2 INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. 



unnecessary to describe, which combines strength and 

 vigour with lightness and dexterity ; and must possess 

 in all cases that happy admixture of courage, prompt 

 decision, patience, and perseverance, that constitute 

 the rider's temperament, and which arrive at their 

 greatest perfection when coupled with an unselfish 

 love of that noblest and most beautiful animal the 

 horse. It is only necessary to put a man of this sort 

 into the saddle and he becomes at once a rider; just as 

 another becomes a good shot, and a third an expert 

 angler, almost from the moment a gun or a rod is 

 placed in their hands. 



But all men are not so gifted; whole nations, in- 

 deed, have been at various periods of the world's his- 

 tory characterised as born riders ; but it will be found, 

 on examination, that in these instances unmixed race, 

 resulting in great uniformity of stature, build, and tem- 

 perament, combined with what we are pleased to term 

 a low degree of civilisation, prevailed to a much greater 

 extent than amongst ourselves. It would be invidious, 

 and moreover unnecessary, for the object we have in 

 view, to enter into a minute comparison in this respect 

 of our own population with others of ancient or modem 

 times. As regards most if not all of those moral qual- 

 ities that we have stated to be typical of the rider 

 temperament, we stand confessedly very high in the 

 scale, leaving altogether aside all that England has 

 done for the breeding of horses : moreover, we have 

 amongst us a much greater proportion of men who can 

 ride tant lien que mal than any other civilised nation ; 

 in fact, the class of men that ride for pleasure or con- 

 venience is with us very large, whereas everywhere 

 else it is very small, almost minute ; for the equestrian 



