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 h