32 GRACEFUL RIDING. 



The Pampas and Prairie Indians, whose fore- 

 fathers fled from the Spanish horsemen, as if they 

 were fatal apparitions, now seem to be part and 

 parcel of the horse. They affirm the proudest atti- 

 tude of the human fio^ure is when a man bendino- 

 over his horse, lance in hand, is riding at his enemy. 

 The Guachos, who ride so beautifully, declare it is 

 utterly impossible to vie with mounted Indians ; 

 they have such a way of urging on their horses by 

 cries, and a peculiar motion of their bodies ; even 

 were they to change horses, the Indians would beat 

 them. 



The Turks prefer the Turkman horse to the 

 pure-blooded, slender Arabian. In fact, from their 

 trying mode of riding, the fine limbs of the Arab 

 could not stand the shock upon them, their favourite 

 manoeuvre being to make a dead stop when gallop- 

 ing at full speed. To accomplish this feat, they 

 use a very severe bit, which, of course, destroys 

 the sensibillti/ of their horses' mouths ; while, on the 

 contrary, the Arabs use only a plain snaffle, which 

 preserves all the sensitiveness of the animals' mouths. 

 The Toorkman, or Turkman horses. — These are 

 much esteemed by the Persians. They are large 

 and swift, and possess extraordinary powers of en- 

 durance, though they are exceedingly awkward in 

 appearance. Tuikistan is their native region, which 



