Chapter XVI (1)

SADDLERY, HARNESS, AND STABLE SUNDRIES--OF WHAT THESE CONSIST; THEIR
APPLICATION AND THEIR PRESERVATION.

The ensuing particulars were communicated by Mr. Thomas Sainsbury, Junr., the skillful foreman to a well-known and old-established firm--Messrs. Gibson & Co., of Coventry Street, Leicester Square. Proceeding from so trustworthy a source, the information cannot otherwise than merit implicit confidence; for when descanting on the above subject, the author, being anxious to state only facts, deemed it better to seek instructions from an established tradesman rather than to employ such knowledge as he himself possessed; since, not being acquainted with every branch of the business, his opinions must necessarily be more or less speculative, or based upon probabilities. Having enjoyed the benefit of Mr. Sainsbury’s unreserved communications, the writer rejoices at the resolution which he had formed; and can only tender his sincerest thanks to Messrs. Gibson & Co. for the extreme liberality they have evinced throughout the transaction.

_Saddlery and harness making_ are two distinct branches of one occupation. Saddlery strictly implies only that furniture which fits a steed for the uses of its rider. Harness making signifies the manufacture of those trappings which are employed upon animals of draught. There are, also, other subdivisions recognized by the trade; but on the present occasion these need not be particularly enlarged upon.

Many men are expert at either kind of manufacture; but the best workmen are those who devote themselves to one particular branch of the trade. Such can only find remunerative employment with the masters who can afford to keep an artisan constantly employed at the work in which he excels.

Saddlers justly complain that a horse cannot be accurately fitted when the animal is fresh from a dealer’s stable. A good saddle should be so exquisitely adapted to the body on which it is placed as scarcely to be moved, even by the action of the limbs. A tradesman approaches perfection, therefore, in proportion as his trappings cleave to the trunk for which they are manufactured. Such a desideratum necessitates that a precise measurement should be taken. Not only is length and breadth required, but the curves or shape of the body are also needed. The material employed by saddle-makers to ascertain such particulars is equally simple and effective. It consists merely of a narrow slip of pliable sheet-lead, about two feet long, and doubled in the center, like a pair of compasses. Such a material will preserve the outline of that body on which it may be compressed, and is sufficiently solid to retain any indentations made upon its substance; thus it possesses those attributes which to the saddler are essentials.

With such an article, the shape of the barrel, the sweep of the shoulders, and the hollow of the back can be accurately moulded, while even particulars can be ascertained; for lead demands little pressure to assume the figure of any substance over which it is bent, and will subsequently remain sufficiently fixed to permit of the lines, which have been modeled, being traced upon a sheet of paper. This process should always be observed; but when a saddle has to be made, it does not constitute the “be all and the end all” of the tradesman’s duty. The tree, or the wooden base of the future article, should invariably be tried on the horse before the furnishing is proceeded with, because a saddle cannot possibly be perfect when the foundation of the structure shall prove defective, and any error is more easily corrected before the article be further complicated.

Nevertheless, it is obvious folly to have a saddle or a harness fitted to a quadruped while the body is loaded with fat, as the majority of horses are when fresh from the dealer’s yard. At first no part should be accurately adjusted, but margin should be allowed for those subsequent alterations which are always imperative. After three or four months the dealer’s “make up” usually subsides. Then each article will require to be overlooked, and may be amended to the animal’s form, which probably will be preserved after it has been taken into regular work.

The choice of leather is of primary importance to the manufacturer of, and to the dealer in, equine furniture. After the goods are made up, no man, excepting he be a regular workman, can possibly form an opinion concerning the material of which it is composed. Certain tradesmen, not of questionable respectability, are in the habit of ticketing cheap articles to entrap chance customers. The dealers, however, do not always _know_ the precise nature of the trash which they become the means of circulating. They, nevertheless, must guess its character, for it is bought of the scamps who, shut out from all honest employment, exist by practicing upon the ignorant, or by pandering to the selfishness of the reckless portion of society.

The fellows purchase faulty leather. This, when made up, necessarily has the under surface concealed; it then requires a sharp and an educated eye to detect the nature of the fixed and highly polished material. The men, however, are fully aware that, with most gentlemen, stoutness is the test of quality. The prejudices of the general public are therefore propitiated, only the well-known shops being solicited by the peculiar order of workmen now under consideration. It is a common trick with the fraternity, before using, to line the flimsy stuff which they employ. This artifice is practiced as a bait to catch the notorious weakness of those persons in whose parsimony they find their most profitable customers.

Stoutness, however, may frequently deceive, even where excellence is really present. A good piece of leather is not always characterized by its bulk. The article which possesses the greatest strength may be thin, but it will feel supple and mellow to the hand. A skin of such a nature may confidently be trusted to wear. Persons, however, who are not educated to understand these qualities, would do well to avoid the showy harness which, in leading thoroughfares, is stuck prominently forward, and is very low in price. This generally fails when stress is put upon it. A fair proportion of all accidents reported spring from that cause, a common form of which is snapping of the reins when these are subjected to more than ordinary tension. Such things are either cut from unsound leather, or made of imperfectly manufactured material, or the furniture of the harness is designedly deficient in some most essential quality.

