OF HORSEMANSHIP. 41 



no where to be feen. Xenophon, the oldefl writer 

 extant upon this fubjed:, defcribes two forts of bitts, 

 the one eafy and fmootb, the other fharp and more 

 powerful *. 



They likewife had a fort of bridle which came over 

 the nofe, like our cavezons, armed with teeth, and 

 very fevere in its efFe(5ts f . 



Whips were ufed by the Greeks, and were made of 

 thongs of leather, or the briftles of hogs twilled to- 

 gether, and fometimes of the fmews of oxen. Saddles 

 were unknown to ancient Greece. Inftead of them 

 <:ertain cloths or houfmgs were thrown upon the horfe, 

 and fattened by a girth, or furcingle. Upon thefe the 

 rider fat. They were known by the general name of 

 Ephippia ; and the trappings or horfe-furniture, known 

 and ufed in every part of the modern world, may be 

 fuppofed to owe their origin to them. They were 

 compofed of different materials, leather, cloth, and 

 the fkins of wild beads, and fometimes adorned with 

 gold, filver, and precious Hones ; the horfes, befides 

 thefe ornaments, being decked with Bel/s, rich Collars^ 

 and other devices. 



As the invention of faddles was an advantage in 

 riding, of which the Greeks were totally ignorant, fo 

 were they likewife of the ufe of llirrups ; for want of 

 which they were obliged to mount and difmount by 

 vaulting, by the affiilance of horfe-blocks, or of other 



* The reader will fee a fuller account in the treatife at the end of 

 this work. 



t Vide Tidor. Hiipal. et SchefFer, de re Vehicul. 



Vol, I. G people, 



