Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1869-07-23
How to select a Saddle Horse.

II. II. DYER, a well known English vet
erinary surgeon, gives the following direc.
tions about saddle horses
ut has been asserted that an oblioue
shoulder is indispensable In riding horse,
and anything approaching 10 straightness
Is considered Objectionable. These re-
marks may be well received, but they do
not convey al that is necessary TO know.
IL may be asked how OF in what manner,
speaking mechanically of course, an
oblique shoulder Is superior 70 a straight
one, An order 70 explain this fully and
satisfactorily, the readers attention must
be directed for a momdht TO a steelyard-
a continuance made of iron, which ia cana
Bile of testing the weight of hay, straw,
and other commodoties. The small weight,
used az balancing power, is placed at
some gwen point, so as 10 indicate the
value OF that which is weighed. II placed
at the extreme point of the "yard" il
Will exert AS much influence, although
weighing but four ounces, as SO pounds
OF hay or other matter would at the ether
end. This weight becomes less and less
as II approaches the opposite end of the
steelyerd, 30 that when placed at one end,
1t, as II were, weighs nothing, and when
placed at the opposite end IL will be found
equal to 90 pounds In weight. The same
may be shown by placing stone "a B.)
weight upon a walking stick. II the
stone weight be held upon the stick, close
10 the hand, which holds it horizontally,
Of course II is easily held let it be car.
ried or moved gradually toward the point
oil the stick, and 1t will soon occur TO the
operator that he must throw il down, as
II Is Impossible for him TO hold IL many
in thal
ample, for the sake of illustration, may be
mentioned. Take an ordinary kitchen
poker, hold it by the knob Horizontally.
OF course) for some minutes, and then
hold IL IN the center, and 1t will be learned
that IN the former mode it will be retained
scarcely more than five minutes, while in
the latter IT may be retained and held an
Indefinite time. Now we will endeavor to
apply these remarks to a horse and his
rider.
"A horse with straight shoulder, sup
posed 10 be up to IA or 10 stone with fox
hounds, ia often placed in difficulties. For
example-presuming that the riders
weight should be placed Immediately over
the hindermost dorsal bones, and a portion
OF the lumbar bones, that weight will be
in such q position as to admit of all his
movements TO he carried on with ease 10
himself and his rider but If the rider is
compelled to sit close TO the neck, as he
would have TO do upon straight.
shouldared horse, then his weight would
materially interfere with the motion of the
front limbs. There would bel correspond
ing influence upon his movements that we
found IN the position of the weight of the
steelyard. Doubtless IA stone placed near
to the neck will have as much influence rs
Is or 20 stone has when placed in the cen
ter OF the back, and this will be apparent
in ordinary motion. How much more,
then, Will 1t be apparent in lesping9 II
we take this for granted, we may readily
believe how difficult Il is for an animal to
carry fourteen-stone man over large
fence. Unless his hind quarters are pro.
portionably strong, he is likely 20 fail in
carrying him safely over the jump. Again,
II a horse with detective or straight
shoulder Is ridden down steep hill, the
entire weight Is thrown upon the front
limbs and neck, which must, of necessity,
impede their action, in addition to which
the rider is rendered uncomfortable and
occasionally subject to falls. Further, in
taking o deep drop, if the animal
Is overweighted at the shoulders,
he generally drops upon his knees,
or falls altogether in coming TO the ground,
unless the rider has the power of keeping
himself well back, which he cannot posi-,
bly, do In the same manner he would if he
were sitting in a proper position, with suf-
tcient obliquity of shoulder. 1t is gener-
ally believed if horse possesses strong
hind quarters ii is compensation for a
defective torehand. This is an error. A
horse has proPelling power, so to speak,
In the front as well as In the hindmost
limbs l do not say that powerful hind
quarter Will not, in some measure,
make up for deficiency before, but not to
the extent imagined by some persons. 1t
may be accepted as truth that every quar-
ter of an inch nearer to the cervical verte-
bra rider is obliged to sit is an insuper-
able objection. The only way to get over
this difficulty rs regards the position OF
the rider Is to have recourse TO the obso.
the crupper Although it is old-fashioned,
1t tends TO prove that our forefathers had
good and sufficient reasons for using it.
Many other illustrations might be adduced
to prove the truth of these observations,
were 1t necessary. This reminds me of
a conversation which took place sometime
since with an eminent horse painter. He
showed me his portfolio of celebrated
horses, and in speaking of straight
shouldered animal, he employed the hack
neyed phrase, "the scspula has not room
TO play" l interrogated him as to his
meaning, but he could afford no explana.
tion. After explaining to him my views
pretty much in the same language as l
have used here, he acknowledged it was
novel to him, and, looking at itmechani-
cally, it must be correct"