By the furniture of harness is strictly implied that portion which is of metal, and which is always added to the leather before the fabric is completed. The best metallic ornaments are a London product, and are always forged or cast, but never stamped. The best quality of iron alone should be used for such a purpose. Recently a very superior article has been adopted by the trade. This is made of the metallic combination known as German silver. That substance was, when first brought under public notice, far too brittle to be employed by the harness-maker; but late improvements have endowed it with a strength and a tenacity equal to that exhibited by the very best Swedish iron.

After the furniture has been shaped, it has to be plated. It is as a plated article that German silver is most valuable. The butler’s pantry is characterized by greater delicacy than commonly distinguishes the stable, though, in both places, goods the same in kind may have to be operated upon. When the thin coating of silver is removed, of course the substance upon which it is overlaid must be exposed. The duration of a modern ornament cannot be accurately stated; but when the chief body was of iron, the contrast presented by the coarser metal and the silvered surface rendered repeated renewals unavoidable: whereas the integrity of the superficial layer is not so important when the bulk, both in color and in aspect, is a fair imitation of the more precious investment. For this reason, Messrs. Gibson always recommend the use of plated German silver, which, if a trifle dearer to the purchaser, proves in the end the most economical, besides being a superior article from the commencement.

Buckles are of much use, as these allow the harness to be adjusted; but no buckles can adjust that which is not properly made. The tightening or loosening of a strap may improve the set; but a suit of well-constructed harness should be so accurately proportioned as to fall into its proper place without the aid of manual strength or the repeated alteration of the various fastenings. When harness does not fit, the collar either pains the shoulders or the saddle galls the back. An animal cannot progress steadily when its attention is engrossed by bodily suffering. The sight is no longer employed to guide the steps. The foot is incautiously placed upon a stone; the steed stumbles over the first inequality; or, the mind being excited by pain, any object may alarm or startle the quadruped. The animal is blamed, and has been destroyed because of such accidents; whereas the real cause of the mischief was a badly-made set of cheap harness, which was probably worn for the first occasion, and which the owner may have journeyed forth specially to display.

Such mishaps should caution the public always to have the trappings of a horse made for the quadruped; or, at all events, altered by a proper tradesman, before allowing them to be employed. The difference of cost between the ready-made article and the goods which are manufactured to order is not more than a third of the outlay; while the products of any respectable house will, upon an average, last twice as long as, and need infinitely less repairing than, the rubbish which is sold “cheap.” Therefore, by true economy, by durability, and by safety, the public should be urged to a particular selection.

The gentleman, however, who contemplates “starting his horse,” must not conceive the expenditure has terminated with the purchase of the animal. There are stables to rent and a groom to hire. Then there is the building to provide and to furnish; a saddle and a bridle to procure; with a set of harness and a vehicle to obtain. Rent and servant necessitate no immediate outlay. Hay, oats, and straw may possibly be acquired upon short credit; but stable furniture, saddlery, harness, and vehicle should be paid for on delivery; otherwise more than a fair percentage for time and for money may be added to the account.

The articles requisite to furnish a stable are rather numerous; certainly they are somewhat expensive. Because of that circumstance, everything should be purchased of the stoutest kind and of the best quality. On no account should the servant receive extra wages to supply such necessaries. The man, when making such an agreement, of course contemplates a profit, and, as he concludes the bargain, calculates how few accessories he can contrive “to get along with.” The smaller the number the greater must be the pecuniary gain. The horse is, therefore, inconvenienced, if not tortured, by certain processes being accomplished with inefficient instruments, the grooming being performed rather to please the master’s eye than to conduce to the comfort of his animal.

The consequences of such an arrangement are, the gentleman is cheated, the horse is maltreated; while the only gainer by the transaction, should he be suddenly discharged, of course carries away the many et ceteras he has been paid to provide. The stable is in a great measure stripped of its furniture. The new-comer may not enter upon his situation immediately. A helper, who must in the interim be engaged, will not feel disposed to adopt any artifice for the convenience of his employer. Moreover, the new servant may agree to certain conditions, without comprehending the outlay these involved. Grooms, when they enter upon a fresh situation, seldom possess cash in any abundance; therefore, several expedients are imperative, each of which implies the imperfect performance of some necessary duty.

Supposing one horse only to be kept, stable furniture embraces--_clothing_. Of this, the first cost of the blanket kind certainly is the lowest; but the sort denominated “kersey” last much the longer period, and therefore must, in the end, prove by far the least expensive. The animal’s clothes consist of several pieces, each being known by a distinct name: as, quarter-sheet; breast-piece; hunting-piece; pad-cloth; hood; body-roller, and knee-caps.

To these are added a moderate sized and coarse blanket or horse rug for the night, as well as a night roller to fasten it upon the body.

Among the stable furniture, which is more directly employed about the horse, ranks the head collar, the manger log, and the manger rein or the rope rein. Of which last, the leathern fastening is not much the dearer; while in appearance, in utility, and in wear, it will be found altogether the superior.

