l by degrees lower his head, and get
into the habit of so arching his neck that the martingale may be
dispensed with; this is very desirable, because you cannot leap with a
standing martingale, and a running one requires the hands of a
steeplechase jock.

The saddle of a gentleman should be large enough. In racing, a few
pounds are of consequence; but in carrying a heavy man on the road or
in the field, to have the weight evenly distributed over the horse's
back is of more consequence than three or four pounds. The common
general fitting saddle will fit nine horses out of ten. Colonial horses
usually have low shoulders; therefore colonial saddles should be narrow,
thickly stuffed, and provided with cruppers, although they have gone out
of fashion in this country, because it is presumed that gentlemen will
only ride horses that have a place for carrying a saddle properly.

On a journey, see to the stuffing of your saddle, and have it put in a
draft, or to the fire, to dry, when saturated with sweat; the neglect of
either precaution may give your horse a sore back, one of the most
troublesome of horse maladies.

Before hunting, look to the spring bars of the stirrup-leathers, and see
that they will work: if they are tight, pull them down and leave them
open. Of all accidents, that of being caught, after your horses fall, in
the stirrup, is the most dangerous, and not uncommon. I have seen at
least six instances of it. When raw to the hunting-field, and of course
liable to falls, it is well to use the spring-bar stirrups which open,
not at the side, but at the eye holding the stirrup-leather; the same
that I recommend for the use of ladies.

Spurs are only to be used by those who have the habit of riding, and
will not use them at the wrong time. In most instances, the sharp points
of the rowels should be filed or rubbed off, for they are seldom
required for more than to rouse a horse at a fence, or turn him suddenly
away from a vehicle in the street. Sharp spurs may be left to jockeys.
Long-legged men can squeeze their horses so hard, that they can dispense
with spurs; but short-legged men need them at the close of a run, when
a horse begins to lumber carelessly over his fences, or with a horse
inclined to refuse. Dick Christian broke difficult horses to leaping
without the spur; and when he did, only used one on the left heel.
Having myself had falls with horses at the close of a run, which rushed
and pulled at the be