The leather work of a saddle should be kept clean and soft, with the st.i.tches 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 pa.s.sed 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.

CHAPTER IV.

BRIDLES.

Description of a Bridle--Varieties of Bits--Snaffles--Curbs--Pelhams-- Nose-bands--Reins--Martingales--Adjustment of the Bridle.

As there is no difference between the bridles used by men and those employed by ladies, I have compiled this chapter from my husband's _Riding and Hunting_, to which I beg to refer my readers for any further information they may require.

DESCRIPTION OF A BRIDLE.

A bridle consists of a bit, head-stall and reins. The _bit_ is the piece of metal which goes into the animal's mouth; the _head-stall_ or "_head_" is the leather straps which connect the bit to the horse's head; and the _reins_ enable the rider to use the bit.

Some persons incorrectly restrict the term "bit" in all cases to a curb.

This particular application of the word is from custom allowable in the expression "bit and bridoon," in which the bit signifies a curb, and the bridoon a snaffle.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 32.--"Head" of a Single Bridle: _a_, Crown-piece; _b_, _b_, Cheek-pieces; _c_, Throat-latch; _d_, Front or Brow-band.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 33.--Unjointed Snaffle.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 34.--Chain Snaffle.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 35.--Ordinary Snaffle with Cheeks.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 36.--Nutcracker action of Jointed Snaffle on Horse's Mouth.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 37.--Action of Unjointed Snaffle on Horse's Mouth.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 38.--Action of the Curb as a Lever.]

The _names of the different leather parts of a bridle_ (Fig. 32) are as follows:--

The _crown piece_ (_a_) pa.s.ses over the horse's poll.

The _cheek pieces_ (_b_ _b_) connect the crown-piece with the bit.

The _throat-latch_ (_c_), which is usually p.r.o.nounced "throat-lash,"

pa.s.ses under the animal's throat, and serves to prevent the bridle from slipping over his head.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 39.--Properly constructed Curb for ordinary Hunter.

Side View.]

The _front_, _forehead-band_ or _brow-band_ (_d_) goes across the horse's forehead, and has a loop at each end, for the crown-piece to pa.s.s through. "Front" is the trade name for this strap.

The _head-stall_ or _head_, which is the trade term, is the name given to all this leather work.

VARIETIES OF BITS.

Bits may be divided into snaffles, curbs and Pelhams.

SNAFFLES.

A _snaffle_ is a bit which acts on a horse's mouth by direct pressure, and not by leverage.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 40.--Ward Union Curb Bridle with Half-moon Snaffle.]

A _bridoon_ is the term applied to the snaffle of a _double bridle_, which is a bridle that has a curb and a snaffle. A double bridle is often called a "bit and bridoon."

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 41.--Curb Chain covered with India-rubber Tube.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 42.--Chin-strap unbuckled.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 43.--Chin-strap buckled.]

The best kinds of snaffles are the half-moon snaffle which has an unjointed and slightly curved mouth-piece (Fig. 33); and the chain snaffle (Fig. 34). The objection to the jointed snaffle (Fig. 35), which is the kind generally used, is that it has a nut-cracker action on the animal's mouth, instead of exerting a direct pressure, as shown respectively in Figs. 36 and 37. A chain snaffle should always have a Hanc.o.c.k's "curl bit mouth cover," which is a roll of india-rubber that curls round the mouth-piece, and prevents it hurting the mouth. In the absence of this india-rubber arrangement, we may cover the mouth-piece with two or three turns of wash-leather, which can be kept in its place by sewing.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 44.--Curb reversed by horse throwing up his head, in the absence of a chin strap.]

In all cases a snaffle should be thick and smooth, so that it may not hurt the horse's mouth.

CURBS.

A curb is a bit which acts as a lever, by means of the curb-chain that pa.s.ses under the animal's lower jaw (Fig. 38). Fig. 39 shows a properly constructed curb for a horse with an ordinary sized mouth. The best curb which is in general use is the Ward Union (Fig. 40). The curb-chain should have broad and thick links, so that it may not hurt the lower jaw. This precaution can be supplemented by a leather guard or by pa.s.sing the curb-chain through a rubber tube (Fig. 41). A chin-strap (Figs. 42 and 43) is necessary to keep the curb in its place (Fig. 44).

PELHAMS.

A Pelham is a bit which can act either as a curb or a snaffle, according to the reins which are taken up. Unless a lady thoroughly understands the handling of the reins, she should not use a Pelham, because her tendency when riding will be to feel both reins, in which case the snaffle reins will pull the mouth-piece high up in the mouth, which, as we shall see further on, is the wrong position for the action of the curb. Hence, only one pair of reins (either those of the snaffle or those of the curb) should be brought into play when using a Pelham.

NOSE-BANDS.

The use of a nose-band is to keep the horse's mouth shut, in the event of his holding his jaws wide apart, so as to resist the action of the bit. To be effective, it should be fixed low down. The cava.s.son nose-band (Fig. 45) is neat and serviceable.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 45.--Cava.s.son Nose-band.]