140 BITS AND BITTING. 



the same thing. The rider with a really good steady 

 seat can jump his horse with precisely the same bitting 

 that suits the school-rider or cavalry soldier, if he 

 simply take a very long hold of the curb-rein with his 

 bridle (left) hand, and use the right hand in front of 

 it so long as his horse requires being " kept straight," 

 and then the moment the horse rises to the leap, takes 

 the latter away, leaving the horse to jump altogether 

 without any feeling on the reins, which will insure his 

 landing on all four feet instead of two only ; but this 

 requires a seat.* And it is precisely for this reason 

 that it is absurd to talk of cavalry and hunting riding 

 being antagonistic. The latter, if well done, confers 

 boldness and vehemence in charging, and a disregard 

 for common obstacles ; but it should not be overdone or 

 caricatured, for that would lead to bad skirmishing and 

 slow rallying after the charge, by means of which great 

 efforts of gallantry are frequently neutralised and con- 

 verted into disasters, of which it would be easy enough 

 to cite instances. 



For the road -rider good and careful bitting must 

 always have an especial value, restiveness being but 

 too often the consequence of the contrary ; handiness 

 and perfect control being an essential to safety, and 

 great speed not being required, therefore the roadster 

 not only may but must be better " set up " and more 

 finely mouthed than the hunter. Here, too, the grand 

 thing is a seat independent of reins and stirrups, with- 

 out which the best bitting will be of little value. 



* This system has been practised in Hanover for the cavalry 

 with great success, according to General von Dachenhausen, but we 

 ourselves used it many years since, and without being aware of 

 this fact. 



