THE NECK, THE HEAD, ETC. 141 



Europe this nursery for light cavalry has long ceased to 

 exist. Perhaps the latest remnants of it were the Border- 

 riders on the Scotch and English marches. Indeed, 

 the few civilian riders that were to be found in France, 

 Germany, Italy, Belgium, Holland, &c., till within 

 comparatively few years, were riding-masters' pupils of 

 one kind or another ; and it was only in the British 

 Islands that a numerous class of natural riders was to 

 be found. The Continental riders have had, therefore, 

 all more or less of a military or school type. There 

 existed until recently only one general style of riding, 

 saddling, bitting, carriage, and feeling amongst them, 

 varying, however, veiy much as to correctness in dif- 

 ferent countries. Of late years, no doubt, a gTeat 

 change has taken place in this respect, and what is 

 called English riding has been more or less success- 

 fully imitated or caricatured in various parts of the 

 Continent. 



Now the English type of riding has been formed by 

 the national sports of racing and hunting, both of which 

 require vehement straightforward riding in the first 

 instance, and only a certain amount of handiness or 

 dexterity in turning ; and it is therefore neither desir- 

 able, nor indeed practicable, to give either the neck or 

 head of the horse anything like the same position that 

 other styles of riding admit of or require. Therefore 

 the system of hitting must he different to a certain 

 extent. 



In fact, whenever it is possible, the jockey prefers 

 riding his horse with a snaffle, and the best hunting- 

 riders seem to be of the same opinion ; and when they 

 do use a curbed bit, it is most generally either as a sort 

 of reserve for particular emergencies, or in combination 



