The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-04-21
SEATS AND SADDLES.

Major Dwyer, an Irish officer, who left the
English service for the Austrian, has written o
book entitled "Seats and Saddles, Bits and
Biting; The Prevention and Cure Of Restive-
ness in Horses" which is reviewed at some
length in Blackwood for January. Major
Dwyer was very distinguished officer; held
high and confidential rank, and was a soldier
because he loved the business. He has writ
ten hook, not to lay down rigid rule Hor
general application, but to state principles, so
| that each person may discover what will suit
his own case, and be put in a position to make
the best and most of whatever horse he may
have to ride. and in the safest manner. or
course no one resents the imput ton OF
want OF skill or knowledge so quickly as
horseman; and most people would sooner lis
ten to doubts OF their mental or moral qualfi-
cations than to doubt of their thorough
familiarity with the horse and all his surround
lngs. Still even such may read this work pro-
fitaby and with good assurance that some of
its hints will be quietly adopted. At Solferino
out Of 10, 206 French cavalry horses, there were
only $500 available. All the rest were rend er-
ed unserviceable by the saddle and portions Of
the equipment. OF 1900 mounted men in the
Austrian army who had made severe winter
journey Of many milesS6nly twenty had unser-
viceable horses.
Major Dwyer has simple remedy for the in
juries done by saddles. 1t is to substitute the
surcingle for the girth, placing the former
Fright over the middle Of the saddle" OF not
less Importance are the stirrups, and these he
would have placed directly under the riders
seat. He says:
"What is the legitimate use of the stirrups.
besides enabling us to mount our horses The
first and most obvious one is to give the rider
lateral support. to prevent his Slipping off to
the right or left by his seat revolving around
the horses body as q wheel does round an
axle. In riding barebacked, or on saddle
without stirrups, If the ridor falls it is most
generally to ono side, and not directly for
wards or backwards; and it is very evident that
the more directly under the riders seat the
stirrups be suspended, the more eficie, tly
will they perform this duty, the resistance
offered by them beings perpendicularly up
wards, or precisely in the opposite direction to
that IN which the weight falls, which is per-
pendicularly downwards whereas, if the stir
riders seat, they act at an angle to the line Of
fall !; they may and always do, in such a posi-
ton, change the direction Of the fall. but they
when placed under the seat. The second use
OF these contrivances is to enable the rider, for
various purposes, to rise in his saddle by
standing in the stirrups. And here distnc-
C!ou inusS Oe uI@Wn as 10 whether 1t is The
riders object to transmit his own weight
indirectly through the stirrups to the sad
die at the same point at which he
previously applied it directly with his
seat, or at some other point. In the
frst case it is very obvious that the stir
rups are best placed exactly under the riders
sept; for, putting aside any changes OF the po-
sition Of his own body from the hips upward
he may please to mahe, everything remains as
before, and the equilibrium Of the horse is not
disturbed. In the second case, on the contra
ry, supposing the stirrups to be placed far for
ward. and the rider far back in the saddle,
weight from one end Of the saddle to the other
make this press partially on the horses back
instead Of equally, as in the first case. whic b
seesawing must tend to make the saddle shift,
and must also alter the equilibrium Of the
horse, throwing it's weight more forward, conse-
quentiy rendering the animal incapable Of turn
ing sharply and handily, and, if done suddenly.
frequently. even bringing tito a dead halt.'