Of articles required by the groom for use, are the scraper; the hoof picker; the curry-comb; the dandy, or dandruff brushes and water brushes; combs; straight and crooked scissors for trimming the mane and tail; sponges; bandages for the legs; cloths; leathers; a rack chain; the pillar-reins; the exercising bridle; hard and soft brushes for cleaning harness; a burnisher; a brush to clean the bit; an oil pan and a brush; a dung basket; pails and forks. All these articles, that they may survive the usual treatment of such things, should be supplied by some reputable tradesman.

The above goods, being designed to endure hard wear, should each be of the best possible quality. More order than is commonly observed ought to be maintained in the arrangement of the stable. A place should be allotted for every article when not in use. That this may be accomplished, stables should be built with better accommodations for storing than it is customary to provide in such erections. Bottles, jars, and implements are now thrust into any ready corner; the interiors of these places consequently present a littered appearance; but such an aspect is unavoidable, when there exists no receptacle where such articles might be placed until again required. There is now no help for the nuisance: forks, brooms, pails, and boxes must incumber the gangway, since the architect never provides a situation where such properties might be more safely lodged.

Another essential should be attended to by every gentleman who values the condition of his horse, the comfort of his stable, or the preservation of those accessories with which the last-named place must be stocked--this is, the temper of the servant. Some people favor a strange prejudice, which asserts irritability and industry are frequently associated. Anger, however, does not open the heart to sympathy, and its habitual display assuredly unfits its victim for the exercise of authority.

Evil passion will render a servant disobliging, and cause him to become an expensive retainer. The manner in which the failing will act upon the groom may not be very apparent to the reader, therefore his indulgence is requested while the author proceeds briefly to explain the matter.

Nothing can possibly be more extravagant than passion. It is heedless of consequences, and destruction is its delight. The author formerly knew a gentleman who used to indulge in the most violent fits of unbridled temper. He made his home miserable, and a moderate income was sadly crippled by expenses resulting from gusts of constitutional irritability. The last consequence, it is melancholy to relate, alone induced thoughts of amendment. When this individual, in later life, became conscious that what he termed his cloudy mood threatened to darken his intellect, he would retire to some solitary apartment: there, he would station himself before a looking-glass, and begin simpering and blandly talking to his own image. He would then tear or break something, generally a wooden or a paper match, and, having thus gratified that which he named his destructive impulse, after a few more antics would return, all smiles, to the bosom of his family, exclaiming, “Thank Heaven! It’s all over now!”

But the great majority of grooms, imbued with the pride of ignorance, cannot afford to acknowledge a failing. Conceit makes them rather lend strength to an affliction by striving to conceal its existence. The master may never discover, if he cares not to search for, the truth. But the servant is necessarily empowered with absolute control in the stable. The implements speedily are damaged; certain duties are either neglected or imperfectly performed; the horse loses its fat; the coat never looks well; the eye becomes restless from the natural timidity of the animal being perpetually awakened. Nothing promotes thrift in a quadruped like the placidity of its attendant; whereas the constant alarm excited by the habitual anger of its superior is inimical to that glossy outside and blooming aspect in which the larger number of horse owners so much delight.

The groom, in most situations, is greatly trusted with valuable property. In a large stable the cost of the trappings alone would form no inconsiderable possession to a needy man. There must be either saddlery or harness. There is no one to overlook the treatment of either. Such articles are expensive, and each is composed of numerous complications. Harness for one horse consists of a bridle, of a collar, of a pad, of a martingale, of reins, of traces, of a breeching or of a loin strap, of a crupper, etc.; all of which should be solidly and well constructed. The whole should be formed of the very best leather, for any defect in this furniture may be fruitful with the greatest danger. Hence the advantage of dealing with a maker whose warranty represents more than a wordy inducement to purchase; and hence the necessity for care in the servant to whom such perishable property is intrusted.

For the gig horse, a set of harness, if embellished with plated ornaments, is generally charged about thirteen pounds. For a pair of carriage animals, the harness possessing similar adornments will commonly cost nearly thirty-three pounds. If brass is preferred in the place of plated goods, a slight reduction is the result. Yet even the foregoing figures do not include crests and other fanciful items, which are invariably paid for as extras, since no estimate could possibly embrace articles concerning the size, the number, and the elaboration of which the tastes of scarcely two individuals perfectly agree.

The harness for a brougham is generally more expensive than that sold for the gig. Extra strength is required, and where work and leather are concerned, of course strength represents money. The trappings also should be more showy and more embellished when intended for a servant’s use. Most gentlemen prefer the animal they control should be so caparisoned as to attract no attention. This feeling causes the difference in price. Ornamentation, where the horses are to be adorned, of course necessitates expenditure, though the degree in which the last quality shall be exhibited necessarily depends on the taste of the proprietor.

Carriage harness, however, is viewed as the perfection of its particular craft. It is astonishing how nice is the adjustment required, and how perceptible any fault or deficiency becomes to the least observant spectator. The carriage may be new, the liveries of the smartest kind, but unless the harness be excellent, the general effect will be deteriorated. The pace of the horses is rendered uneven, the coachman becomes nervous, and the vehicle is not drawn smoothly onward when any sensible defect exists. Gentlemen cannot imagine how much danger is hazarded by the endeavors often made to procure an expensive article at less than a fairly remunerative price.

