridoon head may be buckled with the curb
and snaffle bits, respectively, or be stitched. The latter looks much
neater, but it makes the bits hard to clean and they cannot be changed.
The latest method is to have an invisible hook on the inside of the
cheek pieces, which is similar to the hook used on certain types of the
best side-saddles, in place of the buckle for shortening the stirrup
leather. The cheek piece, where it passes through the ring, has
stitching on it, and, without a close inspection, one would not notice
whether the cheek pieces were stitched or hooked. I recommend this
appliance very highly, as it wears better than buckles and looks just as
well as stitching.
[Illustration: 1. PLAIN SNAFFLE]
[Illustration: 2. BIT AND BRIDOON]
[Illustration: 3. BIT AND BRIDOON WITH CAVESSON]
The reins should be fastened to the rings in the same way as the cheek
pieces, whether by buckles, by stitching, or by the invisible hook which
I have described.
When the standing martingale is used it is fastened to the noseband or
to the cavesson, which many use in its place.
With horses that rear or are inclined to “star gaze” a woman should
always, except in the hunting field, use a standing martingale. It keeps
their heads down, gives the rider better control, and prevents rearing.
The standing martingale looks better if hung from a breastplate in the
same manner as a running martingale. Standing martingales cannot be used
in hunting, as they prevent a horse from jumping freely. So in hunting
with a horse that needs a martingale a running martingale should be
used. This is attached to the front of the breastplate and has two
branches ending in rings, through which the snaffle reins are passed. In
front of these rings there should be leather stops on the reins to
prevent their buckles from catching in the rings.
[Illustration: CORRECTLY SADDLED AND BRIDLED FOR HUNTING
Note the breastplate and cavesson]
Running martingales are chiefly used in the hunting field and in
jumping, for in jumping a horse must have his head free, and a tight
standing martingale would prevent him from throwing his head forward at
the take off, and so not only prevent him from using his strength to the
best advantage, but would tend to throw him off his balance. Running
martingales, however, are not nearly as effectual in preventing a horse
from rearing, and when they are used it requires a very considerable
amount of strength on the part of the rider to keep the horse’s head
down, while, of course, the standing martingale keeps the horse’s head
down without any exertion on the part of the rider.
If a standing martingale is used, be sure that it is not fastened too
tight; it should be loose enough to allow the horse quite a little play
with his head in its natural position. If it is tighter than this the
horse, when the reins are loose, will put his head in its natural
position, then feel the pressure of the martingale and think that he is
being backed. He will thereupon back, and the more you give him his head
by loosening the reins, the more, through attempting to raise his head,
he will feel the pressure of the martingale and will keep on backing.
Under these circumstances, the only thing you can do is to gather him
lightly with the curb, which will bring his head in and relieve the
pressure of the martingale, then urge him forward, or, if you want him
to stand, keep a light pressure on the curb so as to prevent the
martingale from being tight.
[Illustration: VARIETIES OF RIDING BITS
1. Plain Curb
2. Port Curb
3. Straight Bar Curb
4. Shifting Bar Curb
5. Shifting Rough Curb
6. Western Style
7. Mexican or Western Style
8. Severe Shifting Bar
9. Long Port Bit
10. Chifney Bit
11. Gridiron Bit
12. Plain Snaffle
13. Rough Snaffle
14. Broken Pelham, Rough
15. Broken Pelham, Smooth
16. Long Pelham, Broken
17. Pelham, Rough
18. Hanoverian Pelham, Rough
19. Rough Port Bits
20. Polo Bits]
The breastplate, used with nearly all horses by women in the
hunting-field, should be used at all times with a horse that is “tucked
up” like a greyhound. In fact, many riders use breastplates at all times
with nearly all horses, and, except in the show ring or in park riding
where they are not considered good form, I think they should be
generally used with women’s saddles. They hold the saddle in place,
and, with them, the girths need not be drawn so tight.
[Illustration: BITS AND BRIDLES
1. Plain Snaffle
2. Rough Snaffle
3. Chain Snaffle
4. Bouché Snaffle
5. Rough Snaffle with Double Reins
6. Double Ring Snaffle
7. Standing Martingale
8. Bit and Bridoon with Halter Shank attached]
The breastplate not only holds the saddle firmly in place, but it also
keeps it from turning, prevents the girths from slipping back on the
horse’s belly, distributes part of the weight of the saddle on the
horse’s shoulders instead of having it all on the girths, and gives the
rider a feeling of security and confidence.
A few horses have such wide chests and some such tender skins that a
breastplate is apt to gall them.
