SIDE-SADDLES.
Description of a Side-Saddle--Saddle Tree--Covering of a
Side-Saddle--Panel--The Leaping Head--Stirrup Leather--Safety
Bars--Safety Stirrups--Girths--Balance Strap--Breast-plate--Weight
of a Side-Saddle--Shape of the Seat of a Side-Saddle--The Saddle
must Fit the Rider--Crupper--Numdahs and Saddle
Cloths--Side-Saddles for Children--Saddling a Horse--Prevention of
Sore Backs--Cleaning a Side-Saddle.
DESCRIPTION OF A SIDE-SADDLE.
A properly made side-saddle consists of the following parts:--
1. A _tree_, which is a wooden frame that is strengthened with steel and
iron, and is provided with an _upper crutch_ (_near head_) and _webs_.
2. A _leather covering_, which comprises the _seat_, _off flap_, and
_safe_, which is the trade term for the near flap.
3. A _panel_ (or cushion), which is placed underneath the tree, so as to
protect the animal's back from the hurtful pressure of the unprotected
tree.
4. A _leaping head_, which helps the lady to obtain security of seat.
5. A _stirrup leather_.
6. A _stirrup iron_.
7. A _stirrup bar_ for the stirrup leather.
8. _Girths._
9. _Balance strap._
To these ordinary components of a side-saddle, a _breast-plate_ and
_saddle cloth_ or _numdah_ are sometimes added. On rare occasions a
_crupper_ is used.
[Illustration: Fig. 8.--Side view of saddle tree.]
SADDLE TREE.
The tree (Figs. 8, 9, 10, and 11) consists of two _bars_ (side boards),
which are connected together in front by the _pommel_, and behind by
the _cantle_. The pommel is made up of a _gullet plate_, which is a
steel arch that goes over the withers, and its coverings. The _points of
the tree_ are connected, one on each side, to the front ends of the bars
and to the gullet plate, and they point downwards. The _stirrup bar_,
which should be of a safety pattern, is attached to the near bar, a
little lower down than the leaping head.
[Illustration: Fig. 9.--Underneath view of saddle tree.]
The _webs_ (Fig. 11) of a tree are strong hempen bands which cover the
open space down the centre of the tree, and are nailed, at one end, to
the pommel, and at the other end to the cantle. They are tightly
stretched, in order to give the rider a comfortable seat, and to keep
her weight off the horse's backbone.
The _office of the bars of the tree_ is to evenly distribute the rider's
weight, by means of the panel, over the muscles which run along each
side of the horse's backbone, and which form the only suitable bearing
surfaces for the purpose in question. No weight should fall on the
animal's backbone, because it is very sensitive to pressure, even when
the pressure is well distributed. In order to obtain this indispensable
condition of evenly-distributed pressure, the bars of the tree of a
saddle which is to be made for a particular horse, should accurately fit
the bearing surfaces of the back upon which they rest, and should be
well away from the backbone; in fact, the distance between the bars
should not be less than four inches. When the rider is in the saddle, a
fair amount of space should exist between the gullet plate and the
withers, so that no injurious pressure may fall on the top or sides of
the withers, which are particularly susceptible to inflammation from
this cause.
In order to avoid giving an undue height to the pommel, with the object
of keeping it off the withers, it should be "cut back" (Fig. 11),
although this cutting back need not be carried to the excessive extent
that is sometimes practised. In a man's saddle, the pommel is generally
straight.
[Illustration: Fig. 10.--Front view of saddle tree.]
The _points of the tree_ should accurately fit the parts upon which they
rest, so as to prevent any "wobbling" of the saddle. The near point of
the tree (Fig. 10) is usually made long, with the idea of helping the
saddle to keep in its place; but if this is done, the off point should
be comparatively short, because, if both points be long, they will be
apt to become pulled further apart in the event of the horse turning
round sharply, as he would have to do in a narrow stall, or even when
refusing a jump.
The _upper crutch_, or, as it is called by saddlers, the _near head_,
is a more or less upright projection which is placed on the near side of
the pommel, in order to give support to the rider's right leg. The slope
and bearing surface of this near head should be regulated, so that (as
we shall see further on) the lower part of the rider's right leg may
extend downwards along the shoulder of the horse, and that the lady may
be able to exert full pressure against the near head, by the inward
rotation of her thigh (p. 157). The height of the near head depends on
the thickness of the rider's thigh, because a fat leg will require a
higher crutch than a thin one. If the upper crutch be unduly long, it
will push the skirt up and give it a bad appearance. We must, however,
bear in mind that if it is too short for its legitimate purpose, it will
afford an insecure grip to the right leg, which is a consideration that
must not be neglected.
