INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. 7 



Most of us, too, have heard of what happened to that 

 portion of our own cavalry that was employed in the 

 reconnoitring expedition into the Dobrudscha. A 

 proverb current amongst the Continental military men 

 says, that more men are put hors de combat by the 

 calfskin (the knapsack) than by either bullet or bay- 

 onet ; and there seems good reason to believe that the 

 pigskin stands in the same fatal relation to horses. 



There is no lack of books in which very full and 

 particular descriptions of model seats on horseback may 

 be found, nor of riding-masters who both know how 

 to sit a horse themselves, and impart to their pupils 

 their own particular method. But this will not answer 

 the purpose ; for there exist not only a certain number 

 of typical seats, more or less suited to various ends as 

 racing, hunting, the cavalry service, &c., all of which, 

 a^ has been said, have their peculiar justification but 

 there is also a great variety in the build of horses, and 

 especially in the relative power of their fore and hind 

 quarters, which demands consideration, if we would 

 avoid the serious and but too common error of using 

 up one set of members prematurely whilst leaving the 

 others intact. For instance, nothing is more frequent 

 amongst ourselves than to see horses otherwise perfectly 

 sound, irreparably ruined in the fore legs. 



Moreover, there exists an equal variety in the build 

 of the riders, which also requires consideration. Dr 

 Heavysterne cannot be expected to sit his horse as Mr 

 Threadpaper can do, nor a well " split up " man like 

 one that is built on the lines of an otter ; nevertheless 

 there is no reason why each and all of them should not 

 sit well and judiciously, though their seats must be ne- 

 cessarily different. There is only one class of riders from 