Harness is thus expensive because its uses demand excellence in every part. It is subject to daily trials; it must be manufactured to sustain perpetual tests as well as to endure constant supervision. A good set of harness should wear eight or ten years, although during the lengthened service repeated repairs must be expected. The mendings, or perhaps the partial renewals, will of course grow heavier as the age of the material increases. If done by piece-work, the repairs will average from one pound to four pounds yearly; but if a contract be entered into with the maker, the terms usually are from thirty shillings to two pounds per annum; the agreement dating from the commencement of the wear.

The endurance of such things, however, is greatly governed by the uses to which they are subjected, and by the manner in which they are treated. When harness is seldom at home, of course it wears faster than when it is rarely or is moderately employed. The industry and habits of the person who looks after the articles have also to be considered. Some lazy men will ruthlessly wash the leather in a pail of water and afterward hang it upon the most convenient paling to dry in the sunshine. Such a proceeding will prove quickly ruinous: harshness is induced; all suppleness is destroyed; a disposition to crack is engendered; while the plated ornaments speedily become tarnished.

The proper method of cleaning is, to employ as little water as possible. A moist sponge, well soaped, may, when very much soil exists, be quickly passed over the surface, but each part should, without loss of time, be immediately dried after the dirt is removed. All the mud having been thus obliterated, the several pieces should be most carefully gone over again with a dry cloth, so as to absorb any possible moisture which, during the first cleansing, may have escaped notice. In fine or during dusty weather, no fluid is necessary, nor should the employment of any be suffered. A pail of water will, doubtlessly, save labor; but the servant’s leisure, which is thereby secured, is a severe burden upon the master’s income. A good brush, not too hard, but one having springy hair, will soon remove all dry impurities; and with that the harness, when not made moist by the road or rendered wet by exudation from the animal’s body, should always be cleansed.

This being done, apply Harris’s jet-black oil, but not thickly; enough has been laid on so that the application lies upon every portion of the surface. No long time need be allowed for the oil to dry in; but the first piece is generally ready to receive the next application by the time the last part has been properly finished. Then apply a little of the compo., which being polished to a lustrous black, the entire process is perfected by a final wash of Harris’s harness fluid.

The appearance will be longer preserved when harness is cleaned after the foregoing directions, while its lasting properties are not injured by the process. Instead of being deteriorated every time it is cleansed, the leather is nourished, its strength and its aspect being renovated. The plated ornaments, of course, are not alluded to in the above instructions; to polish these, some prepared chalk, fine brushes, finer than are generally employed, and a wash leather are imperative.

An inefficient groom is, perhaps, more readily detected by his manner of cleaning harness than by any other stable operation. Practice alone confers aptitude in handling the various pieces. Use enables the different articles to be rendered smart without staining the flesh or soiling the dress of the operator. When the servant is new to the occupation, particular portions are invariably scamped; others get more than the requisite attention. Certain of the ornaments are left with the crevices full of powder, while some parts are wholly neglected; but, above all, the linings to the various pieces are always smeared and impressed with dirty finger-marks. A good groom apparently will not trouble himself to avoid such errors, but, when he has finished, each portion is equally clean, while the insides are untainted and free from the smallest soil.

The linings should be cleansed in the same manner as the other parts, only the blacking and the polishing are unnecessary. In most situations, leather is employed to cover the under surface; where this substance is present, no beating is then required. Where cloth is used, as in the lining of a saddle pannel, this should be daily beaten with a small cane, and subsequently brushed till all hairs and dust are removed. The bad servant invariably strives to hide his laziness under a pretense of excessive zeal for his master’s interest. When ordered to attend to the lining of his harness, he will endeavor to escape from the command by pleading the wear which attends the constant friction occasioned by continual beating and by perpetual brushing.

A collar placed on the horse should be firm, falling easily into its proper situation. It is stuffed with straw or flock, and is lined with leather. That the lining may not be stretched and that the stuffing may not be hardened in parts but may feel equally firm upon every portion of its inner surface, the article should never be used when moist, even in the remotest degree. When removed in a wet state, it should be dried either in the sun or before the kitchen fire, prior to again being taken into service. When doing this, of course the nature of the material should be considered; it should only be exposed to such a heat as will cause the moisture to evaporate, and if that end can be attained by a brisk current of air in a shady place, such a situation is to be very much preferred to any natural or to any artificial warmth.

The collar should pass into its situation without requiring the force which careless grooms seem to delight in exerting, or ignorant servants, possibly, may regard as necessary to the proper fulfillment of their duties. Any violence, when daily repeated, must eventually damage the horse’s appearance by removing hair from the prominences of the head, and by causing the naturally placid countenance of the animal to assume a worn or a ragged expression. The collar should be turned when put over the face, the widest part of the opening being passed over the ears. When the head is through, and before the article proceeds lower than the topmost portion of the neck, it should be righted, or the pointed part should occupy the most elevated situation; after which it is slid down upon the shoulder.

