ROAD-RIDING. 239 



of it, although, by changing the pressure from one 

 to the other, the mouth is kept fresher and more 

 lively than when one only is used, and especially if 

 that one should be the bit. There is a certain, but 

 not a large proportion of horses, that are rideable 

 for all purposes on the snaffle only, whose mouths 

 are generally kept fresh by the light pressure they 

 receive. These are perfect mouths ; but, neverthe- 

 less, horses that have them in this perfection, 

 should not be left quite to themselves in any one 

 pace. 



Previously to the general use of stage-coaches 

 and railways, road-riding was much more in use 

 than it is at present ; and immense distances were 

 travelled over in a day by graziers, horse and cattle 

 dealers, racing jockeys, and others, whose habits of 

 being so much on horseback rendered them superior 

 to fatigue. A hundred miles, from sun-rise to 

 sun-set on the same horse, was no uncommon day's 

 work, and this when the roads were in a very dif- 

 ferent condition from that in which they now are, 

 abounding in ruts and quarters, so that horses 

 were travelling over half their ground, either on a 

 narrow ridge, between two ruts, or over loose un- 

 broken stones ; and these were the days in which 

 really good roadsters fetched large prices, as only 

 horses with very good legs and feet could stand 

 this work long, or be depended upon as to safety. 

 But all modern feats of men on horseback, or 

 indeed the feats of any other period, on the 

 authenticity of which we can rely, retire into the 

 shade before that performed in the year 1831, 