Before the leaping head (p. 33) was invented, side-saddles were provided
with an _off crutch_, which was placed on the off side of the pommel. In
a very old saddle which I saw, it took the form of an upright handle,
which was placed parallel to the direction of the withers, and which
apparently was intended to be grasped by the right hand of the rider in
case of emergency. In a saddle of mine, which is about 100 years old,
the off crutch projects horizontally to the right. Fifty years ago, the
off crutch was almost always upright, and was often placed so close to
the near crutch that the rider was able to get a fairly firm support for
her right leg by jamming it between these two crutches. As the great
utility of the leaping head received increasingly wide recognition, the
off crutch underwent a gradual process of decadence, because it is of no
benefit to a rider who understands the use of a leaping head.
Indications of its previous existence may occasionally be seen,
especially abroad, in the form of an entirely useless thickening of the
off side of the pommel.
[Illustration: Fig. 11.--Underneath view of saddle tree and its webs.]
COVERING OF A SIDE-SADDLE.
The seats of good saddles are generally of pigskin, and the flaps of
cow-hide. The fact of the seat being of buckskin or other rough leather
will increase the lady's security in the saddle, but may somewhat
detract from the smartness of her appearance, especially if the leather
is white. I can see no objection to the seat of the saddle being of
rough brown leather. Formerly, all side-saddles had a "stuffed safe," in
which the front part of the near flap is padded, but nowadays it is
rarely, if ever, used by smart hunting people. It is evidently the
surviving remains of the voluminous pad, upon which ladies used to rest
the lower part of their right leg in the days before the leaping head
was invented. Ornamental stitching about the seat and safe of a saddle
is equally out of date.
PANEL.
It is all important that the panel should be so carefully stuffed, that
the rider's weight will be evenly distributed over the bearing surfaces
of her animal's back. Even if this is done to perfection, the desirable
arrangement will last for only a short time, if the stuffing is of the
wrong kind of material. Instead of using fine wool (best flock),
incompetent or unduly economical saddlers often employ flock which is
largely composed of cotton waste, and, consequently, when they stuff or
re-stuff a saddle, lumps, from the absorption of perspiration, are apt
to form in the panel, with the frequent result of a sore back. Although
the stuffing of side-saddles is too technical a subject to attack in
these pages, I would fail in my duty to my readers if I omitted to
advise them always to go to a first-class saddler for a new saddle, or
to get an old one re-stuffed, which should be done as may be required,
preferably, before the beginning of the hunting season, supposing that
the saddle has seen a good deal of service. It is often thought that
expert saddlers are to be found only in London; but if a saddler is
clever at his trade, the fact of his having a shop in a good hunting
district, must be a great advantage to him in studying the requirements
of riding people.
THE LEAPING HEAD
was invented about 1830 by M. Pellier, who was well known in Paris as a
riding master. Its object is to help the rider to obtain security of
seat by a fixed surface against which she can press the front and lower
part of her left thigh. Before the invention of the leaping head, ladies
had to rely entirely on the right leg for grip, and consequently few, if
any of them, were able to hunt. Mr. John Allen, who wrote _Modern
Riding_, in 1825, tells us that "the left leg is nearly, if not wholly
useless; for though a stirrup is placed on the foot, the only use of it
is to ease the leg a little, which, for want of practice, might ache by
dangling and suspension."
The following are the chief points to be considered about a leaping
head:--
* * * * *
1. Its curve should be so arranged that the harder a lady presses
against it, the more will her left leg be carried inwards, so that the
flat (inside) of her knee may be brought in contact with the flap of the
saddle (Fig. 12). An ordinary leaping head is curved, as a rule, in such
a manner that when a rider seeks to obtain support from it by the
pressure of her left leg, this limb is carried outwards, and she is able
to get a _point d'appui_ only at the extreme end of this projection
(Fig. 13). It is evident that the closer the left leg is to the saddle,
the firmer will be the seat. Besides, the more the left leg is brought
outwards, the more weight will be put on the near side, which, as we
shall see further on, is the very thing a rider ought to avoid.
2. The leaping head should be close to the upper crutch (Figs. 12 and
16). The usual plan of putting it much lower down (Fig. 15) tends to
bring the weight to the near side, a fact which can be easily tested,
especially in trotting, by trying the improvement in question, which was
suggested to me by Mr. Ford of Rugby, who is a very competent and
experienced saddler.
[Illustration: Fig. 12.--Grip with improved leaping head.]
3. Usually, the leaping head is attached to the tree by means of a
screw, which is an arrangement that has the disadvantage of not allowing
the leaping head to be placed close to the upper crutch. If the leaping
head is riveted on to the tree (as in Figs. 10 and 16), which is the
better plan, it can be placed as near as we like to the upper crutch,
and it will have no tendency to wobble about, as it would be apt to do,
if it was fixed by a screw. As the screws of the leaping heads of cheap
saddles are almost always made of annealed iron, which is a form of
cast-iron, it is not an uncommon occurrence for the screw of one of
these saddles to break, which is more apt to occur at a critical moment,
as for instance when the horse is jumping or "playing up," than when he
is going quietly. On the only occasion I ever rode over a fence in one
of these cheap Walsall saddles, the screw broke, but luckily I
"remained."
