All the above are aggravated by the weight carried; the heavier the man –perhaps we should say the heavier the load – the greater the damage inflicted. The more unequal the balance of weight carried the greater the risk of injury; where the balance of weight is disturbed, the saddle heels over towards the heaviest side; but for the withers it might completely heel over, as the withers act as a break and in consequence suffer.

For this reason, if for no other, men should be made to sit in a firm and erect manner in their saddle. Every turn or twist of the body causes the saddle to heel over, and if either 2or 3 in the above table are in operation it aggravates matters.

And so with the balance of the kit carried; if more is being carried on the near than the off side the saddle naturally heels, and if there is a tendency to 2 or 3 it is increased. This matter of the balance of weight is so important that it will be referred to again.

Remedies for wither injuries
What are the remedies for the above sore backs?

No.1 is obvious: the numnah merely requires to be well strapped in the arch.

No.2: Here we must reduce the number of folds in the blanket under the arch and increase them under the side bar. This can be readily done by folding the blanket in three in the usual way, laying it over the numnah so that the ends hang down, and then folding up the blanket from each side so as to bring several folds under the side bar but no more under the arch, and if the saddle is still not high enough, to put on numnah panels. If in the field, straw or long coarse grass may be tied onto the side bars, and straw panels thus made. The most perfect straw panel can be made from a bottle protector after dividing the string which ties up the narrow end. These are quite readily kept in position on the side bars by string.