THE HORSE AND HIS RIDER. 



cumbrous contrivances must have been more like the 

 howdahs placed on the backs of elephants, than the 

 light and elegant saddle of modern times. Fortu- 

 nately for the soldiers of those days, it does not 

 appear that the military punishment of " carrying the 

 saddle" was devised until a later period. It was 

 commonly inflicted on horse-soldiers, and even on 

 knights in the middle ages, for breach of discipline. 

 A saddle, bridle, and other appurtenances were laid 

 on the offender's shoulders, and he was compelled^ to 

 march about for a certain length of time, without 

 stopping, exposed to the scoffs and jeers of all who 

 saw him thus oddly accoutred. Well for him that 

 his burden did not amount to the liberal weight 

 allowed by the Roman emperor ! 



Side-saddles for ladies were an invention of com- 

 paratively recent date. The first seen in England 

 was made for Anne of Bohemia, Richard the Second's 

 queen. It was, probably, more like a pillion than 

 the side-saddle of our day ; and if any of our young 

 readers do not know what is meant by the word 

 " pillion," their grandmammas may, perhaps, be able 

 to describe the thing to them from recollection, for it 

 was in high fashion not a great many years ago. It 

 was a sort of very low-backed arm-chair, which was 

 fastened on the horse's croup, behind the saddle, on 



