2i8 RIDING 



the branches. This bit was sometimes furnished with pendants 

 from the mouth-piece to distract the attention of the horse from 

 the branches, which he would otherwise attempt to seize with 

 his teeth. A chain passed under the jaws from the cheeks of 

 this bit, to which was attached a leading-rein. The bit I have 

 attempted to describe would be very smooth and easy to the 

 horse if the rider's hand were light ; but with long branches 

 the leverage must have been very great, and the instrument 

 a powerful one. 



The second bit, placed lower in the mouth, was made of 

 links, more or less roughened, 1 to have the effect of a saw- 

 snaffle. 



Other bits are recognised by Xenophon, but these were un- 

 doubtedly invented by the Greeks. Nothing similar to either, 

 so far as I can discover, had ever been described or represented, 

 and from the minute details given by this author, which are 

 not, however, perfectly clear to us, they were probably of recent 

 origin. 



I cannot recall an instance in the sculptures of Egypt or of 

 Western Asia where the horses bear themselves as if collected 

 by the rider's heels. Whoever invented the spur, its use is 

 first declared to us by the Greeks. It is not necessary that 

 Xenophon should explain to us that the spur is to be applied 

 ' to keep the hind-quarters from lagging,' 2 for the action and 

 position of all the horses upon the Greek monuments assure us 

 that they were trained with the spur. 



What modern writer has given better advice, or in more 

 succinct terms, for the standing leap than is to be found in 

 chapter viil, section 7, of this early work upon horseman- 

 ship? 'to lean forward and give the horse his head as he 

 rises for the leap, and to lean back and support him as he 

 alights.' He recognises, too, the importance of a light hand ; 

 and the horse, according to his precepts, must not be permitted 

 to hang upon the bit. When the headstrong steed attempts to 



1 Horsemanship, chap. x. sect. 8. 9 Ibid. chap. viii. section 5. 



