THE SADDLE
Structure
The frame that a saddle is built on is called a saddle-tree and is made of beech wood. If a saddle is dropped or if a pony rolls with his saddle on, the tree may break and it will have to go to the saddler to be mended. A saddle with a broken tree will injure a pony's back, therefore, if there is any doubt it should be tested by a saddler. To be comfortable, a saddle should be shaped so as to assist the rider to sit in the centre and lowest part of the saddle.
On most stirrup bars there is a hinge that allows the point to be turned up. The purpose of this is to prevent the leathers slipping off when a saddled pony is being led without a rider. The points should never be up when the points being ridden.
A saddle may have a full or half panel, and is stuffed with wool or shaped felt.
A full panel reaches almost to the bottom of the saddle flap and is lined all the way down. It has only a short sweat-flap, sometimes called an underflap, between it and the girth tabs.
A half panel reaches half way down the saddle flap. It has large sweat-flap reaching almost to the bottom of the saddle flap.
MANUAL OF HORSEMANSHIP
*
SADDLE TREE
*
SADDLE TREE AFTER STRAINING
The rider's knee and lower part of the leg are closer to the pony in a half panel saddle.
A general purpose or jumping saddle may have a full panel, which is stuffed like a half panel saddle, is forward cut and has additional knee rolls on top of the panels.
SADDLERY
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THE PARTS OF A SADDLE
The Pony Club Saddle
The foundation of any saddle is the tree. If the tree is wrong the saddle is wrong. The tree approved by the Pony Club is marked on the stirrup bar "Pony Club Approved". It is made to a master pattern kept at Pony Club Headquarters.
If a saddle is the wrong shape, the rider will sit wrong in it, however good the leather, or lining.
The webbing--this is bands of webbing stretched along the tree on which the stuffing and leather of the seat is carried--. It must be neither tootight nor too loose if the seat of the saddle is to have the right dip and its deepest part in the right place. This is measured by a metal gauge issued on request to manufacturing saddlers, of which the master gauge is kept at Pony Club Headquarters. Various makers have submitted saddles for approval and these saddles are marked on the flap under the skirt "Pony Club Approved" and, of course, are made on an approved tree.
All saddles require to be fitted to the pony to be absolutely perfect.
All sorts of variations and refinements can be applied to the standard saddle--leather lining, forward cut flaps, &c. If as time goes on a child becomes so expert as to be able to take advantage of a special purpose saddle, it will, in a Pony Club approved saddle, have established a correct seat.
Illustrations not to Book Schematics
Source: *The MANUAL of HORSEMANSHIP of THE BRITISH HORSE SOCIETY and THE PONY CLUB
The Manual of
HORSEMANSHIP
of the British Horse Society and
the Pony Club
1ST EDITION . 1950
2ND EDITION . 1954
3RD EDITION . 1956
4TH EDITION . 1959
REPRINTED . 1960
5TH EDITION . 1961
REPRINTED . 1962
REPRINTED . 1963
REPRINTED . 1964
6TH EDITION . 1966
REPRINTED . 1967
REPRINTED . 1968
REPRINTED . 1969
REPRINTED . 1969
REPRINTED . 1970
REPRINTED . 1970
REPRINTED . 1971
REPRINTED . 1972
Published by
T H E B R I T I S H H O R S E S O C I E T Y
NATIONAL EQUESTRIAN CENTRE
KENILWORTH, WARWICHSHIRE, CV8 2LR
PRINTED IN ENGLAND BY
NORTHBOURNE PRESS GROUP LIMITED
COVENTRY CV2 3FU
PRINTED IN ENGLAND BY
NORTHBOURNE PRESS GROUP LIMITED
COVENTRY CV2 3FU
FOREWORD
This, the sixth, edition has been considerably revised and is recommended for use by members of the British Horse Society, the Pony Club, the Riding Clubs and by other associated organisations.
It covers, with "Training the Young Horse and Pony," the entire syllabus of the Pony Club and has the aim of laying the foundations for good, basic and effective horsemanship which can later be developed, as desired, into more specialised forms of riding. It is also applicable to those of more mature age.
It is based on the fundamental principles and practices of horsemanship which have stood the test of time; at the same time it follows modern thinking on equitation and training.
Because it is the recognised official Manual of the Pony Club it is not considered necessary to substitute the word "horse" for "pony" in all sections where either word is equally applicable.
Instructors are recommended to read "Training the Young Horse and Pony" and "The Instructors Handbook" in conjuction with this Manual.
The Pony Club and Riding Club Tests and the B.H.S. Instruc-tors Examination are based on these books.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The British Horse Society makes acknowledgement to Educational Productions Ltd. for permission to reproduce illustrations by Joan Wanklyn from the book "Riding" by Mrs. V. D. S. Williams, and to Moss Bros. of Covent Garden and Geo. Parker & Sons, for the loan of bits illustrated on pages 29 and 30.
CONTENTS
Arrangement of this book.
The book is divided into three parts dealing with Equitation, Saddlery and Horsemastership.
Part I deals primarily with riding, the position of the rider and control of the horse or pony.
There follow two appendices about elementary dressage. Appendix I describes a system of training and Appendix II contains definitions of the various terms and movements. The appendices deal with more advanced riding and movements than the earlier sections of the book.
Part II deals with the fitting as well as with the care and cleaning of saddlery. It also describes how to put on and take off a saddle and bridle.
Part III includes the handling and care of horses and ponies at grass and in stables; also veterinary notes, the identification of horses and ponies and road transport.
The training of young horses and ponies is dealt with in a separate book "Training the Young Horse and Pony", also published by The British Horse Society.
An index will be found at the end of the book.