Part 8 (2/2)

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.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 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 cus.h.i.+ons 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 ill.u.s.trated 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 st.i.tched. 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 pa.s.ses through the ring, has st.i.tching on it, and, without a close inspection, one would not notice whether the cheek pieces were st.i.tched or hooked. I recommend this appliance very highly, as it wears better than buckles and looks just as well as st.i.tching.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 1. PLAIN SNAFFLE]

[Ill.u.s.tration: 2. BIT AND BRIDOON]

[Ill.u.s.tration: 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 st.i.tching, 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 pa.s.sed. In front of these rings there should be leather stops on the reins to prevent their buckles from catching in the rings.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 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 circ.u.mstances, 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.

[Ill.u.s.tration: VARIETIES OF RIDING BITS

1. Plain Curb 2. Port Curb 3. Straight Bar Curb 4. s.h.i.+fting Bar Curb 5. s.h.i.+fting Rough Curb 6. Western Style 7. Mexican or Western Style 8. Severe s.h.i.+fting 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]

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