Seats and Saddles MAJOR DWYER §l.-<^'^ I I. JOHNA.SEAVERNS Hi ''if--' ^^^?h TUFTS UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIHIIIIIII 3 9090 014 550 434 .ft' mm ^m ?4'-.':^^^ a-p-/ Veterinary MediCMfif yu^KitterFamiiv Librai^ of Tufts Unixyersity 200 West^oro Road ^_ 01536^ North Grafton, MA ::: p- : SEATS AND SADDLES BITS AND BITTING DRAUGHT AND HARNESS AND THE PREVENTION AND CURE OF RESTIVENESS IN HORSES BY FRANCIS DWYER MAJOR OF HUSSA.RS IN THE IMPERIAL AUSTRIAN SERVICE Yis consili expers mole rnit sua," —Horace, CarvUn, Lib. III. Ode vi. THE THIRD IMPROVED AND ENLARGED EDITION LONDON W. B. WHITTINGHAM & CO., 91, GRACECHURCH STREET. All Eiglits reserved. 01SC \-irR HIS SERENE HIGHNESS FlUNCIS PAUL CHAKLES LOUIS ALEXANDEE, DUKE OF TECK, THIS BOOK IS BY PERJIISSTON DEDICATED, IN GRATEFUL A C K X Vv^ L E D G M E N T OF MANY KINDNESSES SHO^VN TO HIS SERENE HIGHNESS's MOST OBEDIENT SERVANT, THE A U T H R. ; PREFACE TO THIRD EDITION. The second edition of this book having been ex- hausted for some time, and the public still con- tmuing to ask for copies, a third edition lias been prepared. In Part I., chapter II., some additional remarks are offered on the subject of the crupper for cavalry saddles. In Part II., chapter I., the author enters a protest against the notion of his having ever advocated any one shape or size of bit as being universally applicable. In Part III., chapter III, Fehrmann's Horse-saver (Fferde Shconer) is described, and its use explained. There are also some remarks on brakes, on the disadvan- age of depending on the crupper in draught, for mares or horses inclined to kick; on long breechings, and on the uses and abuses of the bearing-rein the latter arising from its being employed to make a display, the former being however very real, if properly understood and carried out. F. D. — TABLE OF CONTENTS. INTRODUCTOKY CHAPTER. Various styles of riding a consequence of various kinds of in ducemeiits to ride —Natural riders and instructed riders There is great vraste of horse-flesh and premature destruc- tion of the animal's legs where bad methods are followed, or where no method at all exists —English civilian riders use up an enormous quantity of horse-flesh — Some foreign cavalry services do the same—The causes are generally false distribution of the weight to be carried—The horse's skele- ton is the framework of the machine we employ as a bearer — In order to adjust the burden to this, some knowledge of the machine is required, as also of the saddle by means of wdiich that burden is placed and retained on the horse's back—The seat is the way in which the rider adjusts his own weight through the intermedium of the saddle to the horse —Varieties of seats to suit various purposes—The bit is the instrument by which the rider's will is transmitted to the horse ; it is a lever which, if accurately adapted, will be of great assistance and value to the rider ; if iiufitted in shape, size, &c,, it is not only useless, but often dangerous — Uestiveness in horses most usually the consequence of injudicious treatment of some kind or other— To prevent or cure restiveness reqiiires a knowledge of the methods employed for breaking in or handling horses, consequently also of the method in which the weight of the rider should be brought to bear, and also how such horses should be bitted, . , . PAGE 1-16 — Viii TABLE OF CONTENTS. PART I. SEATS AND SADDLES. CHAPTER I. THE FRAMEWOEK OP THE HORSE CONSIDERED FROM A MECHANICAL POINT OF VIEW. The four legs are the supports of the spinal column which bears the burden directly —There is one portion of the spinal column round which all the others move : this is the centre of motion of the horse —The head and neck project beyond the basis on which the animal stands ; the position of the centre of gravity modified by this—The horse's fore- legs are, more particularly^, bearers, the hind ones pro- pellers —The action of the horse will dej^end on the relative positions of these two centres, which will be shown by the hoof-tracks, and is also easily recognisable by the ear The relative positions of the two centres of gravity and motion may be adjusted as the nature of the service de- manded requires, by simply altering the position of the head and neck ; and this is equally true whether the horse be in motion or at rest, .... 