her to have her thigh horizontal instead of the knee being raised as it was in the old style of “dished out” saddles with a high front. Moreover, it has the great advantage of freeing the horse’s withers from pressure, and helps a bit toward keeping his back cool. The cooler the back is kept the freer it will be from soreness and chafing.
Side-Saddle with Narrow Pommels and Safety Flap Up
Side-Saddle with Stirrup Adjustable from Off Side
The frame of the saddle is called the “tree.” The tree of the standard saddles is of a standard width, and the fitting of the saddle to the horse’s back is secured not from using different sized trees
but by padding. Horses’ backs differ greatly both in width and sharpness, so that the saddle should always be fitted to the particular horse on which it is to be most used. This should be done by an experienced and competent saddler, and a proper fit secured before the saddle is bought or accepted. With a properly fitted saddle, saddle pads and cloths should never be necessary. They look clumsy, they are liable to slip out of place, they collect sand and dirt, and even the best of them heat the horse’s back. If some kind of saddle pad is required on account of a sore back, or an ill-fitting saddle, or if, for instance,
one is using one’s own saddle on a strange horse that it does not fit, by far the best pad to use is a sheepskin, cut the same size as the saddle and worn with the woolly side next to the horse’s back. Sheepskins are readily washed and do not heat the horse’s back nearly as much as the ordinary felt saddle pad.
The Same Side-Saddle, Off Side. Showing Spring Flap which Holds Flap Up or Down at Will, Permitting Rider to Adjust Girths or Stirrup Leather While Mounted