4. When the leaping head is a fixture, the bearing surface which it
presents to the rider's left leg should be in the same direction as the
upper part of that limb, so that the pressure on it may be evenly
distributed. By placing a straight stick under the leaping head, and
holding it in the direction which the left thigh would occupy, when the
rider is mounted, we can easily see if the bearing surface is in the
proper position.
5. As an aid to security of seat, it is well to have the under surface
of the leaping head and the off side of the upper crutch covered with
rough brown leather, which, we should bear in mind, is concealed from
view, when the lady is in the saddle, and consequently it will not
detract from the smartness of her appearance.
[Illustration: Fig. 13.--Grip with ordinary leaping head.]
STIRRUP-LEATHER.
The stirrup-leather, which is on the near side, should always be
attached to a bar, and not, as is sometimes done, to the balance strap
(p. 53); because, in this case, its length will be subject to frequent
variation, not only when the saddle is put on different animals, but
also when the horse gets slack in his girth from work. When it is fixed
to a bar, which should always be of the safety kind, no alteration in
the correct length of the leather will take place.
The arrangement for undoing the stirrup-leather is in the most
convenient position when it is close to the iron, and not in proximity
to the stirrup-bar, as is the case in a man's hunting saddle. If the
leather is used in the latter manner, the buckle will be apt to hurt the
inside of the lady's left leg, when she brings the knee close to the
flap of the saddle; and it will be more inconvenient to alter the length
of the leather, when the lady is mounted, than if the buckle or hook was
low down. The hook (Fig. 14) is better than a buckle, because it lies
flatter and is easier to arrange.
[Illustration: Fig. 14.--Hook for stirrup leather.]
SAFETY BARS.
A safety bar is a bar which will release the leather, in the event of
the rider falling from the saddle, and at the same time getting her foot
caught in the stirrup-iron. To be reliable, it should do this, whether
the lady falls on the near side, or on the off side. The best safety bar
which has up to the present been put before the public, is undoubtedly
Champion and Wilton's latest pattern. It releases with absolute
certainty on both sides, and can be fitted in such a manner that it will
allow the flat of the left leg to be brought close to the saddle. As
safety bars and safety stirrups are the only means for ensuring a lady
from being dragged by her stirrup, and as Champion and Wilton's safety
bar is more reliable in this respect than any safety stirrup, it stands
to reason that it should be used with every side-saddle. With this bar
on a saddle, there is of course no objection to the use of a safety
stirrup, in order to make "doubly sure." It is usually fitted with a
thick flap (Fig. 15), which prevents the left leg from being brought
close to the saddle; but this objection can be removed by the adoption
of Mr. Ford's plan of greatly reducing the size of the flap of the bar,
and making it fit into an opening cut out of the near flap of the saddle
(Fig. 16). I have found this arrangement a great improvement on the old
clumsy flap, the lower edge of which is unpleasantly apt to catch on the
rider's boot, especially when trotting. I shall discuss the failings of
safety stirrups further on.
[Illustration: Fig. 15.--Leaping head too low down.]
[Illustration: Fig. 16.--Side view of a properly made saddle.]
Owing to the position which a lady occupies in a side-saddle, she is
often inclined to draw her foot back to such an extent that she would
pull the leather out of the bar, if the action of the bar was similar to
that of a man's saddle; but a Champion and Wilton's bar is so devised
that it will free the leather, only when the pressure of the left leg is
removed from the flap of the bar, in which case the lady will have
quitted the saddle. Hence, as long as she keeps her seat, she cannot
pull the leather out of the bar by drawing back her left leg. The only
thing which prevents this safety arrangement from being absolutely
perfect, is the liability the leather has of falling out of the bar and
becoming lost, in the event of the rider severing her connection with
the saddle, in which case the retaining action of the flap on the bar
will cease.
For this emergency, Messrs. Champion and Wilton provide side saddles
with a small leather case which contains an extra stirrup, and which is
attached to the near side of the saddle, so that it is concealed from
view, when the lady is mounted (Fig. 17). The weight of the stirrup and
case is only half a pound.
[Illustration: Fig. 17.--Champion and Wilton's extra stirrup case.]
SAFETY STIRRUPS,
both for men and ladies, have been in existence for hundreds of years.
Apparently the first variety of this contrivance was the capped
stirrup-iron, either simple (Fig. 18) or in the form of a slipper (Fig.
19), which was provided with an arrangement on its sole that prevented
the toe of the slipper from yielding to downward pressure, but allowed
it to revolve upwards, and thus to facilitate the release of the foot,
in the event of a fall. The simple capped stirrup was used by ancient
Spanish Cavaliers, and is still employed by many of their descendants in
America. In apparent oblivion of these facts, the Christie stirrup (Fig.
20), made on the same principle, was patented about four years ago.