The collar, when fitted to the neck, should sit firmly and closely. The bearing should be equal and even, because the entire draught is from the collar; in proportion as the bearing is accurately distributed, so the weight will be easily propelled. Some people have endeavored to render the collar more steady by attaching the traces to hames with double eyes. The hames are the metal rods which repose upon the collar; the eyes are circular spaces which permit the traces to be united to the hames. Though double fastenings may occasion the force to seem better distributed along these rods, the effect must operate rather upon the spectator’s mind than upon the substance it is meant to render stationary. If a line is drawn from the point where the trace should end, and equidistant from those places to which the two bands are attached, the real seat of bearing will prove not to have been changed by the angularity of the fastenings, but will either remain confined to its original situation, or it may act only on one fastening to the exclusion of the other. That which is known as a scroll eye, however, is more elegant than the plain attachment, and on account of its smartness deserves to be preferred.

A breast-collar, when the circumstances permit a free exercise of selection, should never be adopted. It may, in the eye of inexperience, look prettier; but it goes directly across a part of motion; it drags against the muscles, which, being loose in structure, are not made to endure continual pressure. Moreover, the cartilage of the chest moves with each respiration; any force operating from without, therefore, cannot but oppose this normal action. Besides, the chief component of the chest, the terminations of the ribs, which are inserted into the sternum, are also cartilaginous. Now, cartilage is highly plastic, and readily assumes strange shapes, as is seen by the larynx when distorted by the bearing-rein. (See “Illustrated Horse Doctor,” pp. 108, 109.) Whereas, when the collar bears against the shoulder, it is supported by solid bone, as firm and as compact as can be found in most structures throughout the body.

However, when accident or disease makes it impossible to continue the employment of a collar, the breast-strap, although in itself an evil, becomes the only substitute.

There is connected with the hame a simple arrangement, about which neither gentlemen nor makers are always sufficiently particular. The reins are supported in their proper position by passing through a ring or ferret, which is generally fixed upon the hames. Should the horse, thus caparisoned, accidentally fall, the loop, being immovable, is either bent out of all shape, or, more probably, it is broken short off by the weight of the prostrate animal. It may be replied, that horse collars are not, when manufactured, made to be violently driven against stones. The writer does not contradict the assertion; but when a hinge will not interfere with the aspect, and, by yielding to pressure, will guard against a possible mischance, the little extra labor which the addition would require assuredly could not be better expended.

The principal portions of the harness having been considered, some thought must now be bestowed upon the chief essentials of saddlery. A good saddle, intended to please the majority of horsemen, should be seventeen and a half or eighteen inches long, the length being regulated by the shape of the animal. It is, of course, equally easy to manufacture a saddle of any given proportions; but one of a sound working and a thoroughly useful sort should not be much shorter, and should weigh from ten to twelve pounds. Such things have been produced of seven pounds weight. Were it desirable, the saddle could be made much lighter even than the last figure represents; the article at present under consideration is supposed to be of a lasting description, and not of the fanciful kind. When gentlemen lay down rules which the manufacturer is to observe, they should remember that the tradesman, who merely carries out his employer’s ideas, and is not permitted to obey his own convictions, is no longer responsible for results.

A broad seat is generally preferred. This should not be so wide as to disable the grip of the rider; but it ought to be of no greater dimensions than will allow a firm hold to be taken by the fleshy part of the thigh. Every saddle has two girths, but all girths have not three straps. These should always be present; because if one strap should break, another is ready to supply its place. It vexes most keen sportsmen, near the termination of a hard run, to lose a good place because, strained by the accelerated action of the horse’s lungs, a girth strap shall, when excitement is at its height, give way.

To avoid so irritating an accident, the hunting or the Melton girth is now commonly employed. This consists of a broad webbing, which is tightened by two straps, one at either margin. Over the main girth there runs a narrower length of the same material, which is kept in its situation by passing through two loops upon the principal binder. The narrower webbing is fastened by means of the third or central strap. Thus, should one of the fastenings of the chief girth yield, or even should both be forced from their holds, the saddle will not necessarily be displaced, as there is always a supernumerary guard in attendance ready to officiate as the representative of its incapacitated principals.

Cruppers are generally discarded. These appendages have occasioned terrible sores, and are of no actual utility to the retention of the saddle; for the withers should prevent that convenience from moving too forward. A martingale is occasionally used; but if the animal be rightly formed for its purposes, and has been carefully broken in, the head should be carried properly without necessitating compulsion. The mouth is soon injured and loses its sensitiveness when a tight rein is constantly in requisition to bring the muzzle into its proper situation. When the lips are subjected to perpetual pressure it can hardly be anticipated that the steed can obey the slightest movement of the rider’s hand. Most people are vexed when obliged to tug and haul every time it is desired the animal should deviate from the direct course.

Once the spring stirrup was hailed as a marvelous invention and an indispensable part of every good saddle. This was designed to release the foot of a rider who had lost his seat. Such things were very pretty toys. They acted beautifully in the chamber when first taken out of paper, but, when exposed to use, these elegant precautions soon got out of order. Dirt would work into the joint and would interfere with the mechanism, which thus became useless at the very time its services were likely to be required. After a hard gallop the joint could not be otherwise than clogged, especially when the run was across country. Therefore the spring stirrup has been displaced in public estimation by the spring bar. This last is the newer and the less costly provision, the spring being attached to the bar which supports the stirrup leather.

