HORSEMANSHIP. 



For cavalry purposes, where so much depends on the charger 

 being taught to halt or stop, turn, wheel, and " reverse," at 

 full speed, all of which necessitate his being well in hand so 

 as to be thrown instantaneonsly on his haunches or to change 

 his legs, the curb-bit is of paramount necessity, otherwise 

 his rider could not give fullest eftect to his weapon. The 

 Austrahan stockman's horse or the Indian "pig sticker" 

 can do all this, and more, in a plain snaffle, but the one 

 always has his eye on the break-away bull, steer, or cow, 

 the latter on the bristly four-footed bandit. The polo pony 

 soon takes as much interest in the game as his master, and 

 learns to keep an eye on the ball. Not so with the cavalry 

 soldier, who for the first time, and probably for the last, 

 makes the acquaintance of his foeman on the held of battle. 

 We see illustrations of mounted swordsmanship at our so- 

 called military tournaments ; but these exhibitions are as like 

 the actual stern reality as weak tea is to spirit above proof. 

 In the mele'e all depends on a powerful, active, and handy 

 horse, completely under control, on the rider's firm seat and 

 balance, on his strong arm, knowledge of his weapon, and 

 unflinching courage, and last, but not least, to a bit of luck 

 and the absence of a stray shot. 



Curb-bits and curb-chains are all very well when the 

 horse has to be slightly thrown on his haunches with his 

 head in a certain position, but when loosed in the easy 

 freedom of his speed, " upon the pinions of the wind," on 

 turf, light soil, and over fences of almost every description 

 — always excluding a hot eager mount in Crampshire — there 

 is no bit to compare with the snaffle. A snaffle bridle 

 hunter is a luxury I shall treat of in another volume. Sir 

 Francis Head, writing on this subject, sensibly remarks, 

 " When a horse is enabled, like a soldier whose stiff stock 

 has just been unbuckled (a relic of barbarism no longer in 