Besides its undue weight (1-1/4 lb. as compared to the 1/2 lb. of the
slipper stirrup), it has the further disadvantage of allowing the
possibility of the toe being caught between its bars (Fig. 21). Want of
neatness appears to have been the only cause of the abandonment of the
capped stirrup, which is certainly safer than any of its successors, the
first English one of which appears to have been the Latchford safety
stirrup (Fig. 22). It consists of two irons; the small one, which is
placed within the large one, being made to come out the moment the foot
gets dragged in it, in which case it parts company with its fellow, and
is then liable to get lost. The Scott safety stirrup (Figs. 23 and 24)
has not this fault, for its inner iron always retains its connection
with the outer one, and can be replaced without delay, if the lady after
her tumble desires to remount. The Latchford, Scott ordinary, and Cope
safety stirrup (Figs. 25 and 26) open only one way, so that the foot,
when correctly placed in any of them, may not be liable, as in the event
of a fall, to be forced through the outer iron, in which case the lady
would almost to a certainty get hung up if her saddle was not provided
with a safety bar. In these stirrups, the side of the "tread,"[46-*]
which ought to be to the rear, is generally indicated by the fact of its
being straight, while the other side is curved (Fig. 24). This is done
in Fig. 27, by the word "heel."
[Illustration: Fig. 18.--Capped stirrup-iron.]
[Illustration: Fig. 19.--Slipper stirrup.]
[Illustration: Fig. 20.--The Christie stirrup.]
[Illustration: Fig. 21.--Foot caught.]
[Illustration: Fig. 22.--Latchford stirrup.]
[Illustration: Fig. 23.--Scott's stirrup.]
[Illustration: Fig. 24.--Scott's stirrup open.]
* * * * *
The _chief faults of so-called safety stirrups_ are as follows:--
1. They may catch on the foot, on account of getting crushed by coming
in violent contact with a tree, wall or other hard object, or by the
horse falling on his near side. When I was living in India, I had a
Scott safety stirrup jammed on my foot in this manner, by a horse which
I was riding, making a sudden shy and dashing against a wall. The iron
was so firmly fixed to my foot by this accident, that it could not be
taken off until, after much pain and trouble, my foot was freed from
both boot and stirrup. Had I been unseated, I would probably have been
killed, because my saddle had not a safety bar.
[Illustration: Fig. 25.--Cope's stirrup.]
2. Those which open only when the foot is put into them in one way, are
apt to cause a fatal accident if put in the wrong way, which may easily
happen from carelessness or ignorance (p. 64). The methods (straight
edge of "tread," or word "heel") used with these stirrups, to indicate
the proper side on which to put the foot into the iron, may convey no
meaning to persons who are not well acquainted with the details of
side-saddle gear, and in moments of hurry and excitement may be easily
overlooked.
3. Any ordinary safety stirrup which is used without a safety bar may
cause a lady to get "hung up," if she is thrown to the off side and her
heel gets jammed against the saddle in the manner shown in Fig. 28.
[Illustration: Fig. 26.--Foot released by Cope's stirrup.]
4. If the outer iron is small in comparison to the size of the foot, the
rider may easily get dragged.
5. If the outer iron of a Scott's reversible safety stirrup is large in
comparison to the size of the foot (as in the case of a young girl),
the rider may get dragged in the event of a fall, by the foot going
through the stirrup. Accidents caused by a foot going through a stirrup
have often occurred to men from falls when hunting and steeplechasing.
[Illustration: Fig. 27.--Scott's stirrup.]
Some ladies think it "smart" to ride with a man's ordinary stirrup iron,
or (madder still) with a small racing stirrup, attached to a leather
which does not come out. I once saw a lady who adopted this senseless
plan fall and get dragged. By an extraordinary piece of good luck she
was saved from a horrible death by her boot coming off.
All that can be said in favour of safety stirrups, is that they are
less liable to cause accidents than ordinary stirrups. The fact remains,
that the danger of being dragged by the stirrup can be entirely obviated
only by the use of an efficient safety bar.
[Illustration: Fig. 28.--Foot caught on off side.]
GIRTHS.
In referring to this subject, I cannot do better than give the following
extract from _Riding and Hunting_:--
"Girths, while fulfilling their duty of efficiently keeping the saddle
on a horse's back, should be as little liable as possible to hurt the
surface on which they press. Hence they should be broad, soft, and
constructed so that their tendency to retain sweat between them and the
horse's skin may be reduced as far as practicable. They can best fulfil
the last-mentioned important condition when they are absorbent and open
in texture. It is evident that sweat retained between the girth and the
skin will have the effect of the moisture of a poultice in rendering the
part soft and unusually liable to injury from pressure or friction.
"As a material for girths, wool is superior to cotton or leather,
because it is softer, more absorbent, and does not become so hard on
drying after having become wet. The only drawback to ordinary woollen
girths is that they are not sufficiently ventilated, an objection which
has been overcome in specially constructed woollen girths that are sold
by many good saddlers.