The situation where the machinery is lodged protects it from dirt, from wet, or from dust, being doubly sheltered from all such intrusion. It is covered by the skirt of the saddle, and is likewise shielded by the thigh of the rider. The article thus placed is removed from the operation of that objection which has thrown the spring stirrup into disuse. The purpose of both inventions is equal, being exactly similar. When the rider was unseated, the stirrup was _intended_ to yield before the drag of the imprisoned foot. When the horseman is thrown, the smallest traction _does_ occasion the spring bar to act, and the leather is released, the limb forcing the stirrup iron and the leather to quit their relative situations.

The stirrup iron was formerly made of various shapes, each of which was imagined to possess some special advantage. At present, however, the public appear to disregard peculiarities of form in such articles, and to pay no attention to those contortions concerning which our forefathers were so extremely precise. It is now considered quite sufficient if the stirrup iron afford a firm rest to the foot of the rider, if it be not disposed to glide away from the pressure of the boot, and if it be as light as possible, but nevertheless possesses the strength necessary for its purposes. All these intentions are embodied in a plain, three-barred stirrup iron, which presents an ample surface of bearing, while, being slightly roughened upon its upper surface, it is readily retained by pressure; but for the strength of the article the respectability of the salesman must afford the only possible guarantee.

Also appended to the saddle is an adjunct frequently of no inconsiderable utility in the field. It is comparatively of modern invention, and is known as the hunting breast-plate. One extremity is attached by means of a hold to each side of the saddle, near to the pommel. The straps proceeding thence are short, and soon unite, when the medium of junction proceeds to the chest. The two leathers, one from either side, are there joined to a single strap, which, after passing between the forelegs, is finally attached to the girth. The intention of this addition is to retain the saddle in its proper situation, an object not always easy to accomplish even with this provision, as high withers and violent muscular exertion naturally incline to its backward movement.

The breast-plate, for the full development of its use, necessitates much care in the groom when caparisoning the quadruped. The two short upper straps, on which all stress must center, join directly under the windpipe. Because of this all parts necessitate the most accurate adjustment; where a breast-plate is used, the servant should particularly notice the position of the girth when securing the fastening. If the leather should be loose or even slack, the backward motion of the saddle will of course dispose the two side pieces to assume the straight line, or it will force their junction upward as well as render its pressure more stringent. The consequence will be, the strap must press upon the trachea and blood-vessels; the animal may be choked, and the hunting of one day spoiled, even should the rider and his horse ultimately escape all injury.

The upper reins of the martingale are sometimes made to spring from the center fastening of the breast-plate. But the use of the martingale is to force the head downward. To do this requires a firm hand and a straight rein, which consequently pulls the restraining strap of the breast-plate upward, and thus destroys the purpose of the last invention. The two articles are, in their uses, perfectly distinct; such things cannot be profitably blended. The martingale is designed to counteract an upward traction. The fastening of the breast-plate should drag only in the downward line, whereas the head strains in the contrary direction. When a martingale cannot be dispensed with, one should be worn totally distinct and separate from the breast-plate. It is, however, always desirable to join the meet with as few floating gear as possible; since, when the pace grows hot and the fences are high, such loops are little better than baits for accident.

A good addition to the saddle, and one no rider should be without, was introduced into this country by Messrs. Gibson. It was originally used in India, where its utility was largely tested, and amply proved by the British cavalry. This improvement consists of a felt under-pannel; which is made of such dimensions as to be perfectly concealed when lying between the pannel and the skin. As an adjusting medium it answers admirably. Should the saddle not exactly fit, the motion chafes the felt, and does not gall the body. Besides, horses are not, more than their masters, of the same size at all times; the felt, being elastic, allows of slight variations in bulk without imperiling the safety of the proprietor.

The felt under-pannel should always be used whenever a side-saddle is employed; it renders the adjustment more easy, and makes it more secure. Such an advantage cannot always be attained, even with the extra girth, with which all side-saddles should be provided. Every possible care ought to be exercised that the seat of a lady’s saddle may be rendered firm; because, as the make throws the bearing upon the near side, and the fixedness of the position must incapacitate the lady for freedom of action, therefore any movement of the saddle is likely to be attended by serious consequences.

For the foregoing reasons, the maker should bestow the greatest attention upon the shape of the saddle-tree; no artifice should be neglected that is calculated to render the side-saddle more fixed upon the horse’s back. The seat should be longer as well as broader than is usual in those articles which are manufactured to sell quickly and to look prettily. It should be covered with soft, unpolished leather, and be quilted, so that its partial roughness and trivial inequalities may present a more secure and an easier seat for the fair equestrian.

Every aid would, however, be useless, were it not for the crutches. The female rider must cast her bearing upon the near crutch; hence horses, when forced to work under an ill-made side-saddle, often suffer terribly, and exhibit as the consequence severe examples of fistulous withers. Experience has proved that the off crutch is of small service, save as it may confirm the confidence of the lady; although, by rendering the leg more stationary, it is in reality calculated to increase her danger. Its utility lies in calming the timidity of the horsewoman; for the instant a horse gets into motion, the bearing is entirely toward the near side; therefore most modern saddlers, although they dare not remove the useless crutch, have its height materially diminished.

