At every movement of the fore legs the shoulder blade bones working to and fro; when the foreleg and shoulder advances that portion of the blade bone in front of the saddle goes backwards, on the principle of the seesaw movement previously alluded to, and conversely when the blade bone in front of the saddle is travelling forward the fore leg is passing backwards.

(Shoulder) Blade-bone movement is of the utmost importance; if a saddle be so fitted as to interfere with it the stride of the horse is shortened, he becomes tired before his time, and further, being unable to properly get the leg forward, he stumbles.

To ride on a horse’s blade bones throughout a long day’s work is to ask him to perform his work at a mechanical disadvantage, and to imperil the safety of his knees, a fact which must be remembered in considering the correct position further saddle.

The Saddle
It is intended here to consider the saddle as a whole and not refer to any particular type, excepting where such reference is necessary. It is thought that in this way the subject can best be considered, as no matter how, saddles may differ in detail, there is a certain unity of type existing

The arches
The framework of a saddle consists of two arches, one in front and one behind the rider, each arch resting upon and secured to bars placed parallel to each other, through the medium of which the rider’s weight is distributed on the back. This description holds good whether we are speaking of the racing saddle of the 20th century or the saddle hanging over the tomb of Henry V, in Westminster Abbey.

Two arches are used so as to ensure the spine is not pressed upon, and two bars are used by which the arches are kept in their place. Here we have the conception of a saddle tree, the principles of which have never undergone a change; finality was at once reached so far as the general idea of protection of the horses back was concerned.