"The plan of giving ventilation by slitting up a broad leather girth
into several narrow straps, or by using a number of cords of cotton or
of plaited or twisted raw hide often acts well; but its adoption may
give rise to girth-galls, if care is not taken to smooth out, when
girthing up, any wrinkles there may be in the skin underneath the girth.
It is evidently more difficult for the pressure to be evenly distributed
by these cords, than by a broad girth which consists of one piece.
"Great care should be taken to keep girths clean and soft, and to oil
them from time to time, if they be of leather.
"I prefer a broad girth attached at each side by two buckles to two
narrow girths. The Fitzwilliam girth, which consists of a broad girth
with a narrow one over it, is handy with a martingale or breast-plate,
through the loop of which the narrow girth can be passed."
In a Fitzwilliam girth, the pressure of the narrow one on the centre of
the broad one, makes the edges of the broad girth incline outwards, and
thus apparently helps to save the horse from becoming girth-galled.
Girths should always be buckled high up on the near side, in order to
prevent their buckles hurting the rider's left leg, by making an
uncomfortable bump in the flap of the saddle; and also to allow plenty
of space on the girth straps of the off side, for shortening the girths
as may be required.
BALANCE STRAP.
This is a leather strap which is attached to the off side of the rear
part of the saddle, at one end; and to a strap close to the girth straps
of the near side, at the other end. Before the days of safety bars, its
near side end was usually buckled on to the stirrup leather, which was a
faulty arrangement, not only as regards the leather (p. 36), but also
because its degree of tightness was a constantly varying quantity which
entirely depended on the amount of pressure that the rider put on her
stirrup. The presence of a properly tightened balance strap helps to
prevent lateral movement on the part of the saddle. Also it counteracts,
to some extent, the excess of weight which almost every rider puts on
the near side of her saddle; this good effect being due to the fact that
the off attachment of the balance strap is farther away from the centre
line (axis) of the animal's body than the near attachment; and
consequently the pull of the balance strap on the off side acts to
greater mechanical advantage than the pull on the near side.
BREAST-PLATE.
The breast-plate is attached at one end to the girth or girths, and at
the other end to the staples of the saddle. Its use is to prevent the
saddle shifting backwards, as it might do if the girths were slack,
especially if the animal was very narrow waisted. Even with a
well-shaped horse, a breast-plate is often useful on a long day and in a
hilly country. It is much in favour with hunting ladies. Staples are
small metal loops which are fixed to the front part of the saddle-tree.
WEIGHT OF A SIDE-SADDLE.
In order to avoid giving a horse a sore back and consequently disabling
him for the time being, it is essential to have the tree rigid, so that
the weight may remain evenly distributed over the bearing surfaces of
his back, which rigidity cannot be obtained without having the tree
fairly heavy. The necessary width and length of saddle and strength of
upper crutch and leaping head are also questions of weight. Hence if we
require a saddle for rough and dangerous work like hunting, we must not
entertain the ridiculous idea of having a light saddle, so that it may
look particularly smart. A fair weight for a side-saddle is one-seventh
of the weight of the rider, that is to say, two pounds for every stone
she weighs, with a minimum weight of 18 lbs.
SHAPE OF THE SEAT OF A SIDE-SADDLE.
The level-seated fad which some fashionable saddlers try to impress on
their inexperienced customers is an absurdity from a hunting point of
view, because no one out of an idiot asylum would care to sit for
several hours on a perfectly level surface, whether it was a saddle or a
chair. The discomfort which such an attempt would entail, is due to the
fact that the nature of our anatomy requires a certain amount of dip in
that portion of the seat upon which most of the weight falls. The
level-seated idea is purely theoretical, because no saddles are made in
conformance with it. For hunting we must have comfort, without, of
course, any undue violation of smartness. Besides, a certain amount of
dip in the seat, similar to that shown in Fig. 16, is an aid to
security. A cutback pommel (Fig. 11) improves the look of a side-saddle
without diminishing the rider's grip. The seat on the near side should
be eased off, so as to allow the rider's left leg to get close to the
horse; and the near side, close to the cantle, should be made a little
higher than the off side, in order to correct any tendency there may be
to sit too much over on the near side.
The saddles which I used on Romance (Fig. 4), and Freddie (Fig. 7),
about fifteen years ago, were not called "level seated," but we may see
that they are quite as neat and smart as those of the present time,
which fact shows that very little change has been made in the shape of
side-saddles since the eighties.
THE SADDLE MUST FIT THE RIDER.
The two great points in this requirement are that the upper crutch and
leaping head should be in a suitable position, and the saddle
sufficiently long, so as to be about a couple of inches clear of the
back of the rider's seat. The right position of the upper crutch and
leaping head can be determined only by experiment. If the tree is so
short as to allow any undue weight to fall on the cantle, the horse will
naturally run the risk of getting a sore back. The height of the upper
crutch and the length of the leaping head will vary according to the
thickness of limb. We shall see on pages 150 to 152, that the position
of the upper crutch which will suit a lady who hooks back her right leg,
will not be applicable to one who carries her right foot forward; and
_vice versa_. A saddle which suits a rider's style of equitation will
invariably fit her, if its tree and its crutches are long enough. Hence,
if more than one member of a family wants to ride and there is only one
horse, a saddle which will fit the biggest will suit all the rest.
