CLEANING A SADDLE.
The leather work of a saddle should be kept clean and soft, with the stitches 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 passed 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.
[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.