78 THE HISTORY AND ART 



ponds and rivers, where ihey were bathed and waflicd, 

 particularly the legs ; and lb high and juft an opinion 

 prevailed of the benefit refulting from the frequent 

 cleaning and dreffing an horfe, that Columella alTerts, 

 that it is more advantageous and wholefome for an 

 horfe to be well rubbed down, than to have a large 

 allowance of food, and that without proper drefling 

 he cannot thrive and be healthy. 



In managing horfes, if nature had not furniflied 

 them with a proud and lofty adion, they ufed to tie 

 rollers of wood and weights to their paftern joints, to 

 compel them to lift their feet. This they particu- 

 larly required in the amble, to make their horfes go 

 gracefully, fafely, and with eafe to the rider ; pre- 

 ferring this pace to the trot, which, from the vio- 

 lence, and hardnefs of the motion, was difagreeable. 



There are Hill exifling fomc famous ftatues of horfes 

 in the adion of the amble. The horfes of Caftor and 

 Pollux, in the Capitol, at Rome, the four horfes of Bronze 

 in the portico of St. Mark at Venice, and the horfe of 

 Balbus, at Portici, are all in the fame attitude. Some 

 horfes are alfo to be feen in the fame pofition of a 

 more modern date, whofe ftatues were made when the 

 arts began to revive ; fuch are the two equeftrian figures 

 at Florence. 



All thefe are vouchers, which prove the fondnefs 

 which the Romans (while they knew no better) had for 

 the pace called by them the amhulatura, and with us the 

 amble. Notwithflanding, however, that this pace had 



fo 