The third or knee crutch is a comparatively recent improvement. It offers a point for pressure to the left knee, or of bearing for the stirrup leg. It is of every service, enabling the lady to retain a firm seat. During the perils of leaping it prevents the lighter weight of the female body being, by the violence of the motion, so shaken as to lose all hold upon the upper crutches. Thus, in some degree, it compensates for the advantage that gentlemen enjoy in the grip which their position enables them to take of the saddle.

The slipper was the favorite stirrup in use with the side-saddle a few years ago. Its adoption then was all but universal, and so at the present time is its rejection. The Victoria stirrup, or an iron of the shape which is adopted by Her Majesty, now engrosses public patronage; it being generally employed, with the addition of the previously noticed spring bar.

The patent stirrup for ladies is not liable to those objections which were urged against the spring stirrup, when employed for the saddles of gentlemen. The habit protects the machinery, which is not therefore exposed to the intrusion of mud. Its action is almost certain; but, should it not answer the occasion, the next invention, when employed with the foregoing provision, would probably set the malice of “luck” at defiance.

The following should also be appended to every lady’s saddle. Male equestrians may esteem the spring bar to afford the gentle sex sufficient protection. However, where there is a possibility of question, no expense ought to prevent the more fearful rider from being guarded by the latest additions, which may promise even the remotest chance of security. The common spring bar rarely fails to act; but, on particular occasions, it has retained the stirrup leather. The patented improvement shown on the next page appears to provide against such an accident, and when employed with the stirrup represented in the previous engraving, it assuredly affords an almost certain immunity from those accidents which each is assumed to render an impossibility.

The dotted lines indicate the relative positions of the stirrup leather.]

No lady’s saddle should be used without being accompanied by the hunting breast-plate; for nothing which might possibly increase security should in that case be neglected. For the last reason, also, a felt under-pannel should never be absent; because firmness of seat lends assurance to the rider, and because the provision prevents that unsteadiness which is known to provoke one of the worst evils to which the horse is exposed.

Saddles are covered by what the public denominate pigs’ skins, but which the trade, aiming at a distinction without being able to indicate a difference, persist in calling hogs’ skins.

These are always procured from the currier in large lots when purchased at first hand; but they are a hazardous article to buy. Out of two hundred, of which a parcel shall consist, there may not be more than two dozen really sound skins; therefore no tradesman has hitherto been able to establish a reputation for dealing in so uncertain a commodity. The wholesale merchant, consequently, knows but few customers. Established houses alone can afford the requisite outlay to obtain goods of so notoriously uncertain a character. From the larger parcels the best specimens are carefully selected by the first buyer; the remainder are cast upon the retail market, and are distributed among the numerous class of trades-people, whose limited capital does not allow them to speculate with the articles which they employ.

A good saddle is recognized by the accuracy of the fit. When let fall upon the back, it at once finds the proper situation. There it remains stationary and firm before a girth is fastened. When the maker, having brought home a new article, finds occasion to interfere with the groom, shifts about the saddle, and concludes his performance by tugging at the girths before he requests the employer to feel how firmly the new production is located, it is always an evil omen. The saddler, supposing the groom to be competent to his position, should never be suffered to volunteer assistance; the horse owner had better ride bare-backed than be seated on a badly-constructed saddle, for the last is hardly less unpleasant to a good horseman, while the first is infinitely more safe for the rider and the quadruped.

A good fit presupposes excellent workmen, and of course the larger houses attract the greater number of such artificers, because in such shops men expect to be employed on that particular branch of work in which each excels. Such masters, likewise, can afford to pay the highest rate of wages, and can alone tempt with constant employment. Add to these reasons that money in the saddlery and harness trades commands rather more than its just influence, being able to select the pick of every market, and it must be apparent how many advantages the established firm enjoys over the ordinary beginner, who has to struggle against the lack of pecuniary ability, against a want of regular customers, and against those difficulties which are peculiar to his calling.

Hogs’ skins are easily cleansed by washing quickly with a little soap and water; but washing and drenching are not here regarded as representing the same process. Water is not beneficial to leather of any sort, therefore as little fluid as will accomplish the object should be used; the more speedy the operation the better. It should be concluded by a clean cloth immediately wiping the surface quite dry. This finished, a sponge damped with good milk should be passed over the exterior; the saddle then should be hung up (not before the fire or in the sunshine) to expel the moisture. The more seldom, however, this process is adopted the better; consequently, it is only to be recommended upon urgent necessity.

Bridles, and every strip of harness which bears the slightest resemblance to a rein, should be cut only from the best, the strongest, and the choicest of English leather. Struggling tradesmen do not all possess the ability, however powerful may be the desire, to exercise selection in this article. Some have sent forth reins made of so faulty a material as stood exposed the moment it encountered the glance of a practical or an educated eye. The head-piece, requiring shorter straps, may possibly be cut from a partially imperfect hide; but for the reins, length and toughness are essential. The merest crack will, with constant wear, become a fissure; and no horseman can foretell the moment when personal safety shall depend upon the power which he shall be able to exert through the reins.

