A manual of saddles and collars, sore backs and sore shoulders / by F. Smith.

  • Smith, F. (Frederick), Sir, 1857-1929.
Date:
1897
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A manual of saddles and collars, sore backs and sore shoulders / by F. Smith. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    the thousands of saddles now in use and in store, and learn to make the best use of the material placed at our disposal. The regulations say: “ The saddle should be where a placed in the middle of the horse’s back, the front be of it about the breadth of a hand behind the play of placed on the shoulder. ” Perhaps it would be clearer to say a tiie back* saddle is in its correct place on the back when the front arch is placed opposite to the hollow behind the blade-bone. Having selected that size of saddle which ap- proaches the nearest to- the shape of the horse we are about to fit, the bare trees is first placed on the back, and the following points attended to — 1st. That the front arch is wide enough and sufficiently high to clear the withers, and that the point clear the sides. 2nd. That the width between the side bars is sufficiently great to enable them to come well down over the ribs, and not to press into the side of the withers. 3rd. That the side-bars bear evenly on the horse’s back from the play of the shoulders to the last rib, and that the rear fans are clear of the loins. If the horse possesses a full back—that is, one with Fitting the plenty of muscle and no- great hollow behind the SKie bars- blade—we may be able to ascertain all these points with ease, but if he be at all hollow at the pit of the shoulders, the “burrs” rest on the blade-bone, and the side bars do not even touch the back at the most important of all parts, viz., the hollow behind the blade. In some backs it will be found that a portion of the bar, viz., its upper edge, is touching the back, whilst the lower edge is so far distant from it that the fingers may easily be inserted between it and the skin. In other cases, as explained before, the distance between the side-bars is not great enough, and the upper edge of the latter rests on the side of the withers and pinches them. The side-bars should rest on the ribs and be absolutely clear of the withers; if they are not, severe injury follows situated at No. 3, Fig. 11.