MAETINGALS. 239 



Elevating the head and elevathig the body are two 

 distinct things, and high action with the legs is a 

 third ; the head may be elevated to a preposterous 

 height, yet the animal go displacing every pebble he 

 comes in contact with on the road, which he very 

 likely would do from our losing command of his 

 mouth. Again, a horse may have high action as 

 regards his legs, and yet no elevation of the body. 

 This does not signify ; in fact for a riding horse it is 

 better than otherwise. The throwing up the body 

 as well as the legs, looks handsome in the harness- 

 horse ; but it is not desirable in the hack : he goes 

 as safely without doing so as if he did, provided his 

 " knee action" is what we could wish, and goes, 

 easier to the rider than he would in the other case 

 do. There can be no earthly objection to a martin- 

 gal for road-riding, if the man's hands or the 

 horse's habits render one desirable. 



We now come to the nose martingal, an abomina- 

 tion a good deal patronised by some London riders. 

 It consists of a single fixed rim, running from the 

 girths to a headstall and noseband, that is, a strap 



