RIDING AND DRIVING 241 



To turn and wind a fiery Pegasus ; 



And witch the world with noble horsemanship." 



The Indian should probably be considered the 

 real American type * of rider. There were no 

 horses here when the whites came, but the In- 

 dians rather quickly caught and subjugated some 

 of the wild horses that were descended from the 

 castaways of the Spanish explorers. They un- 

 doubtedly taught themselves to ride in the first 

 place, though many of them had seen mounted 

 white men. It is impossible to think that in the 

 many generations that they have been using 

 horses, that they have not improved in their 

 horsemanship. At any rate they have a style of 

 their own, and as bareback riders they cut a great 

 dash. But they are not good horsemen. They are 

 cruel to their horses, and are far from getting the 

 best results out of their mounts. The whites, as 



* I hope it will never occur to a visitor to this country to think that 

 what is called the mounted traffic squad of the New York police represent 

 any American type of riders. With them it is go-as-you-please and kind 

 Heaven help us from falling off. Only a few moments before making this 

 note I saw a group of these police going through the Fourth avenue. Some 

 were ambling, some singlefooting, some in a hand gallop and some trot- 

 ting. One noble horse, fit for a general's charger, was going two or three 

 gaits at once and the rider keeping his seat with the help of the reins. 