The best bits for a woman to use are the curb and snaffle. The curb bit
in general use is of the Weymouth pattern, as illustrated above (see cut
No. 1, page 150). The snaffle is jointed (see cut No. 12, page 150).
Most horses go better with a curb bit with a slight port, such as No. 2,
page 150, though personally I like the pattern illustrated in No. 1,
same page, above, quite as well, if not better. For horses with very
tender mouths or with sore mouths, the curb bit may be covered with
rubber. Other horses, again, go better with a jointed curb, and old
horses, whose mouths are so hard that they cannot be brought back to
their original condition, may require the use of a heavy port or other
device which will cause them pain when the curb rein is tightened.
These various devices are illustrated above. For hunters, for pullers,
for polo ponies, and for Southern gaited horses, various kinds of bits
are used, but I shall not attempt to describe them here. They are fully
treated in many of the standard books on riding and do not belong in a
book devoted to riding and driving for women.
I shall add a few hints, gleaned largely from my own experience, which
may not be found in other books on the general subject.
The normal position of the bit, whether curb or snaffle, or both, is in
the space between the teeth called the “bars,” about two inches below
the eyeteeth in the mare and the tushes in the gelding. This brings the
curb chain to bear on the sensitive flesh of the lower jaw where the
pressure is most effective. If the curb is too high, the chain bears on
the jawbone which, at that point, is only covered by skin. This skin
readily becomes calloused, so that the curb chain has almost no effect.
If the curb is too low, the horse will be able to get his tongue over
the bit and keep it there, so that control will be lost and the cheek
straps will be too loose, and the snaffle, unless it has very large
rings, may be pulled through the horse’s mouth.
Many horses have a bad habit of getting their tongues over the bit. A
horse with his tongue in this position is quite uncontrollable, and he
must be broken of the habit at any cost. Most horses will be cured by
taking up the cheek straps and thus raising the bits in the mouth. This,
however, may bring the curb chain too high, as above stated. If it does,
or if this method is not successful, it may be necessary to resort to
one of the patterns of curb bits designed to prevent the horse from
getting his tongue over, such as the gridiron, No. 12, page 150, which
has a ring which is passed over the horse’s tongue.
A temporary device which may be used, except in the show ring, is to put
a rubber band over the port in the curb and around the horse’s tongue.
It must, of course, not be tight or it will stop the circulation, but it
diverts the horse’s attention and, of course, prevents him from bringing
his tongue over the bit.
If a horse is inclined to lag, or go up against the bit, raise the
snaffle in his mouth and lower the curb.
In the ordinary adjustment of the bits, the curb chain should be
fastened so that, when hanging naturally, you can slip two fingers under
the chain without disturbing the position of the bit, but if the animal
has a hard mouth the chain may be tightened enough to give good control.
No definite rule can, of course, be laid down. Beginners, however, are
particularly cautioned to have their curb chains looser than I have
indicated, as, until they have acquired “hands” and have entirely given
up the habit of holding on by the reins, they cannot with safety either
to themselves or their horses ride with the chain at all tight.
If a horse has been spoiled and his mouth is so calloused or “hard” that
he cannot be controlled even with a tight curb, and you still want to
ride him, the chain may be twisted, or one of the punishing types of bit
may be used, such as those above illustrated (Nos. 19 and 20, page 150).
Twisting the chain or using such a bit will make his mouth all the
harder, but will enable the rider to control him.
[Illustration: 1. Lady’s Cross-Saddle with Rolls]
[Illustration: 2. Lady’s Cross-Saddle, Plain Flap]
[Illustration: 3. Light Weight Saddle, Flaps Cut Forward]
While the Mexicans and Indians use very cruel bits and ride only on the
curb, they necessarily ride with light hands; otherwise they would break
the horses’ mouths.
If a horse pulls more on one side of his mouth than on the other, drop
the bits on the side opposite to that on which he pulls. If horses have
had the advantage of proper training and intelligent riding, they should
have no “mouth tricks,” such as sticking their tongues out on one side.
If they are continually fretting with their tongues and lips and heads,
it is probable that there is something the matter with their teeth or
that they have some soreness or irritation inside of their mouths.
Horses do not do things of this kind without cause, and as soon as
anything of this kind is observed the mouth should be thoroughly
inspected and steps taken to remedy the trouble immediately. Horses
often have trouble with their teeth very much as we do. Usually a “vet.”
will be able to remedy any condition of that kind, but if not, it may be
necessary to call in a horse dentist. If trouble of this kind is not
attended to, the symptom may become a habit or a trick very hard to
break and result in spoiling a horse’s appearance and manners.