MARTINGALS AND MUSTACHIOS. 101 



tempt at my ignorance in offering a word in its favour, 

 though you might see them very composedly riding 

 the next day on some stumbling brute absolutely 

 fastened down by a NOSE martingal. And why ? 

 because they were not aware it was a martingal, 

 and one of a really dangerous description. If you 

 asked them why they had it put on, probably half of 

 them could give no better reason than that they 

 thought it looked well. Possibly the same man 

 could give you about as good a reason for wearing 

 mustachios. If he had but an ostrich feather stuck 

 in his horse's tail, they would be complete. 



I have mentioned one description of martingal as 

 being a very useful adjunct ; of another, as in nine 

 cases out of ten as useless ; and in the way it is 

 generally put on more or less a dangerous appendage 

 to a horse's head. I will presently state my reasons 

 for these opinions ; but, first, we will enumerate the 

 different kinds of martingals in use. The term mar- 

 tingal I consider as applicable to any thing we attach 

 to a horse's head in order to keep him from raising it 

 higher than we wish ; and I consider there are five 

 different modes of doing this, all of which may be 

 termed martingals. 



First, the running rein (as we generally call it), 

 which is fastened to the girths, passes through the 

 ring of the snaffle, and thence to the hand. By this, 

 if a man knows what he is about, and has hands, he 

 can bring his horse's head as low as he pleases, and 

 keep it there. This is of great use to a regular star- 

 gazer, but should never be put on to any other. 



Secondly, we have the running rein fastened near 

 the points of the saddle, and, as the other, passing 

 through the snaffle-rings to the hands. This is com- 



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