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THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



in accordance with the customs of the Desert ; for 

 to rob a hostile tribe is considered an honourable 

 exploit, and the man who accomplishes it, is de- 

 sirous of all the glory that may flow from the 

 deed. Poor Jabal, when he heard the words, rushed 

 out of the tent, and gave the alarm ; then, mount- 

 ing his brother's mare, accompanied by some of 

 his tribe, he j)ursued the robber for four hours. 

 The brother's mare was of the same stock as 

 Jabal's, but was not equal to her : nevertheless, he 

 outstripped those of all the other pursuers, and was 

 even on the point of overtaking the robber, when 

 Jabal shouted to him, " Pinch her right ear, and 

 give her a touch of the heel ! " Gafar did so; and 

 away went the mare like lightning, speedily render- 

 ing further pursuit hopeless. The pi7ich in the ear 

 and the touch with the heel were the secret signs by 

 which Jabal had been used to urge his mare to her 

 utmost speed. Jabal's companions were amazed 

 and indignant at his strange conduct. " O thou 

 father of a jackass," they cried, " thou hast enabled 

 the thief to rob thee of thy jewel ! " But he 

 silenced their upbraidings by saying, "I would 

 rather lose her than sully her reputation. Would 

 you have me suffer it to be said among the tribes 

 that another mare had ])roved fleeter than mine r I 

 have at least this comfort left me — that I can say 

 she never met with her match." 



DiflFerent countries have their different modes of 

 horsemanship; but amongst all of them its first 

 practice was carried on in but a rude and indiffer- 

 ent way, being hardly a stepping-stone to the com- 

 fort and delight gained from the use of the horse 

 at the present day. The polished Greeks, as well 

 as the ruder nations of Northern Africa, for a long 

 while rode without either saddle or bridle, guiding 

 thair horses with the voice or the hand, or with a 

 light switch, with which they touched the animal 

 on the side of the face, to make him turn in the op- 

 l)Osite direction. They urged him forward by a 

 touch of the heel, and stopped him by catching him 

 by the muzzle. Bridles and bits were at length 

 introduced; but many centuries elapsed before 

 anything that could be called a saddle was used. 

 Instead of these, cloths, single or padded, and 

 skins of wild beasts, often richly adorned, were 

 placed beneath the rider, but always without stir- 

 rups ; and it is given as an extraordinary fact that 

 the Romans, even in the times when luxury was 

 carried to excess amongst them, never desired so 

 simple an expedient for assisting the horseman to 

 mount, to lessen his fatigue, and aid him in sitting 

 more securely in his saddle. Ancient sculptures 

 prove that the horsemen of almost every country 

 were accustomed to mount their horses from the 

 right side of the animal, that they might the better 

 grasp the mane, which hangs on that side — a ])\ac- 



tice universally changed in modern times. The 

 ancients generally leaped on their horses' backs, 

 though they sometimes carried a spear with a loop 

 or projection about two feet from the bottom, 

 which served them as a step. In Greece and Rome, 

 the local magistracy were bound to see that blocks 

 for mounting (what the Scotch call " loupin'-on 

 stanes") were placed along the road at convenient 

 distances. The great, however, thought it more 

 dignified to mount their horses by stepping on the 

 bent backs of their servants or slaves ; and many, 

 who could not command such costly help, used to 

 carry a light ladder about with them. The first 

 distinct notice that we have of the use of the saddle 

 occurs in the edict of the Emperor Theodosius 

 (a.d. 3S5), from which we also learn that it was 

 usual for those who hired post-horses to provide 

 their own saddle ; and that the saddle should not 

 weigh more than sixty pounds — a cumbrous con- 

 trivance, more hke the howdahs placed on the 

 backs of elephants than the light and elegant 

 saddle of modern times. Side-saddles for ladies 

 are an invention of comparatively recent date. 

 The first seen in England was made for Anne of 

 Bohemia, wife of Richard the Second, and was 

 probably more like a pillion than the side-saddle 

 of the present day. A piUion is a sort of very low- 

 backed arm-chair, and was fastened on the horse's 

 croup, behind the saddle, on which a man rode 

 who had all the care of managing the horse, while 

 the lady sat at her ease, supporting herself by 

 grasping a belt which he wore, or passing her arm 

 around his body, if the gentleman was not too 

 ticklish. But the Mexicans manage these things 

 with more gallantry than the ancients did. The 

 paisana, or country lady, we are told, is often seen 

 mounted before her cabaUero, who takes the more 

 natural position of being seated behind his fair 

 one, supporting her by throwing his arm around 

 her waist — a very appropriate support, if the bent 

 position of the arm does not cause an occasional 

 contraction of the muscles. These two positions 

 may justly be considered as the first stej)s taken 

 by the ladies towards their improved and elegant 

 mode of riding at the present day. At an early 

 period, when the diversion of hawking was preva- 

 lent, they dressed themselves in the costume of the 

 knight, and rode astride. 



Horses were in general use for many centuries 

 before. anything like a protection for the hoof was 

 thought of; and it was introduced at first, as a 

 matter of course, on a very simple scale. The first 

 foot-defence, it is said, which was given to the 

 horse, was on the same principle as that worn by 

 man ; it was a sort of sandal, made of leather, and 

 tied to the horse's foot by means of straps or 

 strings. And, finally, plates of metal were fas- 