CRUPPER.
The office of a crupper is to prevent the saddle working forward on the
horse's back, which it will not do if the animal is of a proper shape
and the girths sufficiently tight. In ancient days, when riding-horses
were more rotund than they are now, and saddles were not so well made,
cruppers were generally used, but within the last forty years they have
gone entirely out of fashion. A crupper is not to be despised in
out-of-the-way parts abroad, when we have to ride animals of all sorts
and sizes, and when we have only one saddle.
NUMDAHS AND SADDLE-CLOTHS.
As the principles which regulate the use of these appliances with cross
saddles are the same as those with side saddles, I cannot do better than
give the following extract from _Riding and Hunting_, with one or two
additions:
"Saddle-cloths are generally made of felt, and their primary object is
to prevent the panel from soaking up sweat and becoming thereby soiled
and more or less spoiled. The term numdah or numnah, which is applied to
felt saddle-cloths, is derived from a Hindustani word that signifies
'felt.' A saddle-cloth should be as thin as efficiency in serving its
purpose will allow it to be, so that it may give as little play as
possible to the saddle. Although the fitting of the saddle should as far
as practicable be limited to the adjustment of the shape of the tree and
to regulating the amount of stuffing in the panel; the use of a numdah
with a saddle which does not fit the horse or which is not sufficiently
stuffed, is often a valuable makeshift when necessity gives no other
choice. The employment of an ordinary saddle-cloth is accompanied by the
slight disadvantage, that the middle line of the back which is covered
by the saddle is deprived of the benefit of air circulating along it, by
the fact of the saddle-cloth resting on it. An attempt to remedy this
objection is sometimes made by cutting a longitudinal piece out of the
centre of the saddle-cloth. Here the cure is worse than the complaint,
because injurious pressure will be exerted by the edges of the aperture
thus made, especially if the edges are bound with tape, to preserve them
from fraying out.
"A saddle-cloth should extend about two inches beyond the bearing
surfaces of the saddle, so that its edges may not give rise to unequal
pressure on the back, which would occur if the saddle-cloth was shorter
than the tree.
"Saddle-cloths made of one thickness of leather admirably answer the
purpose of saving the panel from injury; but for hunting and other
long-continued work they have the objection of retaining perspiration,
instead of soaking it up, as felt ones do. It is a good plan before
using a new saddle-cloth, to rub a little neat's-foot oil into its rough
(upper) surface, which is much more absorbent than its smooth side. If
neat's-foot oil is not at hand, cod liver oil or castor oil may be used.
The oily application can be repeated, according as the leather gets
dry."
As a substitute for a panel, Messrs. Champion and Wilton have devised a
numdah lined with spongio-piline and covered with linen, to be used with
a saddle, the underneath part of the tree of which is covered with
leather. The chief advantage of this numdah is that a saddle which is
provided with two or more of them, can always present a dry bearing
surface to the horse's back. A stout numdah of this kind can be used
with a high withered animal, and a thin one with a horse which has thick
withers. Its inventors claim that it distributes the weight better and
keeps the saddle steadier than a panel.
SIDE-SADDLES FOR CHILDREN.
As children are unable to take the necessary precautions against
accident, no considerations of fashion or smartness should outweigh
those of safety for the little ones. Even the old handle at the off side
of the saddle (p. 30) might be a valuable help to a very young beginner.
The seat of the saddle and the bearing surfaces of the upper crutch and
leaping head had best be of rough leather, and particular attention
should be paid to the construction of the upper crutch and leaping head,
so that a maximum of grip may be obtained, which is a point that is
deplorably neglected by many of the makers of side-saddles for children.
Children can ride in any comfortable saddle, supposing that it is not
too small. I have taught very small girls to ride in my saddle and jump
without reins on a horse 15-3 high. A lady who attended one of these
lessons, which were held in Ward's riding-school in London, made two
sketches of her little friends which, by the kind permission of the
Editor of the _Queen_, in which paper they appeared, I am able to
reproduce. We may see that the small horsewoman is sitting well over her
hurdle and is riding with comfort in a saddle that is far too large for
her. The lady friend of the two little girls wrote about our work in the
_Queen_ of June 17, 1893, as follows: "I made the acquaintance of the
authoress of _The Horsewoman_ one morning in Ward's Manege, where I went
to see two little friends taking their riding lesson from her. It was a
novel and pretty sight. Mrs. Hayes has inaugurated a method of
instruction hitherto unpractised, and which must recommend itself to any
one who sees the extraordinary progress which accompanies it. The
children are dressed in gymnastic costume (Fig. 29) and it was the third
time only that they had been put on a horse--a large horse it was too,
and as patient and kindly as it is possible to be. The first thing Mrs.