19-44 CHAPTER II. THE SADDLE, AND ITS INFLUENCE ON THE SEAT. The saddle should beadjusted to wdiatever seat may be adopted for a particular purpose, and not vice versa the seat to the saddle— Its size should be proportioned to the weight it will have to support j its shape should be adapted, on the one hand, to the horse's back ; on the other, to the riders seat and legs —The weight should be so placed as to press equally over the whole under surface of the saddle ; there must be no lever action ; all of which is best attained by making the seat central, placing the girths also in the centre of the saddle, ai^d, finally, the, stirrups as near this TABLE OF CONTENTS. IX point as can be conveniently done—For military purposes, blankets in some respects preferable to feltplates nnder the saddle—The crupper is utterly useless unless the pack is built up into a mountain ; or a short rider put on a tall horse—The breastplate is unobjectionable, . 45-C4 CHArTER III. The seat on horseback is maintained by balance, by friction, or by the aid of the stirrups—A combinationof all these means affords the greatest security—The more perfect the balance the less will be the quantity of muscular action required to maintain the seat ; the closer the seat to the saddle, and the greater the surfaces brought into contact, the more easily will the balance be maintained ; the nearer the point of suspension of the stirrup to the seat, the less will balance and friction be disturbed, and the more will the stirrup act in support of these, how or wherever the rider may otherwise sit—To have a good seat, his weight must be distributed equally between the three bones forming the triangle of his fork, and not on any two of these, or on the third alone— It is better to commence riding with stirrups that without—The jockey's saddle and seat—The hunting seat —Eoad-Riding— Eising in the stirrups versus bobbing up and down—What is the object of both, . 65-89 CHAPTER IV. THE MILITARY SEAT. This is more easily reducible to rule than anj- other, the object being alike in all cases, and the material selected with reference to that special purpose—The cavalry seat must facilitate not only the mere progressive power of the horse, but also such a degree of handiness as will insure to its rider a perfect command over his weapons, and, in addi- tion to all this, secure for the troop-horse the longest pos- sible period of service—These latter objects are but too frequently sacrifi<^ed in favour of mere vehemence of move- — — TABLE OF CONTENTS. ment ; tliey are only to be attained by very careful saddling, bitting, and a correct seat or method of riding—Weight carried l^y some cavalry horses compared with that carried by hunters and racers—Average daily work of a man carry- ing a burden comjDared w^ith that of a horse under various circumstances, and at various degrees of speed, 90-106 PAET 11. BITS AND BITTING- CHAPTER I. GENERAL PRINCIPLES. Vulgar idea of hard and soft mouthed horses—The horse's head and neck levers, by means of which the animal's body may be steered like a boat by the tiller— Baucher's ideas of the position of the head and neck—Eational handling con- trasted with ordinary horse-breaking—Bittingmustbe suited to style of riding—Value of good and careful bitting in the handling of young horses, and the prevention of restiveness — Its great importance for cavalry—There is no model or size of bit that is generally applicable to all horses 109-122 CHAPTER II. THE NECK — THE HEAD— THE MOUTH— THE TONGUE CARRIAGE— FEELING. Varieties of shapes, &c., of horses' necks— Influence of this on direction of pull of reins—Influence of military pack on the same—Ditto of shape of horse's head, and mode in which it is set on neck—The head considered as a lever — Horses tliat poke out their noses or bend their necks too much—Width between jaws—Glands situated here — Conformation of horse's chin, nose, lips, chin-groove, externally ; of mouth and tongue internally— Average dimensions of some part of horses' mouths—The tongue-channel— Carriage of horse's head and neck must be suited to kind of work demanded Carriage for military purposes, for racing, for hunting, for road-riding . , • i • 123-148 — — TABLE OF CONTENTS. XI CHAPTER III. THE CAVESSOX—SNAEELE—NOSEBAKD—TRAINING-HALTER —RUNNING-REINS. Tlie snaffle the simplest and best of all forms of bit—Requires good, steady seat —Various forms of snaffle—Their relative value —The noseband, its use—Difficulties about it —Von Oeynhausen's training-halter—Where the snaffle should be put in the horse's mouth—Martingales — Seeger's running- reins, ...... 149-162 CHAPTER IV. THE LEVER —THE BIT AND CURB— THE BRIDLE.