A fair proportion of the injuries which happen to riders or to drivers are aggravated by faulty reins. A contest arises between a restive horse and an intemperate master. The contest, which from the earliest period alarmed timidity in the animal, has just excited the man, when the reins fly asunder. The scared quadruped finds itself suddenly released. The creature understands nothing of the cause; but the first impulse natural to fear is to fly from the presence of the power against which it has been struggling. Whenever the horse displeases its master, pain inflicted by whip, bit, or spur generally ensues as a natural consequence. It is from such torture that the poor life endeavors to escape. Motion increases its terror as the unshackled being dashes blindly onward. An accident is the probable result. The coroner and the jury assemble; a verdict, which all approve, is formally delivered; but no one thinks of inspecting the reins to discover the real cause of injury.

Reins should always be attentively examined. If good, they look pleasant to the eye, and are yielding to the touch. Any roughness, harshness, or hardness denotes the presence of defective leather. It may not break to-morrow or the next day, but before long the rein will separate. The slightest indication of a crack will gradually become an extensive division. Messrs. Gibson have often been honored with commands to export reins, the foreign leather being harsh and inelastic, therefore feeling unpleasant to English hands; but more frequently the natives of this country are afraid to employ reins exhibiting innumerable cracks, everywhere displaying the roughness which should not exist, and being totally deficient in the suppleness which ought to be abundantly present.

When reins are intended for the use of ladies, their character should be unexceptionable. Many girls, before they have conquered the seat, depend, in no slight degree, upon the reins for retaining their positions in the saddle. They of course understand nothing about saddlery. They accept anything which is offered; but the sudden snapping of the reins always terrifies the steed, while it greatly alarms the gentle being on its back, whose fears are increased by finding herself instantaneously deprived of a support on which her inexperience had depended. Ladies’ reins, being made lighter, should be cut from better leather than those intended for gentlemen; if there be a possible choice, it should be accorded to the weaker party. Some horsewomen like the reins and the head-piece to be formed of rounded straps. Thus made, they certainly have a lighter and a more graceful appearance; but Messrs. Gibson do not recommend such a form of bridle to those ladies who delight in mounting and in subduing high-spirited animals.

Martingales are generally complained of as troublesome appendages when added to the trappings of either the saddle or of the gig horse. These articles, however, can be so manufactured as to lend a dignity to the quadrupeds which run before carriages; though, where a martingale is used, the bearing-rein becomes unnecessary, since both restraints aim at the same object. Perhaps of the two, the martingale is the better, because, while obliging the head to be held in the proper position, it enables the coachman, by slackening the reins, to rest the muscles of the neck when the vehicle pauses. The martingale certainly requires the better driver, and imposes the greater exertion upon him who drives, the latter circumstance being likely to interfere with the digestive serenity of most servants.

There is, however, one species of martingale, without which few ladies’ saddles appear to be fully equipped. Some animals necessitate no restraint to improve the carriage of the head, but these, nevertheless, acquire a habit of throwing the muzzle suddenly up and of jerking the foam from the lips into the face of the rider. This propensity communicates no pleasure to the person who occupies the seat. It generally causes the equestrian to lower the head whenever the quadruped evinces a disposition to exalt its countenance; such being the precise moment when the human vision is of double value; for the eye of the horse, being directed heavenward, can then take no cognizance of earthly objects; hence the great need for the guidance of the rider.

To correct this, the French martingale, which consists of a single strap, is attached to the nose band. The band passes over the nasal bones, and under the forward part of the lower jaw. To the lowest part of this band the French martingale is fixed. The operation is obvious. The horse, by raising the head, causes the martingale to act on the bridle: the nostrils are compressed; the breathing is interfered with; and, as the quadruped resents the slightest hinderance to its respiration, the fruitless effort to indulge an obnoxious habit is relinquished, so that the annoyance of the tightened nose band may be avoided. French martingales, which were once largely in use, are now never employed with a gentleman’s saddle, although they have not been discarded by equestrians of the gentler sex.

The bits which accompany the ladies’ bridle are more fanciful in shape, and more ornamental in appearance, though hardly so heavy as the articles manufactured for the use of gentlemen, because the generality of ladies seldom resort to this instrument of positive torture: indeed, these severities seem to be losing their attractions over the harsher natures. Many men, however, employ them; most regard a bridle as incomplete without a bit; but very few are so fond of the restraint as to order it to be sewn to the head-piece.

A bit permanently attached certainly appears lighter, and necessitates the employment of less obvious force, though at the same time it must be more acute when in operation. Nevertheless, it is to be doubted whether one foot passenger out of ten thousand would notice the only peculiarity for which such an arrangement is to be commended. Moreover, every animal does not require the exertion of extraordinary power; while the irremovable character of the bit is not without attendant disadvantages. The article can no longer be changed at pleasure. A rider may grow to dislike the constant employment of one form of coercion. The animal’s education may not need the perpetuation of such severity; the temper may improve, or the steed may accommodate itself to the personal peculiarities of its proprietor; or the quadruped’s mood may change, for horses, like their masters, are swayed by strange influences, and are sometimes impelled by eccentric impulses.