Hayes teaches is how to sit. By the pupils wearing no skirt she can see
at a glance whether the position of the legs is right, and this is
all-important.
[Illustration: Fig. 29.--Child mounted.]
"By the time I saw the children they were galloping gaily round and
round, with radiant faces and flying hair, sitting better into the
saddle, even at this early stage, than many a woman who considers
herself a complete rider. They are not allowed to hold the reins; the
hands lie in the lap, holding the whip across the knees, which accustoms
them from the first to keep their hands low, besides teaching them to
keep their seat without 'riding the bridle,' as so many people do. The
horse is driven with long reins, like those used in breaking by Captain
Hayes, and managed by him with the dexterity of a circus master. After a
few turns at the canter, wicker hurdles are put up, and, to my
astonishment, the children, without the slightest fear or hesitation,
settled themselves down, leaned well back, and popped over without
raising their hands or altering the position of their legs (Fig. 30).
They had been over the same hurdles at the second lesson, and too much
can hardly be said in praise of a system that has such results to offer
in so short a space of time. Mrs. Hayes herself, as may be supposed,
looks every inch a 'workman' in the saddle. She has ridden in most
quarters of the globe; and, as if she sighed for other worlds to
conquer, and were _blasee_ about all sorts and conditions of horses, she
rode a zebra at Calcutta which was broken within an hour by her husband
sufficiently to be saddled and bridled. Her experiences on his back are
entertainingly set forth in her book _The Horsewoman_, which is well
worth the reading, not only for its hints on horsemanship, but for the
many amusing sporting anecdotes. Her other book is one which one would
hardly have expected from a woman whose life has been in so great a
measure devoted to horses and sport. It is called _My Leper Friends_. A
friend indeed they must have thought her, with her devoted sympathy and
repeated endeavour to alleviate the sufferings from the most distressing
and repulsive malady in the world. Another book is now on the stocks,
the preparation of which keeps Captain and Mrs. Hayes for the present in
England. That done, they will soon start again on their travels, England
being a place that never holds their roving spirits long. The
curiosities, and beautiful stuffs and feathers, which they have gleaned
in many lands will have to disappear into big boxes and be warehoused,
until some fresh store of adventures recalls the wanderers home.
"Meanwhile she teaches the art, of which she is indeed a past mistress,
in a way which it is a pleasure and profit to see; and I can most
conscientiously advise any mother to send her girls to her if she wishes
them to at once become perfect horsewomen while remaining perfect
ladies."
[Illustration: Fig. 30.--Child jumping without reins.]
We had so many charming pupils during our short stay in London, that I
shall always regard this teaching period as one of the pleasantest
events of my life. I often think about them all, and wonder how they are
getting on with their riding, and, as their various difficulties have
been present in my mind while writing this book, I have done my best to
solve them all as clearly as possible. We put up small hurdles and got
our tiny pupils to ride over them, because I saw that they had grasped
my explanation and demonstrations of balance and grip, and it made them
mightily proud of themselves, and keen on learning all they could about
riding, when they found that they could sit over fences with ease.
Although the school hurdles were small, our grey horse which they rode
was a big jumper, which could negotiate a five-foot posts and rails with
ease, so the children who rode him were unconsciously carried a far
greater height than they imagined, for we all know that a big jumper
makes a fine leap, even over small fences. In teaching children to ride
we should always provide them with saddles in which they can obtain the
grip that we ourselves require, and should see that the length of the
stirrup-leather is correct. We should remember that the young
horsewoman, however tiny she may be, requires to be provided with the
best and safest appliances in the matter of stirrup, safety bar, and
safety skirt, that we can give her; and I may say that if I had a
daughter I would never allow her to ride unless her saddle was provided
with Champion and Wilton's safety bar, which I use, and unless she wore
my skirt or the safe little coat shown in Fig. 57. If reliance has to be
placed on a safety stirrup in the absence of Champion and Wilton's
safety bar, only the capped stirrup-iron (Fig. 18) or the slipper
stirrup (Fig. 19) should be employed. I have no faith in one-sided
safety stirrups for young girls, for we cannot put old heads on young
shoulders in the matter of careful attention about placing the foot in
the safety stirrup from the proper side. A groom may put the stirrup
correctly on the foot of his young mistress before starting out with her
for a quiet ride, but these men naturally know nothing about the correct
length of the stirrup leather, and during the ride the stirrup may come
out of the foot and be caught haphazard by the rider, with the result
that, should she become unseated and thrown from her saddle by her horse
suddenly shying with her, she may be dragged and killed. I therefore
cannot too strongly recommend all mothers to see that their daughters'
saddles are provided with reliable safety bars, and of course that the
children are provided with safety skirts, for a safety bar is useless if
the rider's skirt catches on the upper crutch and holds her suspended.
In July 1897 a young daughter of a well-known nobleman was dragged by
her stirrup and killed while exercising her pony in a paddock. As the
stirrup was of a one-sided pattern, it must have been negligently placed
the wrong way (Fig. 31) on the foot of the poor girl, who was only
fifteen years old. I heard that rider, saddle, and pony were all buried
on the same day. I would not be inclined to blame the groom if he were
inexperienced, as many are, in the one-sidedness of so-called safety
stirrups. Another equally terrible accident occurred in September 1893,
when a young lady was dragged by her stirrup and killed while hacking
along a road at Kilhendre, near Ellesmere, with her groom in attendance.
As far as I could gather from the newspaper report of this sad accident,
a butcher's cart driven rapidly round a corner caused the lady's pony to
shy suddenly and unseat her, with the result that she was dragged by her
stirrup and killed. At the inquest which was held on the body of this
poor girl, the jurymen devoted their entire attention to the character
of the animal she was riding, and as the father of the young lady, who
had bred the pony himself, was able to show that it was a staunch and
reliable animal, the usual verdict of accidental death was given. These
twelve good men and true absolutely ignored the stirrup, which had been
the sole cause of this awful occurrence, and concentrated their entire
attention on the innocent pony she rode.
SADDLING A HORSE.
As a horse's loins are ill fitted to bear weight, the saddle should be
placed as far forward as it can go, without interfering with the action
of his shoulder-blades, the position of the rearmost portion of which is
indicated by the "saddle muscle," which is a lump of muscle below the
withers. The saddle can be placed about three inches behind it. Instead
of putting the saddle on the exact part of the back it is to occupy, it
is best to place it a few inches too far forward, and then to draw it
back, so as to smooth down the hair under it, and thus make it
comfortable for the animal. The front girth is first taken up, and then
the next one, which is passed through the loop of the martingale or
breast-plate, supposing that two girths of equal width are used. To
prevent any wrinkles being made in the skin under the girths, and to
make the pressure even, the groom should shorten the girths to about
half the required extent on one side, should finish the tightening on
the other side, and should run his fingers between the girths and skin
in order to smooth out any wrinkles, the presence of which would be
liable to cause a girth-gall. As girthing up, when the lady is mounted,
will have to be done on the off side, sufficient space for that purpose
will have to be left on the girth-straps of that side. After the rider
has been put up, the girths should be again tightened, and it is
generally advisable to repeat this operation after she has ridden her
horse for a short time, especially if the animal has the trick of
"blowing himself out." With a Fitzwilliam girth, the narrow girth which
goes over the broad one is passed through the loop of the martingale or
breast-strap, supposing that one or both of these appliances are used.
The balance strap should be tightened to a fair extent, though not quite
so much as the girths, because the portion of the ribs over which it
passes, expands and contracts far more than that encompassed by the
girths.
[Illustration: Fig. 31.--Foot caught, on account of its having been put
into the stirrup from the wrong side.]
If a saddle-cloth be used, the groom, before girthing up, should bring
the front part of the cloth well up into the pommel with his forefinger
or thumb, so as to prevent it from becoming pressed down on the withers
by the saddle.
PREVENTION OF SORE BACKS.
The chief causes of sore backs brought on by side-saddles are:--
1. Badly fitting saddles. The fitting of saddles has already been
discussed in this chapter.
2. Neglect in girthing up sufficiently tight. As the tightness of the
girths diminishes according to the duration and severity of the work,
the girths should be taken up after the lady has ridden for some time.
For ordinary hacking, tightening the girths after, say, five minutes'
riding will generally be sufficient; but this operation should be
repeated, for instance at the meet, when out hunting. Knowledge of the
necessity of having the girths tight enough, to prevent the saddle
wobbling, will enable the rider to take the necessary precautions
against putting her animal on the sick list from this cause.
3. Undue weight on the near side, which is generally caused by too long
a stirrup, by the leaping head being placed too low down, and by rising
at the trot for too long a time.
4. Mismanagement of the horse after his return to the stable, which is a
subject I will allude to further on.
CLEANING A SADDLE.
The leather work of a saddle should be kept clean and soft, with the
stitches clearly defined, and not clogged up by grease or dirt. No stain
should be left on a white pocket-handkerchief or kid glove, if it be
passed over any portion of the leather. Beeswax may be used to give the
saddle a polish; but it should be sparingly applied and should be well
rubbed in, for it is apt to make the leather very sticky. Nothing but
specially prepared or good white soap (made into a thick lather) should
be employed to clean the leather work, except a little lime-juice or
lemon-juice to remove stains. The use of soft soap permanently darkens
leather. A small amount of saddle dressing may be put on once a month,
in order to keep the leather soft and pliable. The steel work should, of
course, be kept bright.
FOOTNOTES:
[46-*] The "tread" is the part of the stirrup-iron on which the sole
of the rider's boot rests.