THE SADDLE-HORSE 



and " pikes " produced among our hustling citi- 

 zens the rush, hurry, and drive which left neither 

 time nor inclination for the pursuit of equestri- 

 anism as an enjoyment, and, as fast as settlements 

 became established, saddle-horses gave way to 

 wheels, double impetus being given to this move- 

 ment from the very beginning, through the fact 

 that our ingenious mechanics at once produced a 

 vehicle which for easy riding qualities, for strength, 

 and for ease of draft has never been excelled even 

 unto this day — the old-fashioned, leather-hung 

 chaise of our boyhood's days (and long before). 



In certain districts of the South and West the 

 mild climate, and the imperfect condition of the 

 roads at certain seasons of the year, rendered the use 

 of the saddle-horse a necessity, and all children 

 must ride perforce, as soon as able to get about 

 alone. This bred a love for such exercise in these 

 sections, and as society drew into closer connec- 

 tion, the class of horses bred, and their thorough 

 education, became a matter of great local pride 

 and intense rivalry. Even these sections, how- 

 ever, while they produce and market many of the 

 best saddle-horses seen, have ceased to really use 

 them in a general and matter-of-course way, so 

 that go where you will, you find wheels